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Investment Analytics · head to head

Clarity AI vs YCharts

Clarity AI logo

Clarity AI

Investment Analytics

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

From
On request
Free plan
No
YCharts logo

YCharts

Investment Analytics

Investment research and client proposal platform for financial advisers

From
On request
Free plan
No

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.; YCharts no prices on the plans page: it lists four tiers and asks prospects to call for pricing, checked November 2026.
  • They diverge on capability: Clarity AI covers Customisable ESG ratings, YCharts covers Fundamental Charts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 12 November 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Clarity AI and YCharts differ
AttributeClarity AIYCharts
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb, Excel

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 YCharts

  • Fundamental Charts
  • Stock and Fund Screeners
  • Report Builder and proposals
  • Quick Extract
  • Portfolio construction
  • Economic data
  • Excel Add-In
  • Ask Y

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

YCharts

  • Building client proposals from a prospect's existing brokerage statementnot Clarity AI
  • Branded charts and reports for client reviews and marketingnot Clarity AI
  • Screening stocks and funds for model portfolio constructionnot Clarity AI
  • Monitoring client and model portfolios for drift and rebalancingnot Clarity AI
  • Wholesalers and asset managers preparing fund comparisons for advisersnot 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.

YCharts

  • No prices on the plans page: it lists four tiers and asks prospects to call for pricing, checked November 2026.
  • Several features on the plans page are marked as paid extras without amounts, so the cost of a working configuration is not knowable before a sales call.
  • Equity coverage is North American: the platform page describes 20,000+ equities and ADRs on North American exchanges, so it is a poor fit for research on non-US markets.
  • Fund and SMA data is licensed from Morningstar and ESG data from MSCI rather than produced in-house, so coverage and methodology in those areas follow the upstream provider.
  • The Presenter tier carries only basic equity, fund and index data, so staff who prepare proposals on that tier cannot do full research.

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

YCharts

On request
  • Analyst$undefined/mo
    • Screeners and tables, dashboard, watchlists and alerts, charting
    • Most data
    • Aimed at research, market monitoring and individual investors
  • Presenter$undefined/mo
    • Customisations and select tools
    • Basic equity, fund and index data
    • Can receive shared items
  • Professional$undefined/mo
    • All tools, with fund, stock and economic data
    • Firm-wide sharing and proposals with talking points
    • Quick Extract included with new licences from September 2025
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Everything in Professional
    • Compliance controls and firm-wide sharing
    • Positioning of proprietary models for broker-dealers and advisor networks

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.

Choose YCharts if

  • You need fundamental charts.
  • You work on Web, Excel.
  • You also want stock and fund screeners.

Questions people ask

Is Clarity AI or YCharts better?
Neither clearly leads. Clarity AI starts at On request and YCharts at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clarity AI or YCharts?
Clarity AI starts at On request and YCharts at On request.
Does Clarity AI or YCharts run on more platforms?
Clarity AI runs on Web, API. YCharts runs on Web, Excel.
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 YCharts is typically brought in for.
What can Clarity AI do that YCharts cannot?
Clarity AI covers Customisable ESG ratings, SFDR and EU regulatory reporting, Asset-level physical climate risk, Climate transition and carbon footprint. YCharts covers Fundamental Charts, Stock and Fund Screeners, Report Builder and proposals, Quick Extract.

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
YCharts: How much does YCharts cost?

YCharts does not publish prices. The plans page lists Analyst, Presenter, Professional and Enterprise tiers and asks prospects to call (866) 965-7552 for pricing. A free trial is available.

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
YCharts: Which integrations does YCharts support?

The platform page lists Orion, Black Diamond, Schwab Advisor Center, Redtail, Addepar and Pershing, and the homepage also names Salesforce and eMoney. Holdings imported this way feed portfolios, reports and proposals.

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
YCharts: Where does YCharts get its fund data?

Mutual fund, ETF and separate account data comes from Morningstar, and the 30+ ESG data points for North American companies come from MSCI.

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
YCharts: Does YCharts have an Excel add-in?

Yes. The Excel Add-In links workbooks to YCharts data so models refresh in one click, and ships with over 40 pre-built templates. Professional clients get access to YCharts' in-house Excel specialists.

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
YCharts: What is Quick Extract?

A tool that turns a prospect's statement into a portfolio and runs analysis highlighting high-fee holdings and allocation drift. It is included with new Professional licences from September 2025.

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
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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