Finviz alternative for day trading with real-time scans and a journal
Finviz is one of the most popular stock screeners on the web, loved for its heat maps and its long list of fundamental and technical filters. For day trading, the question is timing: a screener built around daily data answers different questions than a scanner that updates every second of the session. DayTradingSoftware is that real-time scanner, with a journal attached.
Why so many traders open Finviz
Finviz offers a fast screener with dozens of filters, sector and market maps, charts, news headlines and insider data. Much of it is available at no cost with delayed data, and Finviz Elite adds real-time quotes, intraday charts, alerts and backtesting.
Its screener is strongest for swing and position ideas: filtering by valuation, earnings, performance over weeks and technical patterns on daily charts. Intraday screening is more limited than in a dedicated real-time scanner, which matters when a stock gaps 30% at 8:15 ET and halts twice before 9:45.
- Very broad fundamental and technical filters.
- Heat maps, news and insider data.
- Real-time data and alerts on the paid tier.
- No built-in trading journal.
When Finviz fits you better
If you swing trade or invest and build lists from fundamentals, earnings dates and daily chart patterns, Finviz is likely the better and cheaper tool. It is also a good fit for a quick end of day review of sectors and market breadth, which our product does not try to replicate.
Why a daily screener is not a day trading scanner
A screener runs a query on a snapshot of data and returns a list. A real-time scanner keeps the query running and updates the list as prices and volume change. For day trading the difference is practical: premarket gappers move between 4:00 and 9:30 ET, relative volume builds in the first minutes after the open, halts come and go, and a stock that was not on any list at 9:40 can be up 25% at 9:50.
- A screener asks which stocks matched at the last refresh.
- A scanner tells you which stocks match right now and when they started matching.
- Day trading filters depend on intraday fields like RVOL, change in 1 or 5 minutes, VWAP and halts.
What a day trading scan looks like
A common premarket scan in DayTradingSoftware is price between $2 and $20, gap above 10%, premarket volume above 500,000 shares, float under 50 million and RVOL above 3. During the session, a momentum scanner watches change in the last 1 or 5 minutes and new intraday highs. These are filters you set; the scanner shows what matches, and the decision stays with you.
Scanner, alerts and journal together
DayTradingSoftware covers premarket gappers, top gainers, relative volume, new highs, halts and momentum change with licensed real-time US market data. Trading alerts fire on scan results, levels, RVOL and VWAP crosses. The trading journal imports your broker CSV and stores the scan state at entry for trades taken from your scans, so analytics show which scan conditions actually pay for you.
DayTradingSoftware vs Finviz at a glance
| DayTradingSoftware | Finviz | |
|---|---|---|
| Main use | Real-time day trading scanner and journal | Stock screener, maps and research |
| Intraday scanning | Real-time, updates through the session | Limited compared with a dedicated real-time scanner |
| Premarket gappers 4:00 to 9:30 ET | Yes | Limited |
| Halts and momentum in 1 or 5 minutes | Yes | No |
| Fundamental filters | Price, float, sector, ATR | Very broad |
| Trading journal | Yes | No |
| Backtests | Simple intraday rule backtests | Backtesting on Elite |
| Price | $49, $149 or $499 per month, yearly from $24 per month | Finviz Elite about $40 per month, as listed on their website in October 2026, check their site for current pricing |
What DayTradingSoftware costs
Starter is $49 per month or $24 per month billed $288 per year. Pro is $149 per month or $74 per month billed $888 per year, with unlimited scans and after hours scanning. Desk is $499 per month or $249 per month billed $2,988 per year for up to 10 seats. Yearly is the default and saves 50%. See pricing for all limits.
Finviz for research, DayTradingSoftware for the session
Many traders keep Finviz for weekend research and sector maps and use a real-time scanner on trading days. If that is you, read our guide to the best stock screener for day trading to decide which tool belongs in which part of your routine.
Trading risk
DayTradingSoftware is a software tool, not investment advice. Past performance and backtests do not guarantee future results. Trading involves substantial risk of loss.
FAQ
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Is Finviz good for day trading
It is useful for preparation and research. For finding stocks that are moving right now, a real-time scanner with intraday filters such as RVOL, halts and short term change is the more direct tool.
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Does DayTradingSoftware have fundamental filters
It has the filters day traders use most: price, float, volume, gap %, RVOL, change %, ATR and sector. It is not a fundamental research screener.
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Is the data delayed
No. Scans, alerts and watchlists run on licensed real-time US market data.
Finviz is a trademark of its owner. DayTradingSoftware is not affiliated with it.