Ascend Research vs Sifter Finance
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
Ascend Research
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Ascend Research โ your research desk for the names you own. Ascend turns your portfolio into a living research operation. Write a thesis for every position, track what's working, and get a clear read on your book โ grounded in real data, not noise. Research and education, not advice. Your Book See your holdings, performance, and cost basis in one place, with a true time-weighted return reconstructed from your transactions. Living Theses Write a thesis for each position with the criteria that actually matter. They resolve automatically when a company reports โ green when the thesis is confirming, red when it's breaking โ so you know the moment the story changes. Morning Brief A daily brief on what moved in your book and why, composed for you and ready to listen to. Earnings Coverage Calls, transcripts, financials, and a valuation sandbox for the names you follow โ with the numbers visible, so you can audit them. Risk X-ray See your concentration, your sector tilt vs. the S&P, thesis risk, and upcoming earnings events โ the risks hiding in your book. Ask A research assistant that knows your book. Ask about a position, a thesis, or a name you're watching and get grounded answers you can trace. Today A focused feed that surfaces what needs your attention โ movers with the "why," coaching on your decisions, and new names worth a look. Built for the self-directed investor who wants to think clearly and keep score honestly. โ Ascend provides research and educational tools only. It is not investment, financial, tax, or legal advice, and nothing in the app is a recommendation to buy or sell any security. You are responsible for your own decisions. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal.
Sifter Finance
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Sifter Finance is the mobile companion to the Sifter platform for investment groups and student-managed funds. Sign in with your Sifter account to follow your fund on the go. PORTFOLIO - AUM, day change, and performance against a benchmark - Holdings as a list, heat map, or table, with sector weights - Risk status at a glance, with a note when a holding is on watch RESEARCH - Search any US-listed stock by ticker or company name - Price charts with 1M to 5Y windows, key stats, next earnings, and analyst targets - News, market movers, and watchlists that sync with the web app CHANNELS - Real-time team chat with threads, images, and polls - Live data embeds: quote a ticker, an economic series, or your portfolio inline - Push notifications for new messages and replies DISCUSSION - A ticker-tagged board for pitches, questions, and debate with your group A Sifter account is required. Accounts are created at sifter.finance.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Sifter Finance at every 3 days against Ascend Research's every 6 weeks. Sifter Finance also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Ascend Research ships an update every 6 weeks, Sifter Finance every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Ascend Research | Sifter Finance |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 3 days โ better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPod โ better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 โ better |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jordan Newton | Sifter, LLC |
In-app purchases
Ascend Research
No in-app purchases
Sifter Finance
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Ascend Research free?
Is Sifter Finance free?
Do Ascend Research or Sifter Finance have ads?
Which is updated more often, Ascend Research or Sifter Finance?
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