Barchart Unusual Options Activity
barchart.com
Free, delayed daily list of US options trading at high volume relative to open interest; the full list, history and live flow need Barchart Premier.
What it is
Barchart's Unusual Options Activity page lists stock, ETF and index option contracts whose volume is large relative to open interest. Barchart publishes its rule: for US contracts, volume above 500, open interest above 100, a last price above $0.10 and a volume-to-open-interest ratio of at least 1.25. Rows are shaded green or red for bullish or bearish sentiment, and you can filter by delta, calls or puts and monthly or weekly expirations.
It is not a real-time flow feed. The page starts updating around 9:50 a.m. ET, options data is delayed about 25 to 30 minutes, and it refreshes roughly every five minutes. Without a subscription you see only part of the list; Barchart Premier unlocks every result, custom screener filters, historical reports back to May 2020 and the separate Options Flow and Options Time & Sales pages.
Barchart has three membership levels: a free account, Plus at $9.99 a month (mainly ad-free and more saved items) and Premier at $29.95 a month. Only Premier includes the options tools, so Plus does not help with this page. Both paid plans start with a 30-day free trial, and annual or two-year billing lowers the monthly cost considerably.
Key features
- Published unusual-activity rule
- Contracts qualify on stated thresholds: volume over 500, open interest over 100, price over $0.10 and volume/OI of 1.25 or more (lower thresholds for Canadian listings).
- Stocks, ETFs and indices
- Separate tabs for each, with on-page filters for delta, calls or puts and expiration type.
- Historical reports
- Premier members can pick any date back to 05/14/2020 and download or flip through that day's report.
- Scheduled emails
- The report can be emailed in the morning, mid-day or at the end of the day.
- CSV download
- Tables can be exported to .csv; free members get one data download a day, Plus 10 and Premier 250.
- Related options screens
- The wider Barchart site adds IV rank, unusual volume, open interest change, gamma exposure and strategy screeners, several of them Premier-only.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Partial unusual-activity list, 1 watchlist, 1 saved screener, 1 data download a day |
| Plus | $9.99/mo, $99/yr or $179 for two years | Ad-free, 10 watchlists and screeners; does not include the Premier options tools |
| Premier | $29.95/mo, $239.95/yr or $419.95 for two years | Full unusual-activity list and history, Options Flow, Time & Sales, advanced options screeners, real-time SMS alerts, 250 downloads a day |
Plus and Premier start with a 30-day free trial. Stock quotes on the site are delayed 15 minutes and options data on this page about 25 to 30 minutes.
Free option: The current day's unusual-activity report with a limited number of rows, on-page filters, report emails and one CSV download a day. History and the full list need Premier.
Checked September 25, 2026 on barchart.com. Prices change; confirm on the provider's site before you subscribe.
Strengths
- The qualifying rule is published, so you know exactly why a contract appears
- A useful free view without paying anything
- Historical reports back to 2020 for checking how past activity played out
- Premier is inexpensive for a platform that also covers stocks, ETFs and futures
Limitations
- Options data is delayed about 25 to 30 minutes, so it is not a live flow feed
- Free users see only part of the list; all results require Premier
- This page screens volume against open interest and does not identify sweeps, blocks or dark pool prints
- The Plus plan does not include any of the options tools
Good fit for
- Swing traders reviewing unusual activity after the fact
- Traders who already use Barchart for quotes, charts and screeners
- Beginners who want to see what unusual volume looks like before paying for a flow service
Look elsewhere if
- Day traders who need real-time sweeps and blocks as they print
- Traders who want dark pool prints and flow on the same screen
Compare
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Barchart Unusual Options Activity questions
How does Barchart define unusual options activity?
For US options, volume must exceed 500, open interest must exceed 100, the last price must be above $0.10 and volume divided by open interest must be 1.25 or higher.
Is Barchart unusual options activity real time?
No. Barchart says the options data on this page is delayed about 25 to 30 minutes and updates roughly every five minutes, starting around 9:50 a.m. ET.
Is Barchart unusual options activity free?
A partial list is free. Seeing every result, using custom filters and viewing historical dates requires Barchart Premier at $29.95 a month after a 30-day free trial.
Does Barchart Plus include unusual options activity?
No. Barchart's comparison page lists the options tools, including full unusual activity and Options Flow, as Premier only.
Written from Barchart Unusual Options Activity's own website and documentation. All Trading Tools lists and compares tools; it does not recommend trades or give financial advice. Sources: barchart.com/options/unusual-activity/stocks, barchart.com/membership-comparison.