CNBC vs Yahoo Finance
Updated November 2026 · AppBreakup editorial
CNBC
Business news network's site and app for market news, quotes, watchlists and live TV coverage.
Yahoo Finance
Free market data and finance news site with quotes, screeners, watchlists and portfolio tracking.
The short answer
CNBC suits investors who want fast business news and live TV-style market coverage, with paid tiers for analysis and a channel livestream. Yahoo Finance suits everyday investors who want free quotes, screeners, downloadable price history and a portfolio tracker. The biggest difference: CNBC is news first, while Yahoo Finance is a data and tracking tool that also carries news.
CNBC or Yahoo Finance: our take
CNBC is a business news network, and its site and apps are built around breaking market news, company and economy coverage, video and podcasts. A free account adds quotes and watchlists, though free market data is delayed by at least 15 minutes. Paid products sit on top: CNBC Pro adds analyst commentary, stock picks, screeners and a livestream of the TV channel, the Investing Club follows Jim Cramer's portfolio with trade alerts, and CNBC+ is a separate streaming subscription. Having three overlapping paid products can be confusing. It has US, European and Asian editions and is owned by Versant.
Yahoo Finance gives away more tools. Free features include interactive charts with indicators and symbol comparisons, stock screeners, earnings and IPO calendars, downloadable historical prices, and portfolios where holdings and transactions can be recorded to track performance. Coverage spans stocks, ETFs, funds, currencies, bonds, commodities and crypto. Paid plans add analyst reports, deeper fundamentals and no ads, starting at $7.95 a month, billed annually, for Bronze, with Silver and Gold above it and a 7-day Gold trial. Free pages carry heavy advertising, and its charts are basic next to dedicated trading platforms.
For following what is moving markets right now, with a TV-news feel, CNBC is the better fit. For checking quotes, screening stocks, pulling historical data into a spreadsheet or keeping a simple portfolio record without paying, Yahoo Finance does more for free. Many investors use both: CNBC for headlines and live coverage, Yahoo Finance for numbers and tracking. Neither replaces in-depth research services or a dedicated charting platform for active traders.
Which should you pick?
Choose CNBC if…
- Investors who want fast business news, live TV coverage and free watchlists
- Fast breaking business and market news
- Free quotes and watchlists with an account
Choose Yahoo Finance if…
- Everyday investors who want free quotes, news and a simple portfolio tracker
- Wide free coverage of quotes, news, screeners and calendars
- Portfolio tracking with holdings and transactions
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 Yahoo Finance?
Yahoo Finance is one of the most visited finance sites, covering stock, ETF, fund, currency, bond, commodity and crypto quotes alongside business news and its own video shows. Free features include interactive charts with indicators and symbol comparisons, stock screeners, earnings and IPO calendars, downloadable historical prices, and watchlists and portfolios where you can record holdings and transactions to track performance. Paid subscription plans add more research, such as analyst reports, deeper fundamentals and an ad-free experience. It suits everyday investors who want quick quotes, news and a simple way to follow a portfolio for free, and it's a common data source for spreadsheets and hobby projects. Active traders usually outgrow its charts and move to a dedicated platform like TradingView, and the free pages carry a lot of advertising. It runs on the web and has Yahoo Finance apps for iPhone and Android.
Side by side
| Attribute | CNBC | Yahoo Finance |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan + paid | Free plan + paid |
| Open source | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | No |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
| Best for | Investors who want fast business news, live TV coverage and free watchlists | Everyday investors who want free quotes, news and a simple portfolio tracker |
| Status | Active | Active |
CNBC vs Yahoo Finance pricing
CNBC: free plan + paid
- Free data delay: At least 15 minutes source
Yahoo Finance: free plan + paid
- Starting price: $7.95 a month, billed annually (Bronze) source
- Silver plan: $19.95 a month, billed annually source
- Free trial: 7 days (Gold) source
- Gold plan: $39.95 a month, billed annually source
Platforms
| Platform | CNBC | Yahoo Finance |
|---|---|---|
| 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.”
Yahoo Finance facts
8 of 8 verified- Mobile apps
- iOS and Android
- Checked Nov 8, 2026help.yahoo.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Sign-in Helper Finance app for Android Finance app for iOS”
- Historical data
- Downloadable
- Checked Nov 8, 2026help.yahoo.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Download historical data in Yahoo Finance”
- Starting price
- $7.95 a month, billed annually (Bronze)
- Checked Nov 8, 2026finance.yahoo.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Bronze $ 7.95 /mo Billed $95.40 yearly”
- Chart indicators
- Yes
- Checked Nov 8, 2026help.yahoo.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Add indicators to charts in Yahoo Finance for Web”
- Silver plan
- $19.95 a month, billed annually
- Checked Nov 8, 2026finance.yahoo.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Silver $ 19.95 /mo Billed $239.40 yearly”
- Free trial
- 7 days (Gold)
- Checked Nov 8, 2026finance.yahoo.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “$479.40 yearly — you save $120 a year Start 7 day free trial To avoid charges, cancel before the trial ends.”
- Portfolio tracking
- Holdings and transactions
- Checked Nov 8, 2026help.yahoo.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Track holdings and transactions in Yahoo Finance with My Portfolios”
- Gold plan
- $39.95 a month, billed annually
- Checked Nov 8, 2026finance.yahoo.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Gold $ 39.95 /mo Billed $479.40 yearly”
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 Yahoo Finance
- Wide free coverage of quotes, news, screeners and calendars
- Portfolio tracking with holdings and transactions
- Downloadable historical price data
- Heavy advertising on free pages
- Charting is basic next to dedicated trading platforms
- Deeper research sits behind a paid plan
Other apps to consider
Morningstar InvestorInstead of CNBC
Independent research and ratings on stocks and funds for long-term investors.
Seeking AlphaInstead of Yahoo Finance
Adds in-depth analyst articles, quant ratings and earnings transcripts on top of quotes and news.
TradingViewInstead of Yahoo Finance
Far better charts, screeners and community ideas for active traders.
SharesightInstead of Yahoo Finance
Dedicated portfolio tracker with dividends and tax reporting, for investors who mainly track holdings.
CNBC vs Yahoo Finance: common questions
Is CNBC better than Yahoo Finance?
CNBC suits investors who want fast business news and live TV-style market coverage, with paid tiers for analysis and a channel livestream. Yahoo Finance suits everyday investors who want free quotes, screeners, downloadable price history and a portfolio tracker. The biggest difference: CNBC is news first, while Yahoo Finance is a data and tracking tool that also carries news.
Is CNBC free?
CNBC has a free plan, with paid plans for more features. See its verified pricing facts above for current limits.
Is Yahoo Finance free?
Yahoo Finance has a free plan, with paid plans for more features. See its verified pricing facts above for current limits.
Is CNBC or Yahoo Finance open source?
Neither is open source.
Which platforms do CNBC and Yahoo Finance support?
CNBC: Web, iOS and Android. Yahoo Finance: Web, iOS and Android.