BamSEC vs Earnings Feed: Which SEC Filing Tool is Right for You?
An honest comparison of BamSEC and Earnings Feed. Covers features, pricing, and which tool fits your research workflow.
I've used BamSEC on and off for years. It's a solid product for what it does. But at $828/year, it's not cheap, and I found myself using maybe 20% of its features.
That's part of why I built Earnings Feed. I wanted something different: a real-time SEC feed that's free to start, focused on knowing the moment something files. Not searching inside documents. Knowing what just happened.
This comparison is honest about where each tool shines. I'm obviously biased since I built Earnings Feed, but I'll tell you exactly when BamSEC is the better choice.
TL;DR
- Use BamSEC if you need full-text search inside documents, redline comparisons, and serious due diligence work.
- Use Earnings Feed if you need real-time awareness: instant filing alerts, watchlists, and mobile monitoring.
- Some investors use both: Earnings Feed for radar, BamSEC for digging.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | BamSEC | Earnings Feed |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $828/year ($69/month billed annually) | Free tier + Pro from $10/mo |
| Best for | Deep document research, side-by-side comparisons | Real-time monitoring, tracking companies over time |
| Document search | Full-text search across filings | Feed-level filters (ticker, company, form, keywords) |
| Document comparison | Yes (redline view) | Not yet |
| Real-time alerts | Manual refresh/check | Live stream; instant email alerts (Pro) |
| Mobile experience | Usable, desktop-first | Mobile-friendly |
Short version: BamSEC is a document workstation. Earnings Feed is a real-time radar.
What BamSEC Does Well
BamSEC launched in 2016 as a cleaner way to work with SEC filings. The name stands for "Better Access to Material SEC filings," and that's accurate. It sits on top of EDGAR and fixes most of the UX pain:
- Clean, readable formatting
- Full-text search across multiple filings
- Easy navigation inside long 10-Ks, S-1s, proxies
Over the years, BamSEC became a standard tool for buy-side analysts, lawyers, and bankers who live in filings. In 2021 it was acquired by Tegus, and in 2024 Tegus was acquired by AlphaSense. BamSEC still runs as a standalone product.
Where BamSEC earns its money
The full-text search and redline features are genuinely good. With BamSEC you can:
- Search text across multiple filings for a company
- Jump directly to each mention of a phrase (e.g., "goodwill impairment")
- Run redline comparisons between two versions of the same filing
If your job involves questions like "How did management change their AI disclosure between 2022 and 2024?" or "Where exactly did they change this covenant language?", BamSEC handles that.
I've used the redline feature for S-1 amendments and it saved me real time.
BamSEC pricing
- Free tier: Limited access, watermarked documents. Good for testing, not for daily use.
- Pro: $828/year ($69/month, billed annually). Full document search, redlines, unlimited access.
- Enterprise: Custom pricing via AlphaSense.
For most individuals, BamSEC means the Pro plan.
What Earnings Feed Does Differently
I built Earnings Feed because I wanted something BamSEC doesn't focus on: real-time awareness.
Instead of starting from "I have a document, let me search inside it," Earnings Feed starts from "What just filed? And does it touch names I care about?"
The SEC already makes filings public for free. Getting a fast, usable view of that stream shouldn't cost thousands of dollars.
Core features
- Live filings feed: Watch every SEC filing stream in as it hits EDGAR, typically within seconds.
- Company profiles: All recent filings, basic stock data, ownership info in one place.
- Watchlists: Follow specific tickers and get a focused view of just their filings.
- Research hubs: Browse filings by form type, exchange, or industry.
Earnings Feed pricing
Free forever:
- Real-time filings feed
- Unlimited watchlists
- Search and advanced filters
- 5 alert subscriptions with daily/weekly emails
- No credit card required
Pro ($10/mo annual, $15/mo monthly):
- Instant email alerts (within minutes of filing)
- Unlimited alert subscriptions
- Early access to new features
I wanted the free tier to be genuinely useful, not just a demo.
Where Each Tool Wins
Document search and comparison: BamSEC
This isn't close. If you need to search inside documents or compare versions, BamSEC is the tool.
Earnings Feed helps you find the right filing quickly, but it doesn't search inside the document. There's no full-text search inside PDFs/HTML yet. No redline comparison.
I'm honest about this gap. If your workflow requires those features, BamSEC is worth the money.
Real-time monitoring: Earnings Feed
BamSEC shows recent filings, but awareness is on you. You refresh the page or check the "Recent Filings" view. There's no built-in live stream or push notifications.
Earnings Feed is built around one question: "What just filed that I care about?"
You get a live stream of filings as they hit EDGAR, filters to narrow by ticker or form type, and a watchlist view for just the companies you track.
For time-sensitive things like 8-Ks with material announcements, 13D/13G filings showing stake changes, or S-1 amendments, the speed difference matters.
Mobile: Earnings Feed
BamSEC works on mobile but it's clearly designed for desktop sessions with multiple tabs. Earnings Feed is built to be checked on the go. If you like to watch filings during market hours while away from your desk, Earnings Feed fits that pattern better.
Pricing: Earnings Feed
Earnings Feed's free tier includes real-time filings, unlimited watchlists, and search. BamSEC's free tier is limited and watermarked.
Pro at $10/mo is a fraction of BamSEC's $69/mo. If cost matters at all, this isn't a close comparison.
Who Should Use BamSEC?
BamSEC makes sense if you:
- Do deep document work all day. Buy-side/sell-side analysts, lawyers, compliance teams, IB/PE/VC analysts building detailed models and memos.
- Need redlines. S-1/S-3/S-4 amendments, proxy revisions, changes in risk factors and covenants.
- Live in Excel and Word. Pulling tables, quoting passages, preparing diligence packs.
If your workflow is "I already know which filings matter, I need to slice them, search them, and compare them in detail," then BamSEC earns its subscription.
Who Should Use Earnings Feed?
Earnings Feed makes sense if you:
- Care about timing. Want to know immediately when something files. Track 8-Ks, 13D/13G, and earnings-related filings in real time.
- Track multiple names. Maintain a watchlist and want one clean stream of all their filings.
- Are cost-sensitive. Individual investors, students, smaller funds.
- Use your phone a lot. Checking filings on mobile between meetings.
If your workflow is "Tell me as soon as something important hits EDGAR for the companies I care about," Earnings Feed is the obvious choice.
Using Both Together
You don't have to pick one. A lot of investors run both:
- Earnings Feed for real-time awareness. Live stream and watchlists tell you what just happened.
- BamSEC for heavy lifting. Full-text search and redlines to see what changed and why.
My typical pattern when I'm researching a company:
- Earnings Feed shows a new 8-K or S-1 amendment for a watchlist name
- I click through, skim the context, decide if it's worth digging into
- If it is, I open the same filing in BamSEC
- Use redline and search to understand the changes in detail
- Keep Earnings Feed pinned for the next wave of filings
Earnings Feed acts as radar. BamSEC acts as workbench.
What's Missing From Each
What BamSEC has that Earnings Feed doesn't (yet)
- Full-text search across filings
- Redline comparisons between versions
- More advanced table extraction
- Some plans include earnings call transcripts
What Earnings Feed has that BamSEC doesn't
- Free forever (real-time filings, watchlists, search, 5 alerts)
- Affordable Pro ($10/mo vs $69/mo)
- Real-time streaming of all new SEC filings
- Instant email alerts within minutes of filing
- Mobile-optimized layout
- Hubs to browse by form type, exchange, or industry
- Integrated stock and ownership context
FAQ
Is there an affordable BamSEC alternative?
Yes. Earnings Feed is free forever, with Pro from $10/mo. It's a good alternative if your main needs are real-time awareness, instant alerts, and tracking a portfolio. It doesn't fully replace BamSEC's deep document search or redlines, but it covers monitoring and basic research well.
Can Earnings Feed replace BamSEC completely?
Depends on your workflow. If you rarely need full-text search or redline comparisons, Earnings Feed can cover most of what you'd use BamSEC for. If you regularly do line-by-line comparisons and legal/financial diligence, you'll still want BamSEC alongside Earnings Feed.
Do I need both?
You don't need both. But if you're a professional who lives in filings, running both is a strong setup: Earnings Feed for real-time alerts, BamSEC for deep analysis. If you're a student, retail investor, or budget-conscious, start with Earnings Feed's free tier.
Get Started
If you want a more affordable way to track SEC filings in real time:
- Create a free account and follow the tickers you care about
- Browse the live filings feed to see what's hitting EDGAR right now
- Explore by form type or track insider trading
- See pricing to compare Free vs Pro
If you already use BamSEC, Earnings Feed slots in as your always-on filing radar. Free forever, with Pro from $10/mo for instant alerts.