KenMacro vs Real Vision: Which Fits You Better (2026)
By Ken Chigbo, Founder, KenMacro. UK macro desk, 18 years institutional FX.
The short answer
KenMacro and Real Vision are both legitimate macro brands but serve different needs. Real Vision is a SUBSCRIPTION CONTENT LIBRARY: USD 250 a year for the full tier, hundreds of guest interviews, broad coverage across macro, crypto, equities, commodities, but unstructured (you assemble the framework yourself). KenMacro is OPERATOR-LED EDUCATION: one operator (Ken Chigbo), one structured framework (regime-first macro), three tiers (free PDF / £499 course / £2,500-5,000 mentorship). Pick Real Vision for breadth (you want hundreds of expert views to weigh together). Pick KenMacro for depth and structure (you want one framework taught end-to-end with the desk’s daily application as proof). Many traders use both: Real Vision for input, KenMacro for the framework that organises the input.
Free macro framework
Reading the macro? Get the framework behind it.
The free regime-first framework the desk uses to read every session. Sent straight to your inbox.
Free PDF. The KenMacro regime-first lens. Sample before paying anything.
What Real Vision actually is
Real Vision is a media platform founded by Raoul Pal in 2014. The product is a content subscription, currently around USD 250 a year for the full tier, that gives access to a deep library of guest interviews across macro, crypto, equities, commodities, and emerging markets. Strengths: incredible depth of guest panel (institutional managers, central bankers, hedge fund analysts), high production value, broad coverage. Weakness for a framework-seeker: unstructured. You watch a hundred hours of interviews and walk away with a hundred opinions, no single framework that organises them. Real Vision is a library, not a course. If you treat it as a course, you will be disappointed; if you treat it as a library, it is one of the best in the industry.
What KenMacro actually is
KenMacro is a UK-based macro trading desk and education brand run by Ken Chigbo (18 years institutional FX, London floor). The product is THREE tiers: a free framework PDF + daily macro reads, the Macro Trading Blueprint course at £499 one-time with lifetime access, and 1-on-1 mentorship at £2,500-5,000 for three weeks (application-gated). The framework taught is regime-first macro: regime identification, real yields, dollar mechanics, intermarket reads, layered TA. Strengths: structured, single-operator focus, real public archive of the framework being applied daily at kenmacro.com/macro-insights. Weakness: narrow vs. Real Vision’s breadth; one operator’s lens, not a guest panel.
£499 one-time, lifetime access. The structured framework Real Vision doesn’t deliver.
Honest comparison: who fits Real Vision, who fits KenMacro
Right fit for Real Vision: you want exposure to many institutional voices, you have the discipline to assemble your own framework from raw inputs, you are comfortable with paywalled content where you cannot sample before subscribing (the free tier is thin). Right fit for KenMacro: you want a structured single framework taught end-to-end, you value operator-led depth over guest-panel breadth, you want a free tier you can actually use to verify the framework before paying. Both at once: many traders subscribe to Real Vision for broad input AND take the KenMacro Blueprint to have a structured framework that organises that input. The two are complementary not competitive at that level.
Price comparison (honest)
Real Vision Plus (full tier): around USD 250 per year, recurring. Over five years that is USD 1,250 in subscription fees. KenMacro: free framework PDF (USD 0 forever) + Blueprint course at £499 one-time (lifetime access, no recurring) + optional mentorship at £2,500-5,000 (one-time per engagement). For a trader who buys the framework once and works it forever, KenMacro is cheaper over a multi-year horizon. For a trader who wants ongoing broad content updates from many voices, Real Vision is the better economic fit because that ongoing content is what the subscription pays for. Match the spend to what you actually use.
KenMacro vs Real Vision decision checklist
- Library or framework?. Library = Real Vision (many voices, you assemble). Framework = KenMacro (one operator, one structured lens taught end-to-end).
- Breadth or depth?. Breadth = Real Vision. Depth = KenMacro. Both are valid; pick by what your current gap is.
- Recurring or one-time?. Real Vision is USD 250/yr ongoing. KenMacro Blueprint is £499 one-time lifetime. Match the spend to your time horizon.
- Sample before paying?. Real Vision’s free tier is thin. KenMacro’s free framework PDF + daily insights are genuinely usable before paying anything.
- Both at once is allowed. Many traders use Real Vision for broad input + KenMacro for the structured framework that organises it. They are complementary, not mutually exclusive.
- Match the spend to use. Real Vision only pays off if you actually watch the content. KenMacro Blueprint only pays off if you actually work the framework. Don’t subscribe what you won’t use.
Free framework + insights, £499 course, £2.5k-£5k mentorship. Honest comparison.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between KenMacro and Real Vision?
Real Vision is a subscription content library (USD 250/yr) with hundreds of guest interviews across macro, crypto, equities, commodities. KenMacro is operator-led education (one framework, three tiers: free PDF / £499 course / £2,500-5,000 mentorship). Library vs framework. Both legitimate; different needs.
Is KenMacro cheaper than Real Vision?
Over a multi-year horizon, yes. Real Vision is USD 250/yr recurring (USD 1,250 over five years). KenMacro Blueprint is £499 one-time with lifetime access (no recurring). But Real Vision is the right spend if you want ongoing broad content updates; KenMacro is the right spend if you want a structured framework you own forever.
Can I use both Real Vision and KenMacro together?
Yes, many traders do. Real Vision for broad input (many voices, broad coverage), KenMacro for the structured framework that organises that input into actionable trades. The two are complementary not competing at this level.
Is Real Vision worth it?
If you want exposure to many institutional voices and have the discipline to assemble your own framework from raw inputs, yes. If you want a structured single framework taught end-to-end, Real Vision is the wrong shape (it’s a library not a course) and a structured course like the KenMacro Blueprint fits better.
Which one should I start with?
If you don’t have a framework yet, start with KenMacro’s free framework PDF and daily insights (free). Then move to the Blueprint if structure helps. Once the framework is in, add Real Vision as a broad-input layer if you want ongoing depth. Framework first, library second is the order that works.
Sources and further reading
Related from the desk
Educational only. Trading carries risk. The course and mentorship teach a framework, not a guarantee. Personal results depend on application, discipline, and market conditions.
Pick by where you are
Three tiers, one framework. Free PDF, the £499 Blueprint course, or £2,500-5,000 1-on-1 mentorship. The full comparison sits in one place.
More on the macro trading product set
If you’re weighing Real Vision, these widen the comparison.
From the desk, free
Get the macro framework the desk actually trades
The same regime-first framework behind every call on this site, plus the weekly macro brief. Free. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Continue reading