StockCharts (Basic Plan)
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StockCharts Basic is an advanced charting plan designed for traders and investors who rely on technical analysis to track stocks, ETFs, and market trends.
It provides customizable stock charts, technical indicators, and overlays, allowing users to analyze price movements and patterns effectively.
Traders can apply up to 25 indicators and 25 overlays per chart, use historical price data dating back to 1980, and access pre-built chart styles for quicker analysis.
StockCharts Basic adds value by offering a user-friendly charting experience, a custom stock scanner, and price alerts to help investors monitor opportunities.
However, it lacks real-time data (15-second refresh), interactive charts, backtesting, API access, and fundamental analysis tools.
- SharpCharts static stock charts
- ACP interactive charting
- Stock screener & scanner
- 25 technical indicators
- Price & technical alerts
- Point & figure charts
- Relative Rotation Graphs
- Custom chart customization
- Sector & industry analysis
- Historical stock price data
- StockCharts TV commentary
- OptionsPlay trading tool
- Customizable stock charts
- 25 indicators per chart
- Historical price data
- Technical stock scanner
- Pre-built chart templates
- No real-time data
- Limited brokerage support
- No backtesting tools
- No fundamental analysis
- Limited interactive charts
How To Analyze Stocks With StockCharts?
We tested StockCharts’ 25 technical indicators, overlays, and SCTR rankings to evaluate how well they identify stock trends and momentum.
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25 Technical Indicators & 25 Overlays Per Chart
StockCharts Basic allows traders to apply up to 25 technical indicators and 25 overlays per chart, providing a deep level of stock analysis and market trend insights.
The ability to combine multiple indicators on a single stock chart helped us identify momentum shifts, trend reversals, and potential breakout levels.
Overlays like Bollinger Bands, pivot points, and VWAP provided price action context, while indicators like Stochastic, RSI and MACD helped confirm buy and sell signals.
However, because StockCharts uses static charts, adjusting these indicators requires manually refreshing the page, which is less seamless than real-time dynamic charting platforms like TradingView.
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SharpCharts vs ACP: How They Work?
SharpCharts is StockCharts’ classic charting tool, offering static, customizable stock charts with various indicators and overlays.
On the other hand, ACP (Advanced Charting Platform) provides real-time, interactive charts with a modern interface and multi-chart layouts.
The key difference: SharpCharts are static images, while ACP allows dynamic zooming, scrolling, and real-time updates, making it better for active traders.
Let's explore them:
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SharpCharts: Classic Stock Charting Tool
SharpCharts is StockCharts’ primary charting tool, designed for technical analysis and stock trend visualization.
SharpCharts is easy to use and offers customization options, allowing traders to adjust chart styles, overlays, and technical indicators.
However, one downside is that SharpCharts are static images, meaning you can’t zoom, drag, or interact with them in real-time like you can with TradingView or ThinkorSwim.
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ACP (Advanced Charting Platform): Interactive Real-Time Charting
StockChartsACP is the next-generation interactive charting platform designed to offer real-time updates and a more modern interface than SharpCharts.
We tested ACP by building multi-chart layouts, adding custom indicators, and using plug-ins for advanced analysis.
Unlike SharpCharts’ static images, ACP allows users to scroll, zoom, and interact with charts dynamically, making it much better for active traders. The ability to trade directly through Tradier Brokerage is also a plus.
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Customize Your Chart
StockCharts allows traders to fully customize their charts to fit their trading style and analysis needs.
Based on our experience, users can modify chart types, timeframes, and visual settings to enhance readability.
Selecting between OHLC bars, candlesticks, or line charts, adjusting the timeframe from daily to yearly, and choosing a color scheme can make the charts more intuitive.
Traders can add technical overlays like Simple Moving Averages (SMA) and Exponential Moving Averages (EMA) with adjustable parameters, colors, and opacity to track trends effectively.
Indicators such as MACD, volume, and price performance can be positioned above, below, or behind the price chart for deeper analysis.
Additional settings like log scale, extended hours, and price labels refine the data presentation. Once the customization is complete, clicking “Update Chart” applies the changes
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Additional Charting Tools & Options
StockCharts Basic plan offers additional charting tools and visualizations:
- Sample Chart Gallery (NEW): Provides a collection of pre-built chart templates, showcasing different chart types and setups. Useful for traders looking for quick insights into various charting styles without manual customization.
- Point & Figure: A price-focused charting method that removes time from the equation, helping traders spot clear breakouts, support/resistance levels, and long-term trends without the noise of daily fluctuations.
- GalleryView: Displays multiple timeframes of the same stock (intraday, daily, weekly, monthly) in one view, helping traders analyze short-term vs. long-term trends simultaneously.
- Seasonality: Shows historical price performance by month or year, helping traders identify seasonal stock patterns and recurring market trends for timing trades effectively.
- CandleGlance: Provides mini candlestick charts for multiple stocks on one screen, ideal for quickly scanning a watchlist or portfolio for trend changes and trading opportunities.
- MarketCarpets: A color-coded heatmap that visually highlights market movers, sector strength, and momentum shifts, helping traders quickly assess market conditions.
- PerfCharts: Compares the relative performance of multiple stocks, ETFs, or indices over time, making it easier to identify leading and lagging assets in different market conditions.
- RRG Charts: Displays relative strength and momentum of stocks or sectors over time, helping traders track sector rotations and trend shifts.
- Dynamic Yield Curve: Shows the relationship between interest rates and stock market performance, helping investors understand how rate changes impact asset classes and economic conditions.
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SCTR Reports: StockCharts Technical Ranking System
The StockCharts Technical Rank (SCTR) is a proprietary ranking system that scores stocks based on technical strength.
We tested this by comparing high SCTR stocks (strong bullish momentum) against low SCTR stocks (weak performance).
The rankings helped us identify strong breakout candidates and underperforming stocks to avoid.
SCTR is particularly useful for momentum traders and trend-following strategies, but it doesn’t factor in fundamental analysis.
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Options Data & Trading Tool
StockCharts basic plan provides options data, allowing traders to track open interest, volume, and implied volatility for options contracts.
While it doesn’t offer advanced options chains or strategy modeling, it’s useful for basic options analysis.
StockCharts recently integrated OptionsPlay, a tool designed to simplify options trading.
We tested this feature by entering a stock symbol and selecting a bullish or bearish outlook—the platform then suggested optimal options strategies based on probability and risk/reward.
Unlike manual options chain analysis, OptionsPlay streamlines decision-making by presenting strategies visually.
It’s ideal for beginner options traders, but advanced traders may find it lacks custom strategy building compared to platforms like Tastyworks or Interactive Brokers.
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Custom Technical Stock Scan
StockCharts Basic includes a custom stock scan that lets traders filter stocks based on technical indicators.
We tested this by running a scan for stocks with RSI below 30 (oversold stocks) and stocks crossing above their 50-day moving average.
The scan worked well, but the Basic plan is limited to just one saved scan, which means traders need to delete and rewrite scans to track different setups.
Unlike checkbox-based scanners found in TradingView or Finviz, StockCharts requires coding-style syntax to build scans, which has a learning curve.
However, for experienced traders, this offers more flexibility in defining technical conditions.
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Stock Price & Technical Alerts
StockCharts Basic provides two price alerts and one advanced technical alert, helping traders stay updated on market movements.
We tested this by setting up an alert for Tesla (TSLA) crossing above $200 and an RSI-based technical alert for Apple (AAPL). The system notified us via web pop-up when conditions were met.
While alerts are useful for tracking key price levels, the two-price alert limit is restrictive, especially for traders monitoring multiple stocks.
Also, alerts are only available via web notifications, with no SMS or mobile push notifications.
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ChartSchool: Technical Analysis Education
One of the standout resources in StockCharts Basic is ChartSchool, an educational platform covering technical analysis, stock charts, and trading strategies.
We explored various lessons on candlestick patterns, moving averages, and trend indicators, and found them clear and beginner-friendly.
What Traders & Investors Can Do With It:
- Learn technical analysis basics (e.g., moving averages, RSI, Bollinger Bands)
- Understand stock patterns and market cycles
- Build better trading strategies with expert guidance
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StockCharts TV: Expert Market Commentary
StockCharts TV offers expert market commentary and technical analysis videos, streaming 24/7.
We watched market breakdowns from analysts like David Keller and Tom Bowley, which provided useful insights into current trends and sector movements.
Unlike other platforms that focus on community-based discussions, StockCharts TV delivers expert-driven content.
What Traders & Investors Can Do With It:
- Watch daily market analysis videos from professional traders
- Get insights on trend reversals, stock breakouts, and sector shifts
- Learn technical trading strategies in a video format
Additional Features & Tools
Besides charting tools and multiple options for customizations and visuzalistions, there are some additional features basic plan users can get:
Historical Price Data: Provides historical stock price data dating back to 1980, useful for long-term trend analysis and backtesting manually. H
6 Price Datasets per Chart: Allows users to compare up to six different price data sources on a single chart, helping traders analyze multiple stocks, indices, or ETFs together.
1 ChartList: Allows traders to save and organize one list of stocks or charts, helping track watchlists or portfolios.
Market Summary: Provides a quick snapshot of the overall market, including major indices (S&P 500, Nasdaq, Dow), key market movers, and real-time percentage changes. It helps traders gauge market sentiment at a glance.
Sector Summary: Breaks down performance across all 11 stock market sectors, showing which areas are gaining or losing momentum. This is valuable for sector rotation strategies and identifying leading sectors.
Industry Summary: Offers a deeper dive into specific industries within each sector, helping traders find high-performing industries and stocks benefiting from sector trends.
Index Members: Displays all stocks within a selected index (e.g., S&P 500, Nasdaq-100), allowing traders to spot winners and losers within a benchmark.
Earnings Calendar: Lists upcoming corporate earnings reports, helping traders plan for potential volatility and post-earnings trading opportunities.
Cryptocurrencies: Tracks major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, providing real-time performance data for traders interested in crypto market trends.
StockCharts: What’s Missing?
While StockCharts Basic offers solid charting and technical analysis tools, it has several limitations that could impact traders, especially when compared to competitors like TradingView or its own premium plans:
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Limited Brokerage Integration (Only Tradier)
StockCharts only allows direct trading through Tradier, while competitors like TradingView and ThinkorSwim support multiple brokers, including TD Ameritrade, Interactive Brokers, and Fidelity.
This limitation forces traders to either use Tradier or manually execute trades on a different platform, adding unnecessary steps to the trading process.
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No Community or Social Trading Features
Unlike TradingView or StockTwits, StockCharts does not have a social trading community where traders can share charts, discuss strategies, or get insights from experts.
While StockCharts TV offers expert commentary, it’s a one-way stream of information, lacking interactive discussion or shared trading ideas.
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No Fundamental Analysis Tools
StockCharts is heavily technical analysis-focused, but it lacks fundamental stock ratings, earnings data, and valuation metrics.
While premium plans provide some market commentary, they still don’t match platforms like Zacks, MarketBeat, or Morningstar, which offer detailed stock ratings, analyst reports, and earnings projections.
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No Backtesting for Strategy Development
One major downside of StockCharts Basic is the lack of a backtesting feature, which is essential for traders who want to test trading strategies before risking real money.
Many competitors like TradingView and TradeStation offer built-in backtesting tools that allow users to apply historical data to their strategies and see how they would have performed in the past.
Who Should Choose StockCharts Basic?
StockCharts Basic is best suited for traders and investors who focus on technical analysis but don’t require real-time data or advanced trading tools. Here are types of users who may find this plan useful:
- Beginner Traders: Those new to stock charts who want a simple, structured platform to learn technical indicators, overlays, and price patterns without getting overwhelmed.
- Visual Learners: Traders who prefer customizable charts with annotations to track price movements and key levels over time.
- Sector & Index Analysts: Those analyzing sector strength, industry performance, and relative stock momentum using RRG Charts, MarketCarpets, and SCTR Reports.
- Swing Traders: Traders who hold stocks for days or weeks and rely on historical price trends, moving averages, and technical setups to make trading decisions.
StockCharts: Who Should Look Elsewhere?
StockCharts Basic has several limitations, making it less suitable for certain traders and investors. Here are four types of users who may find this plan too restrictive:
- High-Frequency Traders: Those who need direct brokerage execution, real-time Level 2 data, or order flow tools will be better served by platforms like ThinkorSwim or Interactive Brokers.
- Algorithmic & Quant Traders: Traders who rely on automated strategies, backtesting, or API integrations will find no support for custom scripts, automated trades, or programmatic analysis.
- Fundamental Investors: Investors who focus on earnings, valuation metrics, and analyst ratings won’t find much fundamental data here, as StockCharts is purely technical analysis-driven.
- Social & Community-Driven Traders: Unlike platforms like TradingView or StockTwits, StockCharts doesn’t have a social feed, shared chart ideas, or user-generated discussions.
StockCharts Basic Alternatives: How They Compare?
StockCharts Basic is a high-tier technical analysis platform offering advanced charting, custom scans, and exclusive market insights.
Compared to Finviz Elite, which excels in fundamental screening and heatmaps, StockCharts focuses more on charting and technical studies.
Plan | Subscription | Promotion |
|---|---|---|
Yahoo Finance Silver | $24.95
$239.40 ($19.95 / month) if paid annually | N/A |
TradingView Plus | $29.95
$180 ($14.95 / month) if paid annually
| 30-day free trial |
Zacks Premium | $249 ($20.75/month)
No monthly plan | 30-day free trial |
MarketBeat All Access | $39.99
$399 ($33.25 / month) if paid annually | $199/year or $19.99/month
30-day free trial + $19.99/month for the first year (billed monthly) OR $199/year ($16.58/month). New members only. |
InvestingPro | $15.99
$120 ($9.99 / month)
if paid annually | N/A |
TipRanks Premium | $359 ($30 / month)
No monthly plan | 30 day money-back guarantee |
Finviz Elite | $39.50
$299.5 ($24.96 / month) if paid annually | 30-day money-back guarantee |
Seeking Alpha Premium | $299 ($24.90 / month)
No monthly subscription | $4.95 for 1 month |
TradingView Essential offers superior real-time data and interactive charts, while Benzinga Basic Pro provides fast news and sentiment analysis.
MarketBeat All Access leans toward stock ratings and analyst insights, whereas TipRanks Premium specializes in tracking expert stock picks. StockTwits Edge emphasizes social sentiment data.
FAQ
Yes, but it’s limited. Users must enable the “Extended Hours” option in chart settings to see after-hours movements.
Yes, but only through Tradier Brokerage. Other platforms like TD Ameritrade and Interactive Brokers are not supported.
Yes, StockCharts has an app available on iOS and Android, but some desktop features may not be available on mobile.
Yes, you can enable “Adjust for Dividends” to see price movements adjusted for past dividend payouts.
Yes, you can download and save charts as images, but data export in CSV or Excel format is not available in the Basic plan.
Yes, you can open multiple browser tabs for different charts, but there is no built-in multi-screen layout feature in the Basic plan.
No, StockCharts does not support custom-coded indicators like TradingView’s Pine Script or ThinkorSwim’s thinkScript.
No automatic pattern recognition is available, but you can manually analyze candlestick formations using standard chart tools.
Yes, charts automatically adjust for stock splits, ensuring historical price accuracy.
Review Premium Stock Analysis & Charting Tools
How We Rated Premium Investing Analysis & Research Tools
At The Smart Investor, we evaluated premium investment research platforms based on their advanced features, data depth, and overall value compared to other paid alternatives. Each platform was rated based on the following key aspects:
- Advanced Fundamental Analysis Tools (20%): We assessed the depth of financial data, historical reports, earnings forecasts, and valuation models. Platforms that provided institutional-grade insights, DCF analysis, customizable financial models, and access to premium analyst reports scored higher.
- Advanced Technical Analysis Features (20%): We reviewed the availability of real-time charting, advanced indicators, custom scripting, and AI-driven pattern recognition. Platforms that offered backtesting tools, automated trading strategies, and integration with third-party software received better ratings.
- Stock Screener & Premium Filters (15%): A high-quality screener is essential for pro investors, so we evaluated customization depth, real-time filtering, and AI-driven stock discovery. Platforms offering pre-built expert screeners, backtesting capabilities, and sector-specific analytics scored the highest.
- Portfolio Tracking & Advanced Alerts (10%): We rated platforms on their ability to provide real-time performance tracking, portfolio rebalancing tools, and tax optimization insights. Platforms with smart alerts, AI-driven risk assessments, and brokerage integration ranked higher.
- Ease of Use & Customization (15%): We assessed how well premium platforms balance advanced capabilities with user-friendly interfaces. Those offering custom dashboards, API access, and seamless multi-device usability received better ratings.
- Pricing (20%): We considered how the plan's pricing compared to other premium plans and what benefits traders/investors get. Is it worth it overall?
