The Motley Fool
Investing news site and paid stock-picking newsletters built around long-term buy-and-hold investing.
Updated · AppBreakup editorial · Web, iOS, Android
Is The Motley Fool free?
Free plan, plus paid plans
- Starting price:
- $199 per year
Checked on The Motley Fool's site Nov 8, 2026
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All 4
Morningstar InvestorCompareStarting price: $34.95/month or $249/year
Yahoo FinanceCompareStarting price: $7.95 a month, billed annually (Bronze)
Simply Wall StStarting price: $120 a year for Premium (about $10/month, billed annually)
- Verified facts
- 4 of 4
- Alternatives ranked
- 4
- Approved reviews
- 0
- Visits sent from here
- 0
About The Motley Fool
The Motley Fool is an investing advice company that publishes free stock market news and explainers at fool.com and sells subscription services with stock recommendations. Its flagship, Stock Advisor, sends regular stock picks with model portfolio guidance, and higher tiers such as Epic and Epic Plus bundle several services with different styles, from growth stocks to dividends, plus rankings and AI-assisted scoring. The philosophy is consistent across all of it: buy a diversified set of stocks and hold them for years rather than trading. Free readers get articles, podcasts and basic tools; paid plans are billed yearly, with entry-level and premium tiers that differ widely in price. It is a website with mobile access rather than a brokerage, so you still buy shares through your own broker. Critics note that the free site is full of upsells for the paid services, and that picks are best judged over many years rather than months.
Best for: Long-term individual investors who want a steady stream of stock ideas and explanations.
The Motley Fool pricing (checked Nov 8, 2026)
Each line is quoted from The Motley Fool's own site, with the page it came from.
| Plan or term | What it says | Checked | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $199 per year | Nov 8, 2026 | fool.com |
Pros and cons
What works
- Clear, beginner-friendly explanations of companies and investing basics
- Consistent long-term, buy-and-hold approach
- Large free library of articles and podcasts
Why people leave
- Free articles are full of promotions for paid services
- Top tiers cost thousands of dollars a year
- Not a broker, so trades still happen elsewhere
The Motley Fool vs Morningstar Investor, Yahoo Finance and Simply Wall St
From each app's listing and the prices verified on its own site. A dash means we haven't verified it yet.
| Attribute | The Motley Fool | Morningstar Investor | Yahoo Finance | Simply Wall St |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan + paid | Paid | Free plan + paid | Free plan + paid |
| Verified price | $199 per year | $34.95/month or $249/year | $7.95 a month, billed annually (Bronze) | $120 a year for Premium (about $10/month, billed annually) |
| Free plan | Yes | No | Yes | Yes, $0 with 1 portfolio of 10 holdings |
| Open source | No | No | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | No | No | No |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android, Browser extension |
Full The Motley Fool vs Morningstar Investor comparisonFull The Motley Fool vs Yahoo Finance comparison
Top The Motley Fool alternatives
See all 4- 1Morningstar Investor66.5
Independent ratings and analyst research on stocks and funds, without the newsletter-style picks.
- 2Yahoo Finance64.8
Free quotes, news and portfolio tracking if you want data rather than recommendations.
- 3Simply Wall St57.5
Shows each stock's valuation, growth and dividends as visual reports instead of picking stocks for you.
- 4
TradingView51.2Charting and community trade ideas for investors who want to do their own analysis.
Why people left The Motley Fool
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
No switching stories yet. If you moved away from The Motley Fool, review the app you switched to and tell us why.
Reviews
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The Motley Fool: common questions
What is The Motley Fool?
The Motley Fool: Investing news site and paid stock-picking newsletters built around long-term buy-and-hold investing. Best for long-term individual investors who want a steady stream of stock ideas and explanations. Available for Web, iOS and Android.
Is The Motley Fool free?
The Motley Fool has a free plan and paid plans.
How much does The Motley Fool cost?
The Motley Fool is free with paid plans. Starting price: $199 per year. Checked on The Motley Fool's own site, November 2026.
Is The Motley Fool open source?
No, The Motley Fool is not open source.
What platforms does The Motley Fool run on?
The Motley Fool is available for Web, iOS and Android.
What are the best alternatives to The Motley Fool?
The highest-ranked The Motley Fool alternatives right now are Morningstar Investor, Yahoo Finance and Simply Wall St. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.
The Motley Fool vs Morningstar Investor: what's the difference?
The Motley Fool is free with paid plans; Morningstar Investor is a paid product. Verified prices: The Motley Fool $199 per year, Morningstar Investor $34.95/month or $249/year. Only The Motley Fool runs on iOS and Android.