AlphaSense vs. FactSet Workstation

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
AlphaSense
Score 9.5 out of 10
N/A
AlphaSense is a market intelligence platform used by companies and financial institutions. Since 2011, their AI-based technology has helped professionals make business decisions by delivering insights from public and private content—including company filings, event transcripts, news, trade journals, and equity research. The platform boasts users among 4,000 enterprise customers. Headquartered in New York City, AlphaSense employs over 1,000 people across offices in the U.S., U.K., Finland, and…N/A
FactSet Workstation
Score 8.2 out of 10
N/A
The FactSet Workstation is a dynamic platform designed to empower financial professionals with seamless data access, advanced analytics, and technology. Integrating over 800 data sources across asset classes and markets, it consolidates crucial insights and elevates decision-making. Its AI-powered tools include smart search and chat features. The workstation simplifies complex workflows, enabling users to uncover insights quickly and improve collaboration. From research and portfolio…N/A
Pricing
AlphaSenseFactSet Workstation
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
AlphaSenseFactSet Workstation
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeRequired
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
AlphaSenseFactSet Workstation
Considered Both Products
AlphaSense
Chose AlphaSense
AlphaSense has the best search / smart search functions. Refinitiv has more equity research reports, but AlphaSense has more than FactSet or BBG. All 4 databases do a comparable job of providing financials. FactSet has an impressive feature that allows you to jump within …
Chose AlphaSense
I really like AlphaSense but it's not a stop shop. For broker research / keyword search, its the best. But it doesn't have private company info, debt info, or the level industry metrics that PitchBook, Bloomberg, and CapIQ have. Additionally, it doesn't have financials at the …
Chose AlphaSense
  • much more user friendly / efficient than FactSet
  • better search functionality within equity research reports, but more buffering required versus Refinitiv Eikon
Chose AlphaSense
AlphaSense's smart search functionality is a huge differentiator versus these peers, particularly its ability to easily search through broker research (versus just filings/transcripts). In addition, AlphaSense makes it much easier to review multiple documents at once, and the …
Chose AlphaSense
AlphaSense is a lot easier to use and I see it as a single purpose product whereas FactSet I'm more using to pull data
Chose AlphaSense
All of them are better than AlphaSense. However, Bloomberg is over twice as expensive, and people are just paying a premium for Chat (which I don't want). I have not used FactSet for over three years. When I last used it, I would say that it was slightly better than AlphaSense …
Chose AlphaSense
Alphasense has available information from analysts, which is difficult to get from platforms like FactSet unless you pay additional fees.
Chose AlphaSense
PitchBook has much better private company data. FactSet i find has more financial insights. Gartner has more reliable market research and studies. I would say AlphaSense i more well rounded and excels in research reports and current events
Chose AlphaSense
Compared to FactSet and PitchBook, AlphaSense is a good tool to fill my suite of financial analysis. PitchBook is superior for private company and transaction data, as well as screening for similar companies (the sourcing feature of the job). FactSet is superior for financial …
Chose AlphaSense
They all provide different solutions that cater for specific needs.
Crayon is the general purpose software - better at general CI than AlphaSense.
WideNarrow is another version, and provides a glossy output, now backed by Infodesk.
Chose AlphaSense
AlphaSense has better document search but is otherwise vastly inferior in every other way. If doc search isn't important to you, I wouldn't bother with AlphaSense.
Chose AlphaSense
AlphaSense has the most sources and best usability of any tool I've used.
Chose AlphaSense
AlphaSense is one tool I have in my analyst toolbox that helps me dive deep into the research process. It isn't the first place I go when I begin the research process, but it's one area where I spend more time the deeper I get into the process.
Chose AlphaSense
AlphaSense's search engine for filings is powerful/more UI friendly than its competitors.
Chose AlphaSense
AlphaSense seems to be on par with competitive landscape analysis and relevant drugs and companies
Chose AlphaSense
I use both for market index research but oftentimes I rely on AlphaSense for what's not in Bloomberg.
Chose AlphaSense
It's difficult to say as it has been several years since I used the above.
Chose AlphaSense
As compared to Refinitiv, AlphaSense is easier to use off the shelf (has less of the codes to find exactly what one's looking for) and provides more detailed insights a lot quicklier.
Chose AlphaSense
We use a combination of the above.

As previously mentioned, CIQ and Bloomberg are better for market data (broker estimates, NAVPS data, etc.). The main difference is access to broker research and the excel plug in
Chose AlphaSense
We do not have an alternative to AlphaSense right now and have previously gone directly to Edgar or the company websites to search for filings, company press releases, or presentations. I am not aware of any similar products myself right now unfortunately.
Chose AlphaSense
AlphaSense is user-friendly, and I'm able to search for the information I need on a large scale.
Chose AlphaSense
Very solid. Superior in many respects. The greatest distinction / "barrier" relates to users (be it myself / teammates) strengthening familiarity with continued experience.
Chose AlphaSense
I think it lacks valuation sections and comprehensiveness, but I think it's specific qualitative search capabilities are better.
FactSet Workstation
Chose FactSet Workstation
PitchBook is better for private company data and getting contacts. It is also more useful for capital raises and data
AlphaSense is great for more targeted searches which FactSet is very bad at. FactSet often makes it hard to do searches and then once you get to a specific …
Features
AlphaSenseFactSet Workstation
Financial Research
Comparison of Financial Research features of Product A and Product B
AlphaSense
7.0
177 Ratings
1% below category average
FactSet Workstation
4.2
1 Ratings
51% below category average
Private Company Data5.0145 Ratings1.01 Ratings
Industry-Specific Information7.5171 Ratings3.01 Ratings
Independent Research Access7.9165 Ratings5.01 Ratings
M&A Analysis6.7137 Ratings6.01 Ratings
Supply Chain Data6.094 Ratings00 Ratings
ESG Data6.392 Ratings00 Ratings
Credit Ratings Reports6.980 Ratings00 Ratings
Macroeconomic News8.0125 Ratings5.01 Ratings
Search Tools9.0164 Ratings5.01 Ratings
Best Alternatives
AlphaSenseFactSet Workstation
Small Businesses

No answers on this topic

No answers on this topic

Medium-sized Companies
S&P Capital IQ
S&P Capital IQ
Score 8.0 out of 10
S&P Capital IQ
S&P Capital IQ
Score 8.0 out of 10
Enterprises
S&P Capital IQ
S&P Capital IQ
Score 8.0 out of 10
S&P Capital IQ
S&P Capital IQ
Score 8.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
AlphaSenseFactSet Workstation
Likelihood to Recommend
9.6
(245 ratings)
6.0
(5 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.5
(20 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Usability
8.8
(241 ratings)
6.0
(1 ratings)
Availability
8.6
(21 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
7.6
(21 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.4
(16 ratings)
7.0
(1 ratings)
In-Person Training
9.1
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
7.4
(8 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.1
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
6.9
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
8.8
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
8.2
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
7.6
(21 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Professional Services
8.2
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
8.3
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
8.5
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
AlphaSenseFactSet Workstation
Likelihood to Recommend
AlphaSense
- When I need to find additional data from filings to flesh out my thoughts on a company AlphaSense is very well suited - When I am understanding a space for the first time, I can flesh out various experts, docs and other information AlphaSense is very well suited - Can get better at valuation analysis
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FactSet
Often has data where other sources would not have Well suited for large sets of data and analyses on public company data with a lot of public companies, getting the formulas to pull data is very helpful and saves a lot of time. Less appropriate for pulling investor data and co-investment data that PitchBook seems more suited
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Pros
AlphaSense
  • More and unique content. Investor research and expert interviews are very valuable.
  • AI-generated bright summaries allow you to quickly understand the takeaways from an earnings call or an interview transcript.
  • Search tools and criteria allow me to narrow in on the right content quickly.
Read full review
FactSet
  • curating outside in intelligence
  • enabling account plans target addressable market estimation
  • competitors tracking
  • value proposition pitching
  • RFP deal support
Read full review
Cons
AlphaSense
  • The whole platform should be much faster with less lag.
  • The layout of the document search isn't great. Often, I find it hard to expand sources or dates.
  • Financials sections should be customisible, i.e. bolden certain ratios, remove others etc.
  • "Error loading documents, please refresh the widget" should be seen fewer times than often.
  • Why can't I export events dates to my Outlook calendar?
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FactSet
  • Faster load time
  • API integration
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Likelihood to Renew
AlphaSense
AlphaSense is a very useful tool and is reasonably priced for our organization. While I may not be a hyper-active user, it's a great resource when I need to quickly do a competitive landscape survey, review publicly available documents (transcripts, etc.), or review Wall Street research
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FactSet
The technical support motivates us to continue using FactSet, we will not stop using the advantages that this software offers us.
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Usability
AlphaSense
For my daily work AlphaSense is inevitable, as it holds a real added value compared to most of the CI platforms. It really makes my work more efficient and contributes to better strategy and decision making in the company. Datalog is
available up to 15 years, which is a real advantage compared to other CI platforms that can only start competitor monitoring following the signature of the agreement.
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FactSet
FactSet is great because it has a plethora of data, so much so that it is often hard to even find a company that I am looking for. However, sometimes this can make it more difficult than normal because you need to sift through tons of data. The webpage often glitches out.
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Reliability and Availability
AlphaSense
The availability of Alphasense is great. I have used the software for multiple years and cannot remember ever having an outage issue. This is surprising actually, as I use other software applications that do not have regular outages, but still have outages periodically. Alphasense, on the other hand, never seems to have any outages. Good sign if I can't remember the software not working :).
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FactSet
No answers on this topic
Performance
AlphaSense
Loading or performing searches on AlphaSense platform is reasonably fast for most of the time. However, it is sometimes unacceptably long for me to load PDF files (earnings presentation, supplementary financial report) on AlphaSense. Certain features might also take very long time, such as loading for "similar tables" across EDGAR filings, or downloading tables from EDGAR filings
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FactSet
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
AlphaSense
Customer support is very prompt. I get personalized support for search recommendations and content that I could not find in my own search. Support checks in with me on a bi-monthly basis to keep me informed of the many different feature additions, I cannot find a more kind, understanding, and supportive team.
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FactSet
I think the data delivery could be improved, but it's a good data set.
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In-Person Training
AlphaSense
The person was prepared, attentive, understood the nature of my questions, was willing to work through any difficulties or misunderstandings, was patient, and super pleasant to work with. Great customer service.
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FactSet
No answers on this topic
Online Training
AlphaSense
Our online training was led by a AlphaSense representative. The training is always good. The bigger issue is our time availability to remember the training and utilize it. The trainers will show us examples and then ask us for real industries or companies of interest to use so that the training is most relevant.
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FactSet
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
AlphaSense
use friendly UI made the transition seamless
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FactSet
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
AlphaSense
Nothing else had the platform capabilities nor the level of access to information that AlphaSense does. Everything else I tried had one area or type of information it aggregated, but none of them were able to integrate information the way AlphaSense does, and most of them didn't really enable access to news, so I had to supplement my work with RSS feeds and dozens of open browser tabs. AlphaSense collapsed all of that effort into one search in one window.
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FactSet
Global Data, AlphaSense, Hoovers, S&P, etc.
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Contract Terms and Pricing Model
AlphaSense
It has been very simple. Contract terms are standard for an online portal. Of course, I would like unit pricing to be lower so I could get more users on the license or to rotate seats to get more value out of each license. Billing frequency has been standard as well. This could be more significant for a larger customer.
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FactSet
No answers on this topic
Scalability
AlphaSense
The sharing features provides by AlphaSense mean that it can be readily scaled for teams within an organization and, subject to compliance requirements, with client organizations. The ability to share annotations of transcripts and investor releases is valuable, and facilitates collaboration between analysts.
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FactSet
No answers on this topic
Professional Services
AlphaSense
Very professional and knowledgeable team. Easy to work with and communicates in a way that's helpful for users who aren't experts on the platform
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FactSet
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
AlphaSense
  • AlphaSense has allowed us to generate deeper competitive insights. For example, we conducted an in depth analysis of the aerial data analytics (drone) industry, and AlphSense helped us narrow in on the market leaders and their various strengths / weaknesses.
  • AlphaSense has improved our team's overall efficiency. With Stream in particular, we are able to pinpoint insights in a matter of minutes through the transcript feature as opposed to having to conduct a series of calls ourselves. This is a significant time saver.
  • AlphaSense has allowed us to make more informed decisions on our public holdings by providing us with unfettered access to equity research analyst reports.
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FactSet
  • improved time to complete an analysis
  • Often data is incorrect or no source provided
  • Only source we've found to support a rights plan and takeover defense analysis
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ScreenShots

AlphaSense Screenshots

Screenshot of AlphaSense's AI search, available across 2,000+ premium business data sources including SEC filings, earnings calls, broker research, business journals, and news. It can be used to stay ahead of market-moving trends and instantly surface critical information buried within millions of documents.Screenshot of a single view of the industries, companies and themes within a fully-customizable dashboard, that can be tailored to fit any research process.Screenshot of a purpose-built generative AI that offers insights from a premium content universe.

FactSet Workstation Screenshots

Screenshot of PM Hub, which simplifies portfolio management with tools for building, analyzing, and simulating trades for multi-asset class portfolios and exposures. Users can monitor positions in real time with customizable views, ensure compliance, and execute trades through its integration. Link IRN data to foster deeper collaboration between research analysts and portfolio managers.Screenshot of FactSet Internal Research Notes (IRN), which streamlines research with one connected platform. These can be used to organize, share, and analyze everything from market trends to individual securities. Its AI tools help to boost collaboration, enhance workflows, and drive smarter investment decisions.Screenshot of some of the available information which can used to analyze performance, risk, and attribution across multi-asset portfolios. This integrates portfolio, market, and proprietary data into a single platform to streamline workflows, adapt to market changes, and make confident decisions. From stress testing and scenario analysis to AI-driven insights, FactSet provides tools to strengthen portfolio resilience, uncover drivers of performance, and foster collaboration with customizable reports and data sharing.Screenshot of a display of all accounts in one personalized dashboard. Viewers can analyze top positions, spot trends with proprietary signals, and track market-moving events. Access summary stats like total market value and asset allocation across an entire book or by household and strategy.Screenshot of FactSet’s proprietary news, which delivers real-time, focused market insights across regions like the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. From stocks to sectors to broad markets, StreetAccount simplifies updates to cut through the clutter. This critical news is available anytime via the Workstation, web, email, app, or API.Screenshot of one of FactSet's unique datasets, Geographic Revenue (GeoRev), used to quickly understand a company's revenue exposure in countries impacted by geopolitical, macroeconomic, and market risk through a highly structured and normalized display of companies' revenues by geography.