summary: a simple way to pick between essential, pro, and all access, based on how you actually trade. essential is the research platform, pro adds the full API, all access adds automated algos.
the short version
all 3 plans share the same core research platform — 150+ reports, what's in play, the screener, edgeful AI, the indicator libraries, and Discord. what changes is the API depth and whether you get the algos.
essential ($49/mo) — the full research platform, plus a starter taste of the API
pro ($99/mo) — everything in essential, plus the full API
all access ($299/mo) — everything in pro, plus automated algo trading
paying annually saves you roughly a third on any plan.
one common mix-up worth clearing up right away: the API isn't a separate add-on. every plan includes API access — essential included. the $99 you might've seen is pro's plan price, not an API fee. what pro adds over essential is deeper API access (all reports, all tickers, live data), not the API itself.
quick comparison
the core is identical across all 3 — here's what actually differs:
feature | essential — $49/mo | pro — $99/mo | all access — $299/mo |
150+ reports, WIP, screener, edgeful AI, indicators, Discord | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
API access | starter (3 reports, test tickers) | full (all reports + tickers) | full + per-day detail, 8yr lookback |
algos + automated execution | — | — | ✓ |
the complete feature and API breakdown is in edgeful subscription plans and pricing.
the "$49 plan" vs the "algo plan" — you trade it, or it trades for you
a common way people frame the choice is "the $49 indicator plan vs the algo plan." the cleanest way to think about that gap is simple: who actually places the trade.
essential ($49/mo) — the one people mean by "the indicator plan." you get the reports, the screener, WIP, edgeful AI, and the full indicator libraries. edgeful hands you the data and draws the levels on your chart — but you read them and place your trades yourself. nothing fires automatically.
all access ($299/mo) — "the algo plan." everything essential has, plus edgeful's built-in algos. once you've set them up, the algos place and manage trades automatically through your connected broker. that automated execution is the core thing you're paying up for.
pro ($99/mo) sits in the middle. same hands-on, manual trading as essential, plus the full API to pull edgeful data into your own tools. pro does not automate execution — only all access does.
so the deciding question is just: do you want to place trades yourself off edgeful's data and indicators (essential, or pro if you also want the API), or do you want edgeful to place them for you automatically (all access)?
one thing worth clearing up: there isn't a separate "indicators-only" plan. the indicator libraries are included on every plan — essential, pro, and all access — so the $49 plan already gives you the indicators. the step up to all access isn't about unlocking indicators, it's about adding automated execution on top.
choose essential if
essential is the right starting point for most traders. pick it if:
you want the full research platform to prep and validate your trades manually
you're new to edgeful and want to learn the reports before adding anything else
you only want a starter taste of the API before committing
you can always step up later — switching plans takes a minute.
choose pro if
pro is mostly about the API. pick it if:
you want to pull edgeful data into your own dashboards, scanners, or AI workflows
you need the full reports catalog, every ticker, and live data through the API
you're building daily digests or automations on top of edgeful data
if you mostly use the platform in the browser and don't touch the API, you probably don't need pro yet.
choose all access if
all access is for automation. pick it if:
you're ready to run edgeful's built-in algos with automated order placement
you want the algo optimizer and analyzer to tune and review your settings
you need the deepest API tier — 8 years of lookback and per-day detail — for backtests
the "all access — is it right for you?" guide goes deeper on this one: all access plan — is it right for you?
what you'll also need for algos
the algos on all access run as strategies inside TradingView, so automation needs a bit more than the subscription — a TradingView Premium plan, a CME real-time data package, and a supported broker account (Tradovate, NinjaTrader, or ProjectX).
the full checklist and costs are in what you need, and what it costs, to run edgeful algos. none of that is required for the essential or pro plan.
switching later
you're not locked in. you can upgrade or downgrade anytime from manage account → membership. the walkthrough is in how to downgrade or switch your edgeful plan.