"Free" means very different things in stock alert apps. Some cap you at a handful of alerts, some show ads in the middle of your watchlist, and some only do one-time price targets. Run through these seven checks before you trust an app with the levels you care about.
1. How many stocks and alerts do you get for free?
This is the one that decides whether a watchlist fits. Several popular charting and alert apps limit free users to a few active alerts and sell the rest as a subscription. Triggerly lets you track 5 stocks free with as many alerts on each as you like; each friend who installs through your invite link and signs up adds 1 more stock, up to 15. Look for the stock and alert limits on the pricing page, not the marketing page.
2. What can trigger an alert?
Price targets are table stakes. Ask whether the app can also alert on:
- percent change versus the prior close, versus the price when the alert was set, today's open versus the prior close (opening gap, checked at 9:35 ET), or the daily close
- volume above normal (a volume spike)
- price crossing an SMA or EMA, or an average crossing a price you set
- 14-day RSI, MACD and Bollinger Bands
- new highs and lows
- trailing stops
- several conditions at once
3. Where does the alert arrive?
A push notification is easy to miss when your phone is face down or on Do Not Disturb. Email gives you a record; Telegram reaches every device you're signed into. In Triggerly, push, email, and Telegram are account-wide: turn them on in Settings → Notifications and every alert uses that combination. You don't pick a channel when you create an alert.
4. One-time or repeating?
If you trade around the same level, you want repeating alerts. If you set a buy price, you want it to fire once and stop.
5. Are there ads?
Ads in a finance app aren't just annoying. They often push trading products and brokers. Check reviews for complaints about ads or upsell pop-ups.
6. Which market hours does it cover?
Some apps track pre-market and after-hours trading; many track only the regular session. Know which one you have so a quiet overnight move doesn't surprise you. Triggerly shows pre-market and after-hours prices, but alerts fire during regular US market hours and are checked every 5 minutes. They don't fire in extended hours.
7. Does it tell you why the stock moved?
An alert tells you something happened. Context tells you whether to care. Some apps now attach news or an AI summary to a triggered alert so you don't have to open five tabs.
Where Triggerly fits
Triggerly is built for exactly this checklist. It's free with no ads and no in-app purchases. Track 5 stocks free with as many alerts on each as you like; each friend who installs through your invite link and signs up adds 1 more stock, up to 15. It offers 14 alert types: price targets, dollar change, percent change, trailing stop, trailing buy stop, volume above, volume spikes (2x, 3x, 5x, or 10x the 20-day average), SMA, EMA, RSI, MACD, Bollinger Bands, new highs, and new lows. You can also combine up to three conditions so an alert fires only when your full setup lines up. Push, email, and Telegram are turned on once in Settings and apply to every alert. When one fires, open Alert Analysis for what likely caused the move and which levels to watch, and tapping any stock shows analyst price targets with the latest news.
Honest limits: it's Android only. You can track 5 stocks, or up to 15 when friends install through your invite link and sign up. The app shows pre-market and after-hours prices, but alerts fire only during regular US market hours.
Types of tools, side by side
| Tool type | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Your broker's app | Simple price alerts next to your account | Limited trigger types; alerts tied to one broker |
| Finance portals | Basic price alerts plus news | Mostly price-only; ads |
| Charting platforms | Very flexible technical alerts | Free tiers often cap active alerts |
| Dedicated alert apps | Many alerts, many trigger types, flexible delivery | Check the free limits, ads and market hours |
FAQ
What is the best free stock alert app for Android?
It depends on what you need. For a few price alerts, your broker app may be enough. If you want as many alerts as you like on each stock, technical triggers like 14-day RSI or volume spikes, and delivery to email or Telegram without ads, a dedicated free app like Triggerly is a good fit. Triggerly tracks 5 stocks free, and each friend who installs through your invite link and signs up adds 1 more stock, up to 15.
Is Triggerly really free?
Yes. Triggerly has no subscription, no ads and no in-app purchases. You can track 5 stocks free with as many alerts on each as you like; each friend who installs through your invite link and signs up adds 1 more stock, up to 15.
Does Triggerly work on iPhone?
No. Triggerly is currently an Android app on Google Play.
Triggerly guides are for education only. Not investment advice.
Get Triggerly free on Google Play:
Free on Android — no ads, no subscriptions, no in-app purchases. Not investment advice.