Musaffa vs Zoya vs Islamicly: Which Halal Screener Is Best?

"Which halal stock screener should I use?" is one of the most common questions in Muslim investing communities. Musaffa, Zoya, and Islamicly are the three most popular consumer screening platforms. Here's an honest, detailed comparison based on real usage — not marketing copy.

Quick Comparison

Musaffa: Broadest Coverage

Best for: Investors who want to screen stocks in many markets and need the broadest database.

Musaffa's standout feature is coverage — 200,000+ securities across global markets. If you invest in small-caps, international markets, or obscure stocks, Musaffa is most likely to have a screening result. Their "Musaffa Academy" also provides extensive educational content for beginners.

Limitations: The sheer volume means some screening results may rely on older financial data. The app experience is good but not as polished as Zoya's. Premium pricing is slightly higher.

Zoya: Best App Experience

Best for: US-focused investors who want the cleanest app experience and best ETF analysis.

Zoya has the most polished mobile app and the best ETF screening experience among the three. Their community forum is active and provides crowd-sourced insights. Zoya's proprietary screening methodology is transparent about its criteria.

Limitations: Coverage is limited to ~10,000 stocks, mostly US and major international markets. The proprietary single-methodology approach means you only get one verdict — you can't compare across standards like AAOIFI vs DJIM.

Islamicly: Best for Global Markets

Best for: Investors in India, UK, Southeast Asia, and other non-US markets.

Islamicly has the strongest coverage of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Indonesian, and UK markets. Their AAOIFI-certified Shariah board gives credibility to their screening methodology. The "Myths Busted" content series is uniquely engaging.

Limitations: The app and website feel dated compared to Zoya. No zakat calculator. Limited ETF analysis. US market coverage exists but isn't the primary focus.

The Gap All Three Share

None of these platforms show you the actual financial ratios used in screening. You get a pass/fail verdict, but you can't see that Apple's debt-to-assets ratio is 31.5% vs AAOIFI's 30% threshold. You can't compare how a stock performs across different methodologies. And none offer API access for building your own tools.

This is where the Halal Terminal API fills the gap — not as a replacement for these consumer apps, but as a complement that provides the data transparency and developer tools they lack.

# See what consumer apps don't show you
import requests

resp = requests.post(
    "https://api.halalterminal.com/api/screen/AAPL",
    headers={"X-API-Key": "YOUR_KEY"}
)
data = resp.json()

# All 5 methodology verdicts in one call
print(f"AAOIFI:  {'PASS' if data['aaoifi_compliant'] else 'FAIL'}")
print(f"DJIM:    {'PASS' if data['djim_compliant'] else 'FAIL'}")
print(f"FTSE:    {'PASS' if data['ftse_compliant'] else 'FAIL'}")
print(f"MSCI:    {'PASS' if data['msci_compliant'] else 'FAIL'}")
print(f"S&P:     {'PASS' if data['sp_compliant'] else 'FAIL'}")

# The actual ratios
print(f"Debt/Assets:      {data['debt_to_assets_ratio']:.1%}")
print(f"Debt/Market Cap:  {data['debt_to_market_cap_ratio']:.1%}")
print(f"Purification:     {data['purification_rate']:.1%}")

Key Takeaways

• Musaffa — broadest coverage (200K+ stocks), best for international/small-cap screening
• Zoya — best app experience, excellent ETF coverage, active community
• Islamicly — best for Indian, UK, and Asian markets with AAOIFI certification
• All three lack ratio transparency, multi-methodology comparison, and developer APIs
• Halal Terminal API complements consumer apps with data transparency and developer tools