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COMPARISON

Flow Proof vs Unusual Whales

M
By Matt
Mining engineer turned options trader. Built Flow Proof because the existing tools weren't worth what they charged.

Unusual Whales is one of the best-known options flow platforms, with flow alerts, dark pool data, and a congress trading tracker. Flow Proof is a different kind of tool: a free put-selling scanner and trade tracker, not a flow feed. Quick disclosure: I build Flow Proof, so I'll be straight about where it does and doesn't replace Unusual Whales.

Feature Comparison

FEATURE
FLOW PROOF
UNUSUAL WHALES
Price
Free ($5/mo AI Pro optional)
Free (delayed) or $42 to $120/mo
Real-time options flow alerts
No
Yes (paid plans)
Dark pool data
No
Yes
Congress trading tracker
No
Yes
Historical flow data
No
Yes (extensive)
Put-selling scanner (IV Rank, A to F grades)
Yes
No
AI trade analysis
Yes (3/day free)
No
Trade blotter with roll advice
Yes
No
Wheel strategy tracker
Yes
No
Mobile app
No (web-based)
Yes

About Unusual Whales

Unusual Whales is a popular options flow platform founded in 2020. It offers real-time flow alerts, dark pool tracking, options chain analysis, congress and senate trading trackers, and historical flow data. The platform is known for its sleek UI, mobile app, and active community.

Pricing: Unusual Whales has a free plan with delayed data (options flow is delayed two trading days). Retail Basic is $50/month or $42/month billed yearly ($504/year). Retail Pro is $75/month and Retail Max is $120/month, both cheaper billed yearly.

Unusual Whales Strengths

+ Large community and social features (Discord, X presence)
+ Congress and senate trading tracker is unique and popular
+ Broad feature set covering flow, dark pool, options chains, and more
+ Well-designed UI with good mobile support
+ Historical flow data going back years
+ A real free plan, so you can look around before paying

Unusual Whales Weaknesses

- So many features it can be hard to know what matters
- Free plan data is delayed two trading days, so real-time flow means paying
- Raw flow still needs interpreting, since many large trades are hedges
- Not built for premium sellers: no graded put-selling shortlist and no trade blotter with roll advice

Why Choose Flow Proof

✓ Free, with no credit card and no trial clock
✓ If your real goal is selling puts for income, the scanner grades 25 stocks A to F every day, with IV Rank and IV/HV
✓ AI trade analysis on any symbol: 3 a day free, unlimited with AI Pro at $5/month
✓ Trade blotter with live P&L and breakevens, plus a wheel tracker with AI roll advice
✓ Market regime dashboard (VIX, Fear & Greed, yield curve) to size up conditions before you sell
✓ Free guides on reading options flow and unusual options activity, so you can judge whether you need a paid flow tool
VISUAL

The Wheel Strategy Cycle

Each phase generates income. Assignment isn't a failure — it's the transition to the next income-producing phase.

↓SELL PUT◆ASSIGNED↑SELL CALL✓CALLED AWAYTHE WHEELCollect premium atevery phase
1SELL PUT— Collect premium
Sell cash-secured put on a stock you want to own at a lower price
2ASSIGNED— Buy shares at strike
Put expires ITM → you buy 100 shares. Cost basis = strike − premium
3SELL CALL— Collect more premium
Sell covered call above cost basis. Theta works for you again
4CALLED AWAY— Sell shares at strike
Call expires ITM → shares sold at profit. Restart the wheel

The wheel strategy generates income at every phase. Phase 1: sell a cash-secured put and collect premium ($150-400/month on a typical $50 stock). Phase 2: if assigned, your cost basis is the strike minus all premiums collected. Phase 3: sell covered calls against your shares to collect even more premium. Phase 4: when shares are called away, you've profited from the put premium, call premiums, and any stock appreciation. Then the wheel restarts.

Flow Proof trade blotter showing active options positions, wheel tracker with AI analysis, and real-time P&L tracking
Flow Proof in action — track puts, manage wheel positions, and get AI-powered rolling recommendations all in one place. Try it free →

The Verdict

If you want to follow options flow, dark pool prints, or congress trades, Unusual Whales is the better tool, and its free plan is a fair way to try it before paying $50/month. Flow Proof doesn't do any of that. If what you actually want is to sell puts or run the wheel for income, Flow Proof gives you a graded shortlist, AI analysis, and a trade blotter for free. Plenty of traders could use both.

Flow Proof Is Free

Put premium scanner with A to F setup grades, AI trade analysis, and a trade blotter with roll advice. No credit card required.

Open Scanner →
View pricing & plans

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Flow Proof better than Unusual Whales?

They do different jobs. Unusual Whales is an options flow platform. Flow Proof is a free put-selling scanner and trade tracker. If you want flow alerts or dark pool data, pick Unusual Whales. If you want to find good puts to sell and track them, Flow Proof does that for free.

How much does Unusual Whales cost?

There's a free plan with delayed data (options flow is two trading days behind). Retail Basic is $50/month or $42/month billed yearly ($504/year). Retail Pro is $75/month and Retail Max is $120/month. Flow Proof is free, with an optional $5/month AI Pro plan.

Does Flow Proof show options flow like Unusual Whales?

No. Flow Proof has no real-time flow alerts, whale tracking, or dark pool data. It has free guides on reading options flow and unusual options activity, but the tool itself is built for premium sellers.

Can Flow Proof track congress trades like Unusual Whales?

No. If congress and senate trading data is what you're after, Unusual Whales is the right choice for that.

Is there a free version of Unusual Whales?

Yes. Unusual Whales has a free plan with the dashboard, screeners, and charts, but the data is delayed (two trading days for options flow). Real-time flow starts at $50/month, or $42/month billed yearly.

Continue Learning

Choosing between Unusual Whales and Flow Proof is mostly a question of what you'll do with the flow data once you have it. These guides cover the fundamentals that any options flow tool — including this one — assumes you already understand.

What Is Unusual Options Activity?
How to tell whether a whale trade is bullish, bearish, or just a hedge
How to Read Options Flow
Sweeps vs. blocks, ask-side vs. bid-side, and what actually matters
Options Flow Conviction Scoring
The 20+ signals that separate real institutional positioning from noise
Best Options Flow Scanners — Honest Review
I tested every major flow tool. Here's what each one is actually good for.

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