CNBC vs Morningstar Investor
Updated November 2026 · AppBreakup editorial
CNBC
Business news network's site and app for market news, quotes, watchlists and live TV coverage.
Morningstar Investor
Independent investment research site with stock and fund ratings, screeners and portfolio X-Ray.
The short answer
CNBC is a business news network: fast headlines, live TV-style coverage and free delayed quotes and watchlists, with paid add-ons. Morningstar Investor is a paid research subscription with analyst fair value estimates, moat ratings, fund ratings and Portfolio X-Ray. Pick CNBC to follow markets day to day; pick Morningstar to research what to hold for the long term.
CNBC or Morningstar Investor: our take
These two answer different questions. CNBC tells you what is happening in markets right now: breaking company and economy news, video, podcasts and market data such as quotes, charts and watchlists, with US, European and Asian editions. Morningstar helps you decide what to own: analyst reports on thousands of stocks and funds, fair value estimates, economic moat ratings, its well-known fund and ETF ratings, screeners and portfolio tools.
Pricing follows that split. Most of CNBC is free, including a free account with watchlists, but free market data is delayed by at least 15 minutes. Its paid products are CNBC Pro (analyst commentary, stock picks, screeners and a livestream of the TV channel), the Investing Club built around Jim Cramer's portfolio, and the separate CNBC+ streaming subscription. Morningstar publishes free news and articles, but the research needs Morningstar Investor at $34.95/month or $249/year, after a 7-day free trial.
Morningstar's standout tool is Portfolio X-Ray, which breaks a portfolio down by asset allocation, sector, fees and stock style, alongside Stock Intersection for fund overlap and side-by-side comparison of up to 5 securities. Its charting is basic and its portfolio tools focus on US-based investments. CNBC leans toward headlines over deep research, and its overlapping paid tiers can be confusing.
Investors who want to keep up with markets and watch live coverage will be well served by CNBC's free tier. Long-term, buy-and-hold investors choosing funds or checking fees and overlap in their portfolio get more from Morningstar Investor. Plenty of people use both: CNBC for the news, Morningstar for the decisions.
Which should you pick?
Choose CNBC if…
- Investors who want fast business news, live TV coverage and free watchlists
- You want a free option (Morningstar Investor is paid only)
- You need iOS and Android, which Morningstar Investor doesn't list
- Fast breaking business and market news
- Free quotes and watchlists with an account
Choose Morningstar Investor if…
- Long-term investors who want independent ratings on funds and stocks and a portfolio X-Ray
- Analyst fair value estimates and moat ratings on thousands of stocks
- Well-known fund and ETF ratings with deep fee and holdings data
About each app
What is CNBC?
CNBC is a business and financial news network, and CNBC.com and its apps carry breaking market news, company and economy coverage, video, podcasts and market data such as quotes, charts and watchlists. Most news, quotes and a free account with watchlists cost nothing; market data on the free site is delayed. Paid tiers add more: CNBC Pro offers analyst commentary, stock picks, screeners and a livestream of the CNBC TV channel, the Investing Club follows Jim Cramer's portfolio with trade alerts, and CNBC+ is a separate streaming subscription. CNBC has US, European and Asian editions, and it is now part of Versant, the cable-network company spun off from Comcast. It suits investors who like fast, TV-style news and live market coverage; people who want in-depth research or free real-time data may prefer Morningstar or Investing.com.
What is Morningstar Investor?
Morningstar is an investment research company best known for its star ratings on mutual funds and ETFs. Its website publishes free market news and articles, while the paid Morningstar Investor subscription unlocks analyst reports on thousands of stocks and funds, fair value estimates, economic moat ratings, screeners, watchlists and portfolio tools. Portfolio X-Ray breaks down a linked or manually entered portfolio by asset allocation, sector, fees and stock style, and Stock Intersection shows where funds overlap. It's aimed at long-term, buy-and-hold investors who want independent fundamental research rather than trading tools or real-time charting. Pricing is a monthly or cheaper yearly subscription after a 7-day free trial. Compared with free portals like Yahoo Finance, the value lies in the analyst ratings and fund data; active traders will find charting thin, and the portfolio tools focus on US-based investments.
Side by side
| Attribute | CNBC | Morningstar Investor |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan + paid | Paid |
| Open source | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | No |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web |
| Best for | Investors who want fast business news, live TV coverage and free watchlists | Long-term investors who want independent ratings on funds and stocks and a portfolio X-Ray |
| Status | Active | Active |
CNBC vs Morningstar Investor pricing
Platforms
| Platform | CNBC | Morningstar Investor |
|---|---|---|
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android |
CNBC facts
4 of 4 verified- Paid services
- CNBC+, CNBC Pro, Investing Club
- Checked Nov 8, 2026cnbc.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “subscription services like CNBC+, CNBC Pro, and the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer.”
- Audience
- Half a billion people a month
- Checked Nov 8, 2026cnbc.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “reaching half a billion people every month across all platforms.”
- Free data delay
- At least 15 minutes
- Checked Nov 8, 2026cnbc.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes.”
Morningstar Investor facts
5 of 5 verified- Free trial
- 7 days
- Checked Nov 8, 2026morningstar.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Site Index Your free trial will end at 11:59 PM CT, seven days after your trial begins.”
- Stock ratings
- Economic moat rating
- Checked Nov 8, 2026morningstar.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Morningstar Economic Moat Rating”
- Portfolio analysis
- Portfolio X-Ray
- Checked Nov 8, 2026morningstar.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Understand risk with X-Ray X-Ray lays out your overall asset allocation, sector weightings, fees, and more, so you can quickly identify areas of opportunity or potential risk.”
- Compare securities
- Up to 5 side by side
- Checked Nov 8, 2026morningstar.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Quickly compare securities Get a side-by-side view of up to five securities at a time to pick new favorites based on key criteria.”
- Starting price
- $34.95/month or $249/year
- Checked Nov 8, 2026morningstar.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Make smarter investing decisions with Morningstar Investor Yearly $249 $20.75/mo—Save 41% over monthly Monthly $34.95”
Pros and cons of CNBC
- Fast breaking business and market news
- Free quotes and watchlists with an account
- Pro tier adds a live TV stream and screeners
- US, European and Asian editions
- Free market data is delayed
- Several overlapping paid products can be confusing
- Coverage leans toward headlines over deep research
Pros and cons of Morningstar Investor
- Analyst fair value estimates and moat ratings on thousands of stocks
- Well-known fund and ETF ratings with deep fee and holdings data
- Portfolio X-Ray shows allocation, fees and overlap across holdings
- 7-day free trial before paying
- Full research needs a paid subscription
- Charting and technical tools are basic for active traders
- Portfolio tools focus on US-based investments
- Only one free trial per person
Other apps to consider
Yahoo FinanceInstead of CNBC
Free quotes, charts, portfolios and market news in one place, with a strong mobile app.
TradingViewInstead of Morningstar Investor
Far stronger charting and technical analysis, with a large community sharing trade ideas.
KoyfinInstead of Morningstar Investor
Fund and stock dashboards with deep fundamentals and charts, a strong research option with a free tier.
CNBC vs Morningstar Investor: common questions
Is CNBC better than Morningstar Investor?
CNBC is a business news network: fast headlines, live TV-style coverage and free delayed quotes and watchlists, with paid add-ons. Morningstar Investor is a paid research subscription with analyst fair value estimates, moat ratings, fund ratings and Portfolio X-Ray. Pick CNBC to follow markets day to day; pick Morningstar to research what to hold for the long term.
Is CNBC free?
CNBC has a free plan, with paid plans for more features. See its verified pricing facts above for current limits.
Is Morningstar Investor free?
No. Morningstar Investor is paid, though it may offer a trial.
Is CNBC or Morningstar Investor open source?
Neither is open source.
Which platforms do CNBC and Morningstar Investor support?
CNBC: Web, iOS and Android. Morningstar Investor: Web.