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Investment Analytics · head to head

Clarity AI vs MSCI

Clarity AI logo

Clarity AI

Investment Analytics

AI-driven sustainability, climate and SFDR data for investors and banks

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
MSCI logo

MSCI

Investment Analytics

Indexes, Barra factor models, RiskMetrics risk, ESG ratings and private asset data

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Clarity AI no prices are published for any module; the site routes every enquiry to Talk to an Expert, checked November 2026.; MSCI no prices are published for any index licence, model or platform; every product page routes to a demo request or contact form (checked November 2026).
  • They diverge on capability: Clarity AI covers Customisable ESG ratings, MSCI covers MSCI indexes.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 12 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clarity AI and MSCI actually diverge.

Attributes where Clarity AI and MSCI differ
AttributeClarity AIMSCI
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb, API, Cloud

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Investment Analytics).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Clarity AI

  • Customisable ESG ratings
  • SFDR and EU regulatory reporting
  • Asset-level physical climate risk
  • Climate transition and carbon footprint
  • Source traceability
  • Fund and private company coverage
  • Retail banking carbon footprint
  • API, datafeeds and MCP connectors

Only in MSCI

  • MSCI indexes
  • Barra equity factor models
  • RiskMetrics RiskManager
  • BarraOne
  • ESG Ratings and climate data
  • Private asset data (Burgiss)
  • MSCI Connector (MCP)
  • Cloud and API delivery

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Clarity AI

  • Producing SFDR PAI statements and Article 8 and 9 periodic disclosuresnot MSCI
  • Testing whether holdings qualify as sustainable investments under a firm's own SFDR methodologynot MSCI
  • Assessing physical climate risk across a portfolio or loan book at asset levelnot MSCI
  • Matching client sustainability preferences to products under MiFID IInot MSCI
  • Checking fund names against ESMA naming guidelinesnot MSCI
  • Showing retail banking customers the carbon footprint of their card spendingnot MSCI

MSCI

  • Benchmarking equity portfolios against MSCI ACWI, World or Emerging Markets indexesnot Clarity AI
  • Measuring factor exposures and ex-ante risk with Barra modelsnot Clarity AI
  • Enterprise VaR, stress testing and regulatory risk reporting with RiskManagernot Clarity AI
  • Screening and reporting on portfolio ESG and climate characteristicsnot Clarity AI
  • Benchmarking private equity and private credit funds against peer datanot Clarity AI
  • Running total portfolio risk across public and private allocationsnot Clarity AI

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Clarity AI

  • No prices are published for any module; the site routes every enquiry to Talk to an Expert, checked November 2026.
  • The Glass Lewis merger closed in September 2026 with branding and product integration still to be settled, so buyers are signing up to a roadmap that will change; the company says existing products stay supported during a phased integration.
  • Coverage figures differ between pages: the homepage cites around 98,000 issuers, the ESG ratings page 60,000+ companies and the SFDR PAI page 65,000+, so the coverage for a given dataset needs confirming rather than assuming.
  • Heavy use of AI estimation fills gaps that analyst-led providers leave empty, but an estimated figure is still not a reported one, and users should check confidence levels before relying on it in regulatory disclosures.
  • The physical risk web app with an interactive hazard map was only scheduled for July 2026; before then the asset-level physical risk product was datafeed only.
  • Glass Lewis is majority owned by Peloton Capital Management and Stephen Smith and also issues proxy voting recommendations, so ratings and stewardship advice now sit in one group; the company publishes conflict-of-interest controls, but it is a structural change from an independent data vendor.

MSCI

  • No prices are published for any index licence, model or platform; every product page routes to a demo request or contact form (checked November 2026).
  • It is a set of separately licensed products, so indexes, Barra models, RiskManager, BarraOne, ESG Ratings and Private i are each bought and entitled on their own rather than as one subscription.
  • Not a market terminal: MSCI does not offer real-time news, quotes or trade execution, so firms still need Bloomberg, LSEG or FactSet alongside it.
  • ESG Ratings are relative to industry peers on the AAA to CCC scale, so a high rating says a company manages its industry's risks better than peers, not that its absolute impact is low.
  • Coverage figures on product pages carry different and sometimes old as-of dates (ESG coverage as of June 2024, factor model coverage as of March 2024), and the RiskManager page's own 'Which asset classes are covered?' FAQ has no answer.

Pricing, plan by plan

Clarity AI

On request
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Priced by quotation through Talk to an Expert or the contact form
    • Licensed by module: climate, ESG risk, regulation, impact and retail banking
    • Delivered via web app, API, datafeed, MCP or partner platforms

MSCI

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the MSCI review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Clarity AI if

  • You need customisable esg ratings.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want sfdr and eu regulatory reporting.
Clarity AI review

Choose MSCI if

  • You need msci indexes.
  • You work on Web, API, Cloud.
  • You also want barra equity factor models.
MSCI review

Questions people ask

Is Clarity AI or MSCI better?
Neither clearly leads. Clarity AI starts at On request and MSCI at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clarity AI or MSCI?
Clarity AI starts at On request and MSCI at On request.
Does Clarity AI or MSCI run on more platforms?
Clarity AI runs on Web, API. MSCI runs on Web, API, Cloud.
What is Clarity AI best used for?
Clarity AI is most often used for producing sfdr pai statements and article 8 and 9 periodic disclosures, testing whether holdings qualify as sustainable investments under a firm's own sfdr methodology, assessing physical climate risk across a portfolio or loan book at asset level, matching client sustainability preferences to products under mifid ii. Of those, producing sfdr pai statements and article 8 and 9 periodic disclosures and testing whether holdings qualify as sustainable investments under a firm's own sfdr methodology are not what MSCI is typically brought in for.
What can Clarity AI do that MSCI cannot?
Clarity AI covers Customisable ESG ratings, SFDR and EU regulatory reporting, Asset-level physical climate risk, Climate transition and carbon footprint. MSCI covers MSCI indexes, Barra equity factor models, RiskMetrics RiskManager, BarraOne.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Clarity AI: What does Clarity AI cover?

Sustainability and other extra-financial data for companies, funds and governments. The company cites coverage of around 98,000 issuers, 2.3 million private companies, more than 450,000 funds and 400-plus sovereigns, across climate, ESG risk, EU regulation and impact.

Source
MSCI: How much does MSCI cost?

MSCI does not publish pricing. Index licences, factor models, risk platforms, ESG data and private asset products are quoted individually through its sales team.

Source
Clarity AI: How are Clarity AI ESG ratings built?

They are rules-based and use SASB materiality, drawing on more than 100 data sources with AI estimation and validation. Users can build custom profiles that choose topics, set weights and decide how missing data is handled, and trace each figure to its source.

Source
MSCI: What is the difference between RiskMetrics and RiskManager?

RiskMetrics is the calculation engine; RiskManager is the hosted platform built on it. RiskManager brings VaR, factor, stress testing, liquidity and counterparty credit risk together and supports regulatory reporting, with results deliverable to a data warehouse or third-party systems by API.

Source
Clarity AI: Does Clarity AI help with SFDR reporting?

Yes. It calculates PAI indicators at entity and product level with portfolio look-through and produces pre-filled SFDR Annex I entity reports, Annexes II to V product disclosures for Article 8 and 9 funds, and the European ESG Template for distributors.

Source
MSCI: How are MSCI ESG Ratings scored?

Companies are rated from AAA to CCC relative to their industry peers, based on financially relevant, industry-specific environmental, social and governance risks and opportunities. MSCI states coverage of more than 17,000 issuers and 999,000 securities.

Source
Clarity AI: What happened between Clarity AI and Glass Lewis?

The two companies combined in a transaction that closed on 21 September 2026 and was announced on 24 September. Terms were not disclosed. Existing products remain supported and will be integrated in phases, with Madrid named as the centre of excellence for sustainability, data and AI.

Source
MSCI: Is Burgiss part of MSCI?

Yes. MSCI completed its acquisition of The Burgiss Group, a provider of private asset data and analytics, on 2 October 2023. MSCI now sells private asset data and analytics through products including MSCI Private i, private asset indexes and private asset factor models.

Source
Clarity AI: How is Clarity AI data delivered?

Through a web app, APIs, datafeeds, standalone apps and MCP connectors for AI agents. It is also available inside platforms such as Aladdin, eFront, Clearstream and Allfunds.

Source
MSCI: Can MSCI data be used inside AI assistants?

Through the MSCI Connector, a Model Context Protocol connection available in Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot and MSCI ONE. Responses are entitlement-controlled, and MSCI states client data is not used to train AI models.

Source
Clarity AI: Is Clarity AI regulated under the EU ESG Ratings Regulation?

Clarity AI Europe S.L. has applied to ESMA for authorisation of its ESG ratings products under Regulation (EU) 2024/3005, which has applied since 2 July 2026. The disclosures page states that over 98% of ESG rating revenue comes from investor-paid subscriptions.

Source
MSCI: What do the Barra factor models cover?

MSCI lists more than 70 equity factor models covering over 90,000 securities, 49 industries and more than 85 countries, with newer Barra models adding sustainability, crowding and machine learning factors.

Source
Clarity AI: What does Clarity AI cost?

Prices are not published. The site directs buyers to Talk to an Expert or the contact form for a quote.

Source
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