Pricing
FactSet pricing in 2026 - what it actually costs (and alternatives)
FactSet does not publish pricing. Based on customer disclosures and industry benchmarking, a single FactSet Workstation seat typically runs $12,000 to $24,000 per year, with enterprise contracts negotiated on a per-seat basis and priced by module. Minimum contracts are usually annual and often bundled across research, screening, and data feeds. Cheaper alternatives exist for teams that don't need the full sell-side workstation - Koyfin ($45-$99/mo) for charting and dashboards, and Market Ontology ($399+ / mo) for the macro, geopolitical, and policy synthesis layer above the data.
Why FactSet won't tell you the price
FactSet, like Bloomberg and Refinitiv, sells on a negotiated per-seat basis. Public pricing pages don't exist because pricing depends on seat count, module mix, data licensing, contract term, and how much your firm competes with existing FactSet customers. That opacity is intentional - it lets sales price to what each buyer will pay, and it makes comparison shopping painful.
For most buy-side firms, a working FactSet seat lands between $12,000 and $24,000 per year, with the workstation itself at the low end and full research + fundamentals + estimates + screening bundles pushing the top of the range. Add-on modules (private company data, alt data, options analytics) are billed separately.
What's included vs. billed extra
Included in a typical Workstation seat:
- Real-time and delayed market data across major exchanges
- Company fundamentals and estimates
- Screening and portfolio analytics
- Standard research and news integration
- Excel plugin
Usually add-on:
- Options and derivatives analytics
- Private company / M&A databases
- Alternative data feeds
- Multi-user terminal licensing
- Higher-frequency market data
How to actually get a price
- Ask for a written quote scoped to seats + specific modules
- Force line-item pricing per module - not a bundled number
- Benchmark against Refinitiv Workspace for the same scope (they will match or undercut FactSet in most cases)
- Ask for a 2-year discount only if you're confident in the module mix
When FactSet is worth it
FactSet is worth full sticker if your workflow depends on their screening depth, buy-side coverage, and portfolio analytics - and if you can't unbundle those from cheaper alternatives. For firms that need only the macro / geopolitical / policy layer above market data, a full FactSet stack is overkill; a Team plan on Market Ontology alongside a lighter data terminal is usually a fraction of the cost.
When to look at alternatives
- You only need charting + dashboards - Koyfin covers this at 1-2% of FactSet's cost.
- You need macro, geopolitical, and policy synthesis - Market Ontology is the closer comparable; FactSet's coverage of macro transmission, options context, and central bank language is limited.
- You need buy-side execution + coverage - Bloomberg or Refinitiv are the closer institutional peers, not cheaper alternatives.
Most institutional users end up with a two-tool stack: one data terminal (FactSet, Bloomberg, or Refinitiv) plus a synthesis layer. The question is whether you need three FactSet seats or one seat plus a Team plan covering your analysts, PMs, and risk team.
| Platform | Typical annual cost / seat | Minimum | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| FactSet Workstation | $12,000 - $24,000 | Annual contract | Buy-side research, screening |
| Bloomberg Terminal | ~$24,000 (2-year discount ~$22,000) | 2-year standard | Sell-side, execution, chat |
| Refinitiv Eikon / Workspace | $12,000 - $22,000 | Annual contract | Institutional research, data |
| S&P Capital IQ Pro | $13,000 - $25,000 | Annual contract | Private company data, banking |
| Koyfin | $540 - $1,188 | Monthly | Charting, dashboards |
| Market Ontology | $1,188 - $30,000 | Monthly | Macro / geo / policy synthesis |
Frequently asked questions
Does FactSet publish pricing?
No. FactSet negotiates every contract per-seat, per-module, and per-firm. Public pricing does not exist. Expect $12,000 to $24,000 per seat per year for a working Workstation, with add-on modules billed separately.
What is the minimum FactSet contract?
FactSet typically requires an annual contract with a per-seat minimum. There is no month-to-month option comparable to Koyfin or Market Ontology. Multi-year contracts unlock modest discounts.
How does FactSet compare to Bloomberg on price?
Bloomberg is standardized at roughly $24,000 per seat per year (~$22,000 on a 2-year contract). FactSet ranges wider - $12,000 to $24,000 - because more of the stack is modular. For pure execution and chat, Bloomberg is priced higher. For screening and buy-side coverage, FactSet is often the better value at similar spend.
What is the cheapest alternative to FactSet?
For charting and dashboards, Koyfin ($45-$99/month). For macro, geopolitical, and policy synthesis - the layer FactSet covers thinly - Market Ontology ($399+ / month). For institutional buy-side research at a lower price than FactSet, Refinitiv Workspace is the direct competitor.
Can I get FactSet on a monthly plan?
No. FactSet is annual only. Month-to-month terminal-class access is not part of their model. If you need month-to-month flexibility, look at Koyfin, Market Ontology, or Sentieo (now part of AlphaSense).