Why this comparison exists

People ask us all the time how we compare to Preqin, or whether NilssonHedge is “the same thing.” The answer is always: it depends on what you need. These databases solve different problems for different users at very different price points.

We’re going to be upfront: we’re a competitor in this space, so this isn’t a neutral third-party review. But we also know these other products well because our customers use them, and we hear constantly about what works and what doesn’t. We’ll try to be fair. Where another database genuinely does something better than us, we’ll say so.

Side-by-side comparison

What each database actually does well

Crypto Fund Research (that’s us)

We have two products. The Crypto Fund List ($387, one-time) is an Excel download with 800+ crypto funds, 40+ data columns, and contact information including emails for key people. It’s the product people use for outreach: founders raising capital, service providers doing business development, researchers mapping the market.

The Performance Database ($977/year) is the analytics layer. Monthly returns going back to 2017, 60+ risk metrics (Sharpe, Sortino, max drawdown, BTC correlation, alpha, beta), due diligence fields (fees, lockups, minimums, custodians, auditors), and an interactive dashboard where you can compare funds side by side. We also build six strategy sub-indices from the data.

Where we’re strong: breadth of crypto-specific coverage (800+ funds is the largest we know of), depth of performance data for the funds that report to us (300+), and price. At $977/year we cost a fraction of Preqin or BarclayHedge.

Where we’re weaker: we don’t cover non-crypto hedge funds at all. If you need crypto alongside your broader alternatives portfolio in one platform, Preqin is a better fit. We also don’t have an API, which matters for firms that want to pipe data into their own systems. And our operational due diligence framework isn’t as structured as what Crypto Insights Group offers.

Preqin

Preqin is the 800-pound gorilla of alternative investment databases. They cover private equity, venture capital, hedge funds, real estate, infrastructure, and private debt across 135,000+ funds and 48,000+ firms. Crypto is a subcategory within their broader hedge fund and VC data.

Where they’re strong: if you’re an institutional allocator managing a portfolio across multiple alternative asset classes, Preqin is hard to beat. The platform, the data depth on traditional alts, the API, the research reports. It’s the industry standard for a reason.

Where they’re weaker for crypto: crypto is a small slice of their universe. Their crypto fund coverage tops out at maybe 200-300 funds, compared to our 800+. They don’t build crypto-specific strategy indices. Their crypto data doesn’t go as deep on things like BTC correlation or crypto-specific risk metrics. And the price tag starts around $15,000-30,000 per year for a single seat, which is hard to justify if crypto funds are your primary use case.

For a deeper look: Preqin for crypto funds: is it enough?

NilssonHedge

NilssonHedge is a hedge fund database focused on liquid alternatives, run by Linus Nilsson. Their crypto subset covers about 600 strategies, which actually makes it one of the larger crypto fund return datasets. They offer monthly and daily returns, indices, and analytics tools.

Where they’re strong: return data breadth. They cover more crypto strategies’ performance data than almost anyone. Their daily crypto index is probably the most comprehensive available. The pricing is accessible (they have a free tier), and the database is genuinely independent.

Where they’re weaker: NilssonHedge focuses on returns, not contacts. They don’t provide emails, mailing addresses, or key people information. If you need to actually reach fund managers, you’ll need a separate directory. They also don’t cover VC funds, and their analytics dashboard is more basic than what we or Preqin offer.

For a deeper look: NilssonHedge vs. Crypto Fund Research

BarclayHedge

BarclayHedge (now part of ION Analytics) has been tracking hedge fund and CTA performance since the 1980s. They launched a Cryptocurrency Traders Index in 2018 and offer a dedicated crypto database.

Where they’re strong: credibility and history. BarclayHedge indices are widely cited and trusted. Their FundFinder Pro analytics platform is solid. If you already use BarclayHedge for traditional hedge fund data and want to add some crypto coverage, it’s a natural extension.

Where they’re weaker for crypto: their crypto fund coverage is smaller than ours or NilssonHedge’s, maybe 100-150 crypto funds. The Cryptocurrency Traders Index has limited constituents. And BarclayHedge doesn’t cover crypto VC funds at all. For crypto-only users, the coverage gap is significant.

For a deeper look: BarclayHedge vs. Crypto Fund Research

Crypto Insights Group

Crypto Insights Group (CIG) is the newest entrant, and they’ve positioned themselves specifically for institutional allocators doing manager due diligence. They cover 300+ crypto hedge fund strategies and focus heavily on operational due diligence frameworks.

Where they’re strong: ODD depth. They have proprietary scoring systems for evaluating manager operations, custody arrangements, and governance. If you’re a family office or fund of funds that needs to justify allocations to an investment committee, CIG’s structured diligence frameworks are useful. They also have partnerships with major index providers (CoinDesk, CF Benchmarks, S&P) for benchmarking.

Where they’re weaker: they only cover crypto hedge funds, not VCs. Their coverage of ~300 strategies is smaller than our 800+ fund universe. Pricing is custom (which usually means expensive). And they’re newer, which means less historical data than databases that have been collecting since 2017 or earlier.

HFR (Hedge Fund Research)

HFR is one of the most established hedge fund data providers globally. They offer the HFRI Blockchain Indices for crypto hedge fund benchmarking. But their crypto-specific fund coverage is limited. HFR is best suited for investors who need crypto indices for benchmarking within a broader hedge fund allocation, not for those doing crypto-specific fund research.

For a deeper look: HFR Blockchain Index vs. CFR indices

Which database should you use?

It depends on what you’re trying to do. Here’s our honest take:

You’re a founder or service provider who needs to contact crypto fund managers: start with our Crypto Fund List. It’s $387, it’s in Excel, and it has the emails and people data you need. Nothing else on this list is built for outreach.

You’re an allocator evaluating crypto hedge fund managers: our Performance Database gives you returns, risk metrics, and DDQ data for 300+ funds at $977/year. If you also need traditional alts data, pair it with Preqin. If you need structured ODD frameworks and have the budget, Crypto Insights Group is worth looking at.

You’re a researcher who needs raw return data: NilssonHedge’s free tier is a good starting point. Their return coverage for crypto strategies is extensive and the daily index is unique. Combine it with our Fund List if you also need directory information.

You already use Preqin or BarclayHedge for traditional hedge funds: those platforms will give you some crypto coverage, but it’s thin. If crypto is more than 5% of your research, you’ll probably want a crypto-native database alongside whatever you already use.

You want to try before committing: we offer a free sample of 50 funds from the Fund List and a free demo of the Performance Database. NilssonHedge has a free tier. Everyone else requires requesting a demo through a sales team.

Common questions

Is Crypto Fund Research biased in this comparison?

Obviously. We’re a competitor. We’ve tried to be fair and we’ve acknowledged where other databases beat us, but you should absolutely check these products yourself. The free trials and demos exist for that reason.

Can I use multiple databases together?

Most of our customers do. A common setup is our Fund List for contact data and outreach, plus Preqin for broader alternatives context, plus NilssonHedge for additional return data. These products are more complementary than competitive in practice.

Why is there so much pricing variation?

The traditional alternatives data market (Preqin, PitchBook, BarclayHedge) prices for large institutions with five- and six-figure budgets. The crypto-native databases (us, NilssonHedge) grew up serving a smaller market and price accordingly. If $15,000-30,000/year for Preqin seems absurd for crypto-only data, it’s because it is. That’s a price that makes sense when you’re also using it for PE, VC, real estate, and infrastructure.

What about PitchBook and Crunchbase?

Both are strong for VC deal data and startup profiles. PitchBook is excellent for tracking who invested in what company at what valuation. Crunchbase covers similar ground with a freemium model. But neither is a fund database. They don’t have performance data, risk metrics, or the kind of fund-level information allocators need. We wrote separate comparisons for PitchBook and Crunchbase.

More comparisons

• Preqin for crypto funds: is it enough?
• BarclayHedge vs. Crypto Fund Research
• NilssonHedge vs. Crypto Fund Research
• PitchBook for crypto fund data
• Crunchbase for crypto funds