A premarket stock screener is a tool that helps you find those premarket movers that fit your strategy. From there, you can do your due diligence and decide whether the stock fits on your watchlist.
Checking what happens before the market opens can lead you to some great trading opportunities. As they say, “the early bird gets the worm.” You can get ahead of other traders and spot the day’s hot stocks before they do.
Just be careful — there isn’t as much liquidity in premarket. It can be hard to exit your position, and price moves can be deceptive. Like I always say, ‘Buy in pre, sell in pre.’ If you hold on too long, your trade could collapse in the revealing light of day.
Premarket is a big part of my trading day. By looking at premarket movers, I know where the action is, and I can hit the ground running when the market opens.
What are the best premarket stock screeners, and how can they help you spot great trades? Let’s dive right in!
What Is a Premarket Stock Screener?
A premarket stock screener scans for stocks making notable moves before the market opens. It filters by price action, volume, float, or custom criteria, helping you find the setups worth watching. This saves you time and gives you a clear direction for your premarket prep.
Learn more about the ins and outs of stock screeners in my guide to the basics of stock screeners.
Importance of Using a Premarket Stocks Screener
A premarket screener helps you cut through the noise and focus only on stocks that meet your trading setup. It shows you what’s moving, why it’s moving, and whether it’s worth tracking into the open. That early signal can help you act faster and more decisively once the bell rings.
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Why Do You Need a Premarket Stock Screener?
Premarket screeners are part of the daily routine for serious traders. They handle the scan so you can focus on the analysis — tracking key levels, watching news flow, and building your plan. It’s how I prep my watchlist and get positioned before the open.
Different stock screeners excel at different things. Check out my list of the best screeners for penny stocks and best screeners for OTC stocks. I also have a list of the best overall stock screeners.
Advantages of Premarket Stock Screeners
The real value of a premarket screener is speed and focus. You define your filters once — float, price range, gap %, volume — and reuse them every morning. That lets you spot the right setups fast and stay consistent in your trading process.
How We Evaluated These Best Premarket Stock Screeners
Not every stock screener is built for premarket. Some miss key features like live data or fast filtering, which can throw off your prep.
Here’s what I look for:
- Custom filters that match how I trade — especially float, volume, and price change.
- Speed and access — a screener that updates live and shows what’s actually moving before the open.
- Ease of use — fast setup, saved scans, and tools I can trust to work under pressure.
These aren’t the only criteria you can use when picking screeners. Check out my guide to the best stock screener criteria for additional ways to refine your search.
Best Premarket Stock Screeners for 2025
Here are my picks for the best premarket stock screeners:
- StocksToTrade — Best Overall Premarket Stock Screener
- MarketWatch Stock Screener — Best Web-Based Premarket Stock Screener
- Market Chameleon — Best Stock Screener for Premarket Reports
- Benzinga — Best Premarket Stock Screener for News Monitoring
- Barchart — Best Premarket Stock Screener for Customization
There’s no rule that says you need to pick just one. Try them all and stick with the ones that work best for you!
1. StocksToTrade — Best Overall Premarket Stock Screener
My first premarket stock screener pick is StocksToTrade.
I use StocksToTrade every day — it’s built for how I trade premarket.
You can scan for float, volume spikes, gaps, premarket news, and more. Build your own scans or use presets built by active traders. The built-in news scanner and charting tools help you catch catalysts early — and that’s what makes this platform different.
If you’re serious about catching premarket movers, this is the one I recommend first.
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2. MarketWatch Stock Screener — Best Web-Based Premarket Stock Screener
My second premarket stock screener pick is MarketWatch.
MarketWatch offers a simple, browser-based screener that’s free to use. You won’t get advanced features, but it’s useful for checking which stocks are up or down before the open.
The premarket screener shows top gainers, losers, and volume movers. If you’re just getting started or want a quick second check before the bell, this tool gets the job done.
3. Market Chameleon — Best Stock Screener for Premarket Reports
My third premarket stock screener pick is Market Chameleon.
Market Chameleon focuses on structured premarket data and early movement trends. Their Pre-Market Movers Report is available 24/7 and updates every five minutes — so you’re not guessing what’s moving before the bell.
You’ll see top gainers, biggest volume shifts, and filters for unusual activity. It’s a solid tool if you want clear numbers fast.
4. Benzinga — Best Premarket Stock Screener for News Monitoring
My fourth premarket stock screener pick is Benzinga.
Benzinga stands out for real-time news. You can filter headlines by ticker, keyword, or watchlist to zero in on the catalysts that matter.
Their squawk box reads breaking news aloud, which is helpful if you’re multitasking during premarket. If your strategy depends on speed and news flow, Benzinga is worth checking out.
5. Barchart — Best Premarket Stock Screener for Customization
My fifth premarket stock screener pick is Barchart.
Barchart lets you build your own layout with the tools you want — nothing more, nothing less. You can keep your premarket gappers, active movers, and volume leaders in one view.
The screener updates regularly before the open and pairs with a news feed that tracks headlines tied to your watchlist. Great if you want everything on one screen.
Final Thoughts
Premarket stock screeners help you identify stocks to watch before the market opens so you have more time to do your due diligence. Checking out the premarket movers helps you establish a trading plan early in the day, giving you a leg up on other traders.
Here’s an extra stock scanner recommendation for you: millionaire trader Matt Monaco’s Alpha Scanner. A former software engineer, Matt brought those skills back to build a screener based on his profitable trading style.
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Premarket Screener FAQs
What does a premarket stock screener actually do?
It filters stocks moving before the market opens based on price action, volume, and other criteria. Traders use it to find early setups and build watchlists. The goal is to act faster once regular trading begins.
Why is volume important in premarket trading?
Premarket volume shows which stocks are getting attention early, often before the news spreads. High volume can signal momentum or institutional interest. It also helps confirm if a price move is legit or just noise.
Are there risks in trading based on premarket screeners?
Yes — premarket trading has lower liquidity and wider spreads, which can lead to fast reversals. Some price moves fade as soon as regular hours begin. You need to act with a plan, not just react to a scan.
What should you look for in a premarket screener?
Look for customization, real-time updates, and news filters. Saved scans and watchlist syncing help with daily prep. The best screeners are the ones that support how you already trade.