VolRadar

VolRadar is a daily options analytics platform designed specifically for premium sellers — traders who run iron condors, credit spreads, cash-secured puts, and the wheel strategy on S&P 500 names. The platform eliminates hours of manual research by delivering a pre-market brief every morning, so you know exactly which tickers to sell and which to avoid before the opening bell.

Every night after US market close, VolRadar pulls end-of-day options data from ORATS, runs it through proprietary models, and ships a concise pre-market brief. By the time you sit down with coffee, your research is done. The platform scans over 500 US stocks and major ETFs, ranking them by volatility edge and providing computed strikes with target deltas or credit amounts.

The core value proposition is simple: VolRadar tells you if today is a good day to sell premium using a Weather Score from 0 to 100. This composite score factors in Premium Edge, VIX levels, Vol Trend, Earnings Safety, and Term Structure. Beyond the Weather Score, you get IV Rank with a 252-day lookback on 30-day ATM IV, Volatility Risk Premium (VRP) comparing 30-day IV minus 20-day realized volatility, and earnings crush data showing per-ticker IV collapse post-announcement.

VolRadar is built for efficiency. Whether you are a part-time trader with limited screen time or a full-time professional looking to streamline your workflow, the platform handles the heavy lifting. The free tier gives you the Weather Score, four calculators, and a basic scanner. The Starter plan at $19 per month unlocks the full scanner, pre-market brief, computed strikes, and weekly trade ideas. Institutional-grade data comes from ORATS, CBOE, and S&P 500.

Weather Score

The Weather Score is a single composite number from 0 to 100 that tells you if conditions favor selling premium today. It factors in five components: Premium Edge, VIX trend, Volatility Trend, Earnings Safety, and Term Structure. A score of 65 or above means conditions are favorable for selling premium broadly. Scores between 40 and 64 indicate selective trading, while below 40 suggests standing aside. The Weather Score updates daily after close and includes a 60-day history chart so you can track volatility climate trends over time.

IV Rank and VRP Analysis

VolRadar calculates IV Rank using a 252-day lookback on 30-day ATM implied volatility, giving you context on whether current IV is high or low relative to the past year. The platform also computes Volatility Risk Premium (VRP) as 30-day IV minus 20-day realized volatility. Positive VRP means options are overpriced relative to recent realized movement — the sweet spot for premium sellers. These metrics are displayed per ticker in the scanner and detailed ticker reports, with color-coded signals for quick scanning.

Computed Strikes with Strategy Builder

For each ticker, VolRadar provides pre-filled strikes based on your target delta or target credit. The Strategy Builder shows up to three ranked strategies per name, including short puts, iron condors, and covered calls. Each strategy comes with P&L estimates, breakeven points, and max loss parameters. You can see exactly what trade to place without manually calculating strike prices or risk parameters. This feature is available in the Starter plan and above.

Earnings Safety and Event Risk Gates

VolRadar flags tickers with upcoming earnings announcements and shows earnings crush data — the expected IV collapse after the announcement. The Earnings Safety component of the Weather Score evaluates the broader earnings climate. Per-ticker, you can see earnings dates and the historical IV contraction pattern. This prevents you from selling premium into earnings events where IV crush could wipe out your credit. The platform marks tickers with earnings flags and adjusts signal strength accordingly.

Daily Pre-Market Research Workflow

A trader wakes up at 6:30 AM and checks the VolRadar pre-market brief delivered to their email. In 30 seconds, they see the Weather Score of 87.7 indicating favorable conditions, scan the top five candidates sorted by edge score, and pick GDDY with an 85 edge score and +11.4pp VRP. They open the ticker report, confirm earnings safety is excellent, and use the Strategy Builder to place a short put with pre-computed strikes. Total time from coffee to trade: under two minutes.

Screening for High IV Rank Setups

An options seller wants to find stocks where implied volatility is elevated relative to the past year. They open the VolRadar scanner and filter by IV Rank above 70%. The platform returns 351 stocks with elevated IV rank. They sort by VRP to find names with the largest gap between implied and realized volatility. CSGP shows a 92.8% IV Rank with +9.8pp VRP and an edge score of 83. The trader clicks through to see the full analysis and builds an iron condor with pre-filled strikes.

Avoiding Earnings Trap Setups

A premium seller has been burned by earnings crush in the past. They use VolRadar to filter out tickers with earnings in the next two weeks. The platform flags LLY with an earnings date approaching and shows the expected IV collapse. Even though LLY has a strong edge score of 80, the trader skips it because the earnings risk gate is yellow. Instead, they select EBAY with no earnings flag, an edge score of 84, and +10.1pp VRP. The platform confirms earnings safety is excellent on the macro level.

Weekly Trade Idea Generation

A part-time trader wants three to five premium selling ideas for the week. They log into VolRadar on Sunday evening and review the weekly ideas section available in the Starter plan. The platform provides ranked tickers with computed strikes and strategy recommendations. The trader selects an iron condor on MSFT with a 78 edge score and a short put on AAPL with an 85 edge score. They set the trades for Monday open, knowing the research is based on Friday close data refreshed by Monday morning.

What data sources does VolRadar use?

VolRadar pulls end-of-day options data from ORATS, which is an institutional-grade provider. The platform also references CBOE and S&P 500 data for market-level analytics. All data is updated daily after US market close, typically available by 6 PM ET. The ORATS data feeds into proprietary models that calculate the Weather Score, IV Rank, VRP, and other analytics.

Is VolRadar free to use?

Yes, VolRadar offers a free tier that never expires and requires no credit card. The free tier includes the Weather Score, four calculators, and a basic scanner showing the top five candidates. The Starter plan costs $19 per month and adds the full scanner with 500+ tickers, pre-market brief delivered daily, computed strikes for trade building, and weekly trade ideas. You can start free and upgrade anytime.

How is the Weather Score calculated?

The Weather Score is a composite from 0 to 100 that combines five factors: Premium Edge measures how overpriced options are across the universe, VIX evaluates market volatility levels, Vol Trend looks at the direction of volatility, Earnings Safety assesses the macro earnings climate, and Term Structure examines the shape of the volatility curve. A score above 65 is favorable for premium selling, 40 to 64 is selective, and below 40 is defensive.

What strategies does VolRadar support?

VolRadar supports seven strategy types including iron condors, credit spreads, cash-secured puts, covered calls, the wheel strategy, short strangles, and vertical spreads. The platform ranks strategies per ticker based on the current volatility environment and provides pre-computed strikes with target deltas or target credits. Each strategy includes P&L estimates, breakeven points, and max loss parameters for informed decision making.