Stock Screeners Explained: How to Find Winning Stocks (+ Best Tools)

There are over 6,000 publicly traded stocks in the US alone. You could spend months researching them one by one—or you could use a stock screener to filter down to the handful that actually match what you're looking for.

The short answer: If you want free, start with Finviz. If you want easy and don't mind paying, try Blackowl's AI-powered search. But keep reading—you'll learn not just which screener to use, but how to use one effectively.

Key Takeaways:

A stock screener filters thousands of stocks based on criteria you set (like a search filter for the stock market)
Free options like Finviz and Yahoo Finance work great for most beginners
The real skill isn't picking a screener—it's knowing which filters to use
A screener finds candidates; you still need to research before buying

What Is a Stock Screener? (And Why You Need One)

A stock screener is a tool that filters the entire stock market based on criteria you choose. Think of it like apartment hunting: instead of scrolling through thousands of listings, you filter by price, bedrooms, and neighborhood. Same idea, but for stocks.

You tell the screener what you want—maybe stocks under $50 with a dividend yield above 3%—and it spits out a list of matches.

Why does this matter?

Because researching stocks one by one is impossible. The NYSE and Nasdaq together list about 6,000 companies. Even if you spent just 10 minutes per stock, that's 1,000 hours. A screener does the initial filter in seconds.

Who uses stock screeners?

Everyone. Beginners use them to find their first investments. Day traders use them to spot momentum plays. Even hedge funds use sophisticated screeners (they just pay a lot more for them).

How Stock Screeners Work (The Basics)

Using a stock screener is simple once you understand the flow:

You pick criteria (called "filters")
The screener searches all 6,000+ stocks
You get a list of stocks that match your criteria

That's it. The magic is in choosing the right filters.

Common Filters Explained

Here are the filters you'll see on almost every screener, explained simply:

Filter	What It Means	Example
Market Cap	Company size (small, mid, large)	Large cap = $10B+ (Apple, Microsoft)
P/E Ratio	Price relative to earnings. Lower = cheaper	P/E under 20 is often considered "reasonable"
Dividend Yield	Annual dividend as % of stock price	3% yield on a $100 stock = $3/year per share
Sector	Industry category	Tech, Healthcare, Energy, Finance, etc.
Price	Stock price per share	Under $50 for smaller portfolios
52-Week High/Low	How close to yearly peak or bottom	Near 52-week low might mean "on sale"
Revenue Growth	How fast sales are increasing	20%+ growth = fast-growing company

You don't need to use all of these. In fact, starting with just 2-3 filters is better than 10.

The 7 Best Stock Screeners in 2026

After testing the major options, here's what's worth your time:

Best Free Options

1. Finviz — Best Free All-Around

Finviz has been the go-to free screener since 2007. It's fast, comprehensive, and includes technical chart patterns most free tools don't offer.

The catch: The interface can feel overwhelming at first. There are dozens of filter options, and it's not immediately obvious which ones matter.

Best for: Investors who want power and don't mind a learning curve.

2. Yahoo Finance Screener — Best for Simplicity

If Finviz feels like too much, Yahoo Finance is simpler. Fewer options, cleaner interface, and good enough for basic screening.

The catch: Limited filters compared to Finviz. No technical analysis options.

Best for: Complete beginners who want the simplest possible experience.

3. TradingView — Best Free Charts + Screening

TradingView is famous for charts, but their screener is solid too. The free tier includes real-time data and a clean interface.

The catch: Some features require paid plans. Gets expensive if you want everything.

Best for: Investors who also want charting and technical analysis.

Best Paid Options

4. Stock Rover — Best for Fundamental Analysis

Stock Rover goes deep on fundamentals—financial statements, historical data, and research reports. Starts at $7.99/month.

Best for: Value investors and dividend hunters who want detailed financial data.

5. Seeking Alpha Premium — Best for Research

More than just screening—you get analyst ratings, earnings transcripts, and community insights. $239/year.

Best for: Investors who want research alongside their screening.

6. Trade Ideas — Best for Day Traders

AI-powered scanning for momentum plays and day trading setups. Expensive ($118/month+) but powerful.

Best for: Active traders who need real-time alerts. Overkill for most beginners.

Best for Beginners

7. Blackowl — AI-Powered Natural Language

Instead of setting filters manually, you just ask questions in plain English: "Find me undervalued tech stocks with growing revenue" or "Show me dividend stocks that have increased payouts for 10+ years."

The AI translates your question into the right filters automatically.

The catch: $19.99/month. Not free.

Best for: Beginners who find traditional screeners confusing, or anyone who wants faster results without learning filter syntax.

Quick Comparison

Screener	Best For	Price	Ease of Use
Finviz	Free power users	Free	Medium
Yahoo Finance	Simplicity	Free	Easy
TradingView	Charts + screening	Free (paid tiers)	Medium
Stock Rover	Fundamentals	$7.99+/mo	Medium
Seeking Alpha	Research	$239/yr	Medium
Trade Ideas	Day trading	$118+/mo	Hard
Blackowl	Beginners, AI	$19.99/mo	Very Easy

How to Use a Stock Screener (Step-by-Step)

Having a screener is one thing. Using it effectively is another. Here's the process:

Step 1: Know What You're Looking For

Before touching any filters, ask yourself: what kind of stocks do I want?

Growth stocks? Look for high revenue growth, maybe higher P/E ratios
Dividend stocks? Filter for dividend yield, payout ratio, dividend growth history
Value stocks? Low P/E, low price-to-book, maybe beaten-down prices
Safe blue chips? Large cap, established sectors, consistent earnings

Don't screen for "good stocks." Screen for stocks that match your strategy.

Step 2: Start With 2-3 Filters (Not 10)

This is the most common mistake beginners make. They add every filter that sounds good and get zero results.

Start simple. For example, if you want dividend stocks:

Dividend yield > 2%
Market cap > $10B (larger companies)
That's it. Start there.

You can always add more filters if you get too many results.

Step 3: Review the Results (Don't Just Buy)

A screener gives you candidates, not recommendations. If you screen for high dividend yield, you might get:

A solid company paying sustainable dividends
A company whose stock crashed (high yield because price dropped)
A REIT that's required to pay dividends but has other risks

The screener can't tell the difference. You need to look at each result and ask: why does this stock match my criteria?

Step 4: Research Your Shortlist

Pick 5-10 stocks from your screen and dig deeper:

Read about what the company actually does
Check recent news (any red flags?)
Look at the financials (is the dividend sustainable? Is growth continuing?)
Understand the risks

The screener saves you from researching 6,000 stocks. But you still need to research the 10 it finds.

Example: Finding Dividend Stocks with Finviz

Here's a real walkthrough:

Go to finviz.com/screener.ashx
Under "Fundamental," set Dividend Yield to "Over 3%"
Under "Descriptive," set Market Cap to "Large ($10B+)"
Click any column header to sort (try sorting by dividend yield)
You'll get ~100 results—browse and pick 5-10 to research further

Example: Asking Blackowl in Plain English

Same goal, different approach:

Open Blackowl
Type: "Find large cap stocks with dividend yield over 3%"
Get results instantly—no filter menus needed

The results are similar. The difference is the interface. Pick whichever feels more natural to you.

Common Stock Screener Mistakes to Avoid

Using Too Many Filters

If you filter for: large cap AND P/E under 15 AND dividend over 4% AND revenue growth over 20% AND low debt AND sector = tech...

You'll get zero results. These criteria are contradictory (high growth companies rarely have low P/E and high dividends).

Start with 2-3 filters. Add more only if you have too many results.

Trusting Results Blindly

A screener is a search tool, not an advisor. It finds stocks that match your numbers. It doesn't know:

If the company has good management
If the industry is dying
If the dividend is about to be cut
If there's fraud in the accounting

You still need to think.

Ignoring Qualitative Factors

Numbers don't tell the whole story. A company might screen well but have:

A CEO facing legal troubles
A product that's becoming obsolete
Competitors eating their market share

Read about the company, not just the numbers.

Chasing Past Performance

"Show me stocks that went up 100% last year" is a bad screen. Past returns don't predict future returns. By the time a stock shows up in your "hot performers" screen, the move has already happened.

Screen for fundamentals, not for past price action (unless you're a technical trader with a specific strategy).

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the best free stock screener?

Finviz for most people—it's powerful and has been the standard for years. If Finviz feels overwhelming, Yahoo Finance is simpler but more limited. Both are genuinely free with no catches.

Can beginners use stock screeners?

Yes, absolutely. Start with basic filters: market cap, sector, and maybe P/E ratio or dividend yield. You don't need to understand every metric to get value from screening. If traditional screeners feel confusing, Blackowl lets you ask questions in plain English instead of setting filters manually.

How often should I use a stock screener?

When you're looking for new investments to research—maybe monthly or quarterly. You don't need to screen daily unless you're an active trader. The point is to find candidates to research, and your research takes longer than the screening.

Is a paid stock screener worth it?

For most beginners, no. Free tools like Finviz cover 90% of what you need. Paid screeners are worth it if you: invest frequently, need real-time data, want deeper fundamental analysis, or prefer AI-powered natural language (like Blackowl). Start free, upgrade later if you hit limitations.

What filters should beginners start with?

Three filters are enough to start:

Market cap — stick to mid or large cap until you're comfortable
Sector — pick industries you understand
One valuation metric — P/E ratio for growth, dividend yield for income

Add more filters as you learn what matters for your strategy.

How do I know if a stock from a screener is actually good?

You don't—not from the screener alone. The screener finds candidates that match your criteria. You then need to:

Read about what the company does
Check recent news and earnings
Look at the full financial picture
Understand the risks

A stock that screens well can still be a bad investment. The screener narrows your search; it doesn't make your decision.

What's the difference between a stock screener and a stock scanner?

They're mostly the same thing. "Screener" usually refers to filtering by fundamentals (P/E, dividends, etc.). "Scanner" often implies real-time technical scanning (price movements, volume spikes). But many tools do both, and people use the terms interchangeably.

The Bottom Line

A stock screener is one of the most useful tools for any investor. Instead of drowning in 6,000+ stocks, you filter down to the few dozen that actually match what you're looking for.

Here's your action plan:

If you want free: Start with Finviz. It's powerful and costs nothing.
If you want simple: Try Yahoo Finance's screener. Fewer options, easier to use.
If you want easy: Blackowl lets you ask questions in plain English instead of setting filters.

Pick one, run your first screen today, and start building a shortlist of stocks to research.

The screener finds the candidates. You make the decisions. That's how it should be.