VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★
PRICE: 5 CENTS
Saturday, September 27, 2025
Investors comparing Alpha Vantage and FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) will find that Both Alpha Vantage and FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) concentrate on Data APIs, Calendar, and Inflation Rates workflows, making them natural alternatives for similar investment research jobs. Alpha Vantage leans into News, News Sentiment, and Dividends, which can be decisive for teams that need depth over breadth. FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) stands out with Data Visualizations, PMI / ISM, and Housing & Construction that the competition lacks. Use the feature-by-feature table to inspect unique capabilities and confirm which roadmap best maps to your process.
Head-to-head
Alpha Vantage vs FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.
Quick takeaways
- Alpha Vantage adds News, News Sentiment, Dividends, Splits, IPO, Delisted, Options & Derivatives, ETF Holdings, Transcripts, and Insider Data coverage that FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) skips.
- FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) includes Data Visualizations, PMI / ISM, Housing & Construction, Retail Sales, Consumer Sentiment, Yield Curves, and Real Yields categories that Alpha Vantage omits.
- Alpha Vantage highlights: Equity time series for global stocks (intraday down to 1-minute, plus daily/weekly/monthly) with 20+ years of history, including pre- and post-market support and adjustment toggles for splits and dividends., US options coverage with real-time and historical data spanning over 15 years, including optional greeks and implied volatility outputs in JSON or CSV., and Fundamentals and corporate actions such as company overviews, financials, dividends, splits, plus ETF profiles and holdings..
- FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) is known for: Access to over 840,000 time series from more than 100 official and third-party sources, all browsable and downloadable online., Official REST API covering both FRED and ALFRED, with endpoints for categories, releases, series, and sources., and Flexible output formats including JSON, XML, Excel, and CSV for easy integration..
- FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) offers mobile access, which Alpha Vantage skips.
Alpha Vantage
alphavantage.co
REST APIs delivering global market data in JSON and CSV. The free tier allows 25 requests per day, while premium plans remove limits and unlock real-time and 15-minute delayed US equities plus real-time US options. Entitlements and account management are handled through the Alpha X Terminal.
Categories
Platforms
Pricing
Quick highlights
- Equity time series for global stocks (intraday down to 1-minute, plus daily/weekly/monthly) with 20+ years of history, including pre- and post-market support and adjustment toggles for splits and dividends.
- US options coverage with real-time and historical data spanning over 15 years, including optional greeks and implied volatility outputs in JSON or CSV.
- Fundamentals and corporate actions such as company overviews, financials, dividends, splits, plus ETF profiles and holdings.
- Corporate calendars: earnings announcements, IPO schedules, listings, and delisting status.
- Alpha Intelligence datasets with market news and sentiment, earnings call transcripts, insider transactions, and daily gainers/losers.
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
fred.stlouisfed.org
One of the most trusted sources of macroeconomic and market data worldwide. FRED offers free access to charts, releases, Excel add-ins, and a public API. An API key (free) is required, with standard rate limits. ALFRED, the companion service, provides vintage datasets so you can see what was known at any point in time.
Categories
Platforms
Pricing
Quick highlights
- Access to over 840,000 time series from more than 100 official and third-party sources, all browsable and downloadable online.
- Official REST API covering both FRED and ALFRED, with endpoints for categories, releases, series, and sources.
- Flexible output formats including JSON, XML, Excel, and CSV for easy integration.
- ALFRED (the archival database) provides point-in-time vintages, letting you track historical revisions exactly as they were published.
- Maps API delivers regional datasets with GeoJSON shapefiles for states, counties, MSAs, and more.
Shared focus areas
Both platforms align on these research themes, so you can stay within one workflow when your use case involves them.
Where they differ
Alpha Vantage
Distinct strengths include:
- Equity time series for global stocks (intraday down to 1-minute, plus daily/weekly/monthly) with 20+ years of history, including pre- and post-market support and adjustment toggles for splits and dividends.
- US options coverage with real-time and historical data spanning over 15 years, including optional greeks and implied volatility outputs in JSON or CSV.
- Fundamentals and corporate actions such as company overviews, financials, dividends, splits, plus ETF profiles and holdings.
- Corporate calendars: earnings announcements, IPO schedules, listings, and delisting status.
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
Distinct strengths include:
- Access to over 840,000 time series from more than 100 official and third-party sources, all browsable and downloadable online.
- Official REST API covering both FRED and ALFRED, with endpoints for categories, releases, series, and sources.
- Flexible output formats including JSON, XML, Excel, and CSV for easy integration.
- ALFRED (the archival database) provides point-in-time vintages, letting you track historical revisions exactly as they were published.
Feature-by-feature breakdown
| Attribute | Alpha Vantage | FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) |
|---|---|---|
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets | Shared: Data APIs, Calendar, Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates, GDP, Interest Rates, APIs & SDKs, Sheets / Excel Add-ins Unique: News, News Sentiment, Dividends, Splits, IPO, Delisted, Options & Derivatives, ETF Holdings, Transcripts, Insider Data | Shared: Data APIs, Calendar, Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates, GDP, Interest Rates, APIs & SDKs, Sheets / Excel Add-ins Unique: Data Visualizations, PMI / ISM, Housing & Construction, Retail Sales, Consumer Sentiment, Yield Curves, Real Yields |
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes | Stocks, ETFs, Options, Currencies, Cryptos, Commodities, Mutual Funds | Bonds, Commodities, Currencies, Stocks, Other |
Experience levels Who each product is built for | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Platforms Where you can access the product | Web, API | Web, Mobile, API |
Pricing High-level pricing models | Free, Subscription | Free |
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor | Unique
| Unique
|
Tested Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat | Yes | Not yet |
Editor pick Featured inside curated shortlists | Standard listing | Standard listing |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which workflows do Alpha Vantage and FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) both support?
Both platforms cover Data APIs, Calendar, Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates, GDP, Interest Rates, APIs & SDKs, and Sheets / Excel Add-ins workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.
Do Alpha Vantage and FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) require subscriptions?
Both Alpha Vantage and FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.
Which tool has mobile access?
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) ships a dedicated mobile experience, while Alpha Vantage focuses on web or desktop access.
What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?
Alpha Vantage differentiates itself with Equity time series for global stocks (intraday down to 1-minute, plus daily/weekly/monthly) with 20+ years of history, including pre- and post-market support and adjustment toggles for splits and dividends., US options coverage with real-time and historical data spanning over 15 years, including optional greeks and implied volatility outputs in JSON or CSV., and Fundamentals and corporate actions such as company overviews, financials, dividends, splits, plus ETF profiles and holdings., whereas FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) stands out for Access to over 840,000 time series from more than 100 official and third-party sources, all browsable and downloadable online., Official REST API covering both FRED and ALFRED, with endpoints for categories, releases, series, and sources., and Flexible output formats including JSON, XML, Excel, and CSV for easy integration..
Curation & Accuracy
This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).
Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.