The Problem With Most Stock Screeners

If you're a swing trader, you've probably spent hours filtering through stock screeners trying to find setups. You set your RSI below 30, add a volume filter, maybe throw in a moving average condition -- and you still end up with 200+ results.

The problem isn't the filters. It's that traditional screeners give you a list, not a plan. They tell you which stocks match your criteria, but they don't tell you why a setup is interesting or what's actually happening with the stock right now.

That's the gap we set out to fill when building SwingScout.

What Swing Traders Actually Need

Before comparing tools, let's be clear about what a swing trader (2-4 week holding period) actually needs from a screener:

1. Pattern detection -- Not just "RSI below 30" but the full context: Is the stock in an uptrend? Is volume confirming the move?
2. Curated results -- 5-10 interesting setups, not 500 filter matches
3. Clear reasoning -- Why is this stock worth watching? What's the thesis?
4. News context -- Is there a catalyst driving the move, or is it purely technical?
5. Affordable pricing -- Swing trading is already capital-intensive. Your tools shouldn't cost more than your monthly P&L.

With that framework, let's compare the major players.

The Comparison

Finviz ($39.50/month for Elite)

What it does well:

• Massive filter library -- you can filter on practically anything
• Heat maps and visual market overview
• Fast and lightweight interface

Where it falls short for swing traders:

• Returns hundreds of results with no ranking or prioritization
• No explanation of why a stock matches -- just that it does
• No news sentiment integration
• Custom alerts only available on the Elite tier ($39.50/month)
• Real-time data only on Elite -- free tier is 15-min delayed

Best for: Data-heavy traders who want raw filtering power and don't mind sorting through large result sets.

TradingView ($29.95/month for Essential)

What it does well:

• Best charting platform, period
• Huge community with shared ideas and scripts
• Pine Script for custom indicators
• Good mobile app

Where it falls short for swing traders:

• The screener is secondary to charting -- not the main focus
• Still a filter-based approach: you define criteria, you get a list
• No curated signals or setup explanations
• Community ideas are hit-or-miss quality
• Gets expensive if you need multiple features ($29.95-59.95/month)

Best for: Traders who prioritize charting and want a community. Less ideal if your main need is finding setups efficiently.

TrendSpider ($52+/month)

What it does well:

• Automated technical analysis (trendlines, patterns)
• Backtesting capabilities
• Multi-timeframe analysis
• Smart alerts with complex conditions

Where it falls short for swing traders:

• Expensive starting point ($52/month)
• Steep learning curve -- lots of features to configure
• Still requires you to know exactly what you're looking for
• No curated daily signals

Best for: Advanced traders who want automated technical analysis and have the time to set up complex scanning rules.

SwingScout ($9.90/month)

Full disclosure: we built SwingScout, so take this with appropriate context. Here's what it does and doesn't do.

What it does:

• Scans 4,800+ U.S. stocks (NYSE & Nasdaq) through 11 detection rules
• Picks the most interesting setups daily -- typically 5-10 signals
• Every signal includes a plain-English explanation ("RSI at 28, bouncing with 2.3x volume in an uptrend above MA50")
• AI-powered news sentiment on every signal -- see if there's a catalyst or if the move is purely technical
• Two categories: "Moving Now" (active setups) and "Watchlist" (pending setups waiting for a trigger)
• Updates every 30 minutes during market hours
• Full screener with RSI, volume, moving average, gap, and ATR filters
• 16 types of custom alerts
• $9.90/month with a 14-day free trial (no credit card required)

What it doesn't do:

• No charting platform (we link to charts, but it's not a TradingView replacement)
• No backtesting
• No options data
• No Pine Script or custom indicator creation

Best for: Swing traders who want curated, explained setups without spending hours screening. Especially useful if you're tired of filter dumps and want to see why a stock is interesting.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

| Feature | SwingScout | Finviz | TradingView | TrendSpider |

|---------|-----------|--------|-------------|-------------|

| Daily Curated Signals | Yes | No | No | No |

| Plain-English Reasoning | Yes | No | No | No |

| News Sentiment Analysis | Yes | No | No | No |

| Custom Alerts | Yes (16 types) | Elite only | Yes | Yes |

| Real-time Charts | Yes | Elite only | Yes | Yes |

| Mobile PWA | Yes | No | Yes | No |

| Backtesting | No | No | Yes | Yes |

| Custom Scripting | No | No | Yes (Pine) | No |

| 4,800+ U.S. Stocks | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |

| Price/month | $9.90 | $39.50 | $29.95 | $52+ |

The Signal Types SwingScout Detects

SwingScout's engine runs 11 different detection rules. Here are the main ones:

• Oversold Bounce -- RSI below 30 in an uptrending stock (price above MA50) with volume confirmation
• Volume Spike -- 3x+ average volume with a significant price move (3-25%)
• Gap Play -- Stock gaps down 3%+ in an uptrend (potential dip-buy)
• Trend Breakout -- Price just crossed above the 50-day moving average
• Momentum Shift -- RSI recovered 15+ points in 3 days from oversold territory
• Mean Reversion -- Price extended more than 2x ATR below MA20 in an uptrend

Each signal includes the specific technical data (RSI value, volume ratio, distance to moving averages) plus AI-generated news context.

Which Screener Should You Use?

There's no single "best" screener -- it depends on your workflow:

• If you want raw filtering power and don't mind large result sets: Finviz
• If charting is your priority and you want community ideas: TradingView
• If you want automated technical analysis and have the budget: TrendSpider
• If you want curated daily setups with clear reasoning and news context: SwingScout

Many traders use multiple tools. SwingScout works well alongside a charting platform -- it finds the setups, and you do the detailed analysis on your preferred charts.

Try It Yourself

The best way to evaluate any screener is to actually use it. SwingScout offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required -- you get full access to Hot Signals, the screener, and all 16 alert types.

See if the curated approach works for your trading style.