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Investment Analytics · head to head

Preqin vs YCharts

Preqin logo

Preqin

Investment Analytics

Alternative assets data on funds, managers, investors, deals and performance

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
YCharts logo

YCharts

Investment Analytics

Investment research and client proposal platform for financial advisers

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Preqin has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Preqin no paid prices are published; Preqin's product pages lead to a demo request, and the free account lists what it includes but not where its limits are.; 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: Preqin covers Preqin Pro, YCharts covers Fundamental Charts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 12 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Preqin and YCharts actually diverge.

Attributes where Preqin and YCharts differ
AttributePreqinYCharts
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb, Excel

Identical on both: pricing model (quote), 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 Preqin

  • Preqin Pro
  • Investor (LP) profiles
  • Benchmarks and Indices
  • Term Intelligence
  • Transaction and Company Intelligence
  • Cash flow pacing and forecasting
  • Enterprise Data Solutions
  • Preqin MCP

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.

Preqin

  • Finding and qualifying LPs to approach during a fundraisenot YCharts
  • Manager selection and due diligence by LPs and investment consultantsnot YCharts
  • Benchmarking fund performance against private market peer groups and indicesnot YCharts
  • Comparing fund terms such as fees against similar fundsnot YCharts
  • Forecasting capital calls and distributions for a private markets portfolionot YCharts
  • Feeding private markets data into a data warehouse or AI workflownot YCharts

YCharts

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

Where each one falls short

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

Preqin

  • No paid prices are published; Preqin's product pages lead to a demo request, and the free account lists what it includes but not where its limits are.
  • Coverage figures are inconsistent across Preqin's own and BlackRock's pages, with firm counts of 48,000 and 67,000+ and fund counts of 135,000+, 210,000 and 235,000+, so what a licence covers has to be confirmed in a demo.
  • Performance data comes from GP-to-LP reports enriched by FOIA requests, which means coverage is strongest where public pension investors are obliged to disclose and thinner for funds without such LPs.
  • It is a private markets specialist; public equity and fixed income analytics, real-time prices and portfolio risk need a separate terminal or platform.
  • Since March 2025 Preqin is owned by BlackRock, itself a large alternatives manager, and integration into Aladdin and eFront is described only as happening over time, which leaves the standalone roadmap uncertain for firms that do not use BlackRock technology.
  • Preqin MCP is listed only for ChatGPT and works within existing entitlements, so it extends a paid licence rather than offering a separate way in.

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

Preqin

Free
  • Free accountFree
    • Selected free alternative assets datasets and analytics
    • Free benchmarks
    • Industry reports and news
  • Preqin Pro and data products$undefined/mo
    • No prices published; access is arranged through a demo request
    • Preqin Pro, Benchmarks and Indices, Term Intelligence, Transaction Intelligence and Company Intelligence sold as named products
    • Global Reports included with the Private Markets Research (Insights+) subscription
  • Enterprise Data Solutions$undefined/mo
    • Priced by quotation
    • Feeds APIs, Operational APIs and data feeds
    • Snowflake and AWS marketplace listings

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 Preqin if

  • You need preqin pro.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want investor (lp) profiles.
Preqin review

Choose YCharts if

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

Questions people ask

Is Preqin or YCharts better?
Neither clearly leads. Preqin starts at Free and YCharts at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Preqin or YCharts?
Preqin has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Preqin and On request for YCharts.
Does Preqin or YCharts run on more platforms?
Preqin runs on Web, API. YCharts runs on Web, Excel.
Can I use Preqin for free?
Yes. Preqin has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. YCharts starts at On request.
What is Preqin best used for?
Preqin is most often used for finding and qualifying lps to approach during a fundraise, manager selection and due diligence by lps and investment consultants, benchmarking fund performance against private market peer groups and indices, comparing fund terms such as fees against similar funds. Of those, finding and qualifying lps to approach during a fundraise and manager selection and due diligence by lps and investment consultants are not what YCharts is typically brought in for.
What can Preqin do that YCharts cannot?
Preqin covers Preqin Pro, Investor (LP) profiles, Benchmarks and Indices, Term Intelligence. YCharts covers Fundamental Charts, Stock and Fund Screeners, Report Builder and proposals, Quick Extract.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Preqin: Is Preqin owned by BlackRock?

Yes. BlackRock announced the acquisition on 30 June 2024 for £2.55 billion, approximately $3.2 billion, in cash, and announced its completion on 3 March 2025. Preqin founder Mark O'Hare joined BlackRock as a Vice Chair.

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
Preqin: Is Preqin still sold separately from Aladdin?

Yes. BlackRock states that Preqin will remain available as a standalone solution, while Preqin's data and research tools are integrated with Aladdin and eFront over time, starting with Preqin benchmarks inside Aladdin.

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
Preqin: How much does Preqin cost?

Preqin does not publish prices for Preqin Pro or its data products; its product pages lead to a demo request. A free account is available with selected datasets, free benchmarks and industry reports.

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
Preqin: Where does Preqin's data come from?

Preqin says more than 500 multilingual researchers verify data at source, using direct relationships with managers and investors, regulatory filings, press releases, news, websites and Freedom of Information Act requests. Fund performance data is sourced from GP-to-LP reports and enriched via FOIA requests.

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
Preqin: Can Preqin data be delivered into our own systems?

Yes, through Enterprise Data Solutions: Feeds APIs for bulk structured datasets, Operational APIs for targeted on-demand access such as CRM views, more than 100 data feeds, and listings on the Snowflake and AWS marketplaces.

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
Preqin: Does Preqin work with AI tools?

Preqin MCP brings Preqin data into AI workflows and is available on the ChatGPT Marketplace and through ChatGPT for Financial Services. It operates within a client's existing entitlements and complements Preqin Pro rather than replacing it.

Source
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