VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Monday, October 13, 2025

View Alpha Vantage View U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)Back to Home

Head-to-head

Alpha Vantage vs U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) comparison

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, GDP, Interest Rates, Options & Derivatives, ETF Holdings, Transcripts, Insider Data, APIs & SDKs, and Sheets / Excel Add-ins coverage that U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) skips.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) includes Education 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..

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is known for: Public Data API v2: JSON and Excel (.xlsx) output; single or batched series; optional calculations, annual averages, aspects & catalog metadata for registered users., Usage limits (v2): up to 50 series per query, up to 20 years per query, ~50 requests per 10 seconds; daily cap 500 queries (registered) or 25 (unregistered)., and Data Tools: Series Report (direct series ID lookup), Top Picks, One‑screen/Multi‑screen table builders, Data Finder, charts for news releases, CPI Inflation Calculator..

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) offers mobile access, which Alpha Vantage skips.

Alpha Vantage

alphavantage.co

Hands-on review

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.

Platforms

Web

API

Pricing

Free

Subscription

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.

Community votes (overall)

0% upvotes 0% downvotes

You haven't voted yet

View full profile Visit site

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

bls.gov

Primary U.S. source for official labor‑market, inflation and productivity statistics. Offers a free Public Data API (v2) with JSON/XLSX responses, extensive web data tools (Series Report, Top Picks, Data Finder), and an official release calendar with RSS/iCal. Coverage spans CPI/PPI/Import‑Export prices, Employment Situation (payrolls & unemployment rate), JOLTS, ECI, productivity, QCEW and more. Registered API users get higher limits and can request calculations and catalog metadata.

Platforms

Web

API

Mobile

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

Public Data API v2: JSON and Excel (.xlsx) output; single or batched series; optional calculations, annual averages, aspects & catalog metadata for registered users.
Usage limits (v2): up to 50 series per query, up to 20 years per query, ~50 requests per 10 seconds; daily cap 500 queries (registered) or 25 (unregistered).
Data Tools: Series Report (direct series ID lookup), Top Picks, One‑screen/Multi‑screen table builders, Data Finder, charts for news releases, CPI Inflation Calculator.
Official release schedules & feeds: per‑release pages (e.g., Employment Situation) show dates/times (typically 8:30 a.m. ET); global calendar with RSS and iCal (ICS) subscription.
Mobile: “BLS Local Data” app for iOS/Android surfaces local labor market stats (states, metros, counties) and includes QCEW content.

Community votes (overall)

0% upvotes 0% downvotes

You haven't voted yet

View full profile Visit site

Overlap

Shared focus areas

4 overlaps

Mutual strengths include Data APIs, Calendar, and Inflation Rates plus 1 more area.

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.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Distinct strengths include:

Education

Public Data API v2: JSON and Excel (.xlsx) output; single or batched series; optional calculations, annual averages, aspects & catalog metadata for registered users.
Usage limits (v2): up to 50 series per query, up to 20 years per query, ~50 requests per 10 seconds; daily cap 500 queries (registered) or 25 (unregistered).
Data Tools: Series Report (direct series ID lookup), Top Picks, One‑screen/Multi‑screen table builders, Data Finder, charts for news releases, CPI Inflation Calculator.
Official release schedules & feeds: per‑release pages (e.g., Employment Situation) show dates/times (typically 8:30 a.m. ET); global calendar with RSS and iCal (ICS) subscription.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

Attribute	Alpha Vantage	U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets	Shared: Data APIs, Calendar, Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates Unique: News, News Sentiment, Dividends, Splits, IPO, Delisted, GDP, Interest Rates, Options & Derivatives, ETF Holdings, Transcripts, Insider Data, APIs & SDKs, Sheets / Excel Add-ins	Shared: Data APIs, Calendar, Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates Unique: Education
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes	Stocks, ETFs, Options, Currencies, Cryptos, Commodities, Mutual Funds	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, API, Mobile
Pricing High-level pricing models	Free, Subscription	Free
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor	Unique 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. Coverage across FX and crypto exchange rates (including intraday), commodities (oil, metals, agriculture), and US macro indicators like GDP, CPI, interest rates, and unemployment.	Unique Public Data API v2: JSON and Excel (.xlsx) output; single or batched series; optional calculations, annual averages, aspects & catalog metadata for registered users. Usage limits (v2): up to 50 series per query, up to 20 years per query, ~50 requests per 10 seconds; daily cap 500 queries (registered) or 25 (unregistered). Data Tools: Series Report (direct series ID lookup), Top Picks, One‑screen/Multi‑screen table builders, Data Finder, charts for news releases, CPI Inflation Calculator. Official release schedules & feeds: per‑release pages (e.g., Employment Situation) show dates/times (typically 8:30 a.m. ET); global calendar with RSS and iCal (ICS) subscription. Mobile: “BLS Local Data” app for iOS/Android surfaces local labor market stats (states, metros, counties) and includes QCEW content. Mission/authority & confidentiality: Principal U.S. fact‑finding agency for labor economics; data collected and protected under CIPSEA and other federal laws.
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 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) both support?

Both platforms cover Data APIs, Calendar, Inflation Rates, and Unemployment Rates workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Do Alpha Vantage and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) require subscriptions?

Both Alpha Vantage and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

Which tool has mobile access?

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 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 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) stands out for Public Data API v2: JSON and Excel (.xlsx) output; single or batched series; optional calculations, annual averages, aspects & catalog metadata for registered users., Usage limits (v2): up to 50 series per query, up to 20 years per query, ~50 requests per 10 seconds; daily cap 500 queries (registered) or 25 (unregistered)., and Data Tools: Series Report (direct series ID lookup), Top Picks, One‑screen/Multi‑screen table builders, Data Finder, charts for news releases, CPI Inflation Calculator..

Keep exploring

Stay on top of related tools

Browse the categories and profiles that overlap most with this comparison to round out your shortlist.