Tool Comparison
Bank of Japan (BOJ) vs CME FedWatch
- Paid from
- —
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web, API
Public policy materials, Time-Series Search, and the statistical API are free.
Best if
- You need Japan's official policy statements, minutes, and outlook reports.
- You want Japanese central-bank statistics through charts, downloads, or a public API.
- Paid from
- $25/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web, API
The web tool is free. End-of-day and intraday APIs have separate licensing and charges.
Best if
- You want to see how futures markets price upcoming U.S. rate decisions.
- You want to compare implied probabilities over time and across meetings.
Pick Bank of Japan (BOJ) if
Bank of Japan (BOJ)
Free · Web · API
Public policy materials, Time-Series Search, and the statistical API are free.
- You need Japan's official policy statements, minutes, and outlook reports.
- You want Japanese central-bank statistics through charts, downloads, or a public API.
Pick CME FedWatch if
CME FedWatch
Free • From $25/mo · Web · API
The web tool is free. End-of-day and intraday APIs have separate licensing and charges.
- You want to see how futures markets price upcoming U.S. rate decisions.
- You want to compare implied probabilities over time and across meetings.
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
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Our take
The bottom line
This choice starts with geography and evidence. BOJ tells you what Japan's central bank publishes and reports. FedWatch shows how futures prices imply possible U.S. rate outcomes under a model. Use both for a cross-country rates study, keeping official statements separate from market expectations.
What readers say
Bank of Japan (BOJ)
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Key differences at a glance
- Official Japanese policy
- Bank of Japan (BOJ)Primary-source statements and statistics
- Implied U.S. rate outcomes
- CME FedWatchProbabilities derived from Fed Funds futures
- Free browser access
- BothDifferent countries and research questions
What Bank of Japan (BOJ) does best
Policy documents
Read meeting statements, minutes, and Outlook Reports.
Time-series search
Find long-run statistics by category or series code.
Public data API
Retrieve selected statistical series as JSON or CSV without an API key.
What CME FedWatch does best
Meeting probabilities
Compare futures-implied target-rate outcomes for upcoming FOMC meetings.
Historical expectations
Review probability shifts and export up to one year of values to Excel.
Dot Plot comparison
View futures-implied rates alongside published Federal Reserve projections.
Side by side
Pricing comparison
See for yourself
Side by side
Price, platforms, data, and market coverage.ShowHide
Side by side
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Free | Free • From $25/mo |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | Public website and statistical API are free | Web tool is free; recurring API access is licensed |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | No | No |
API access | Yes | Yes |
Broker sync | No | — |
Integrations | Public JSON/CSV API; no API key | Downloads and licensed daily/intraday APIs |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Official Japanese policy and statistics | Market-implied U.S. rate expectations |
Categories covered | 6 | 3 |
Regions | APAC | North America |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | Central-bank publications and series | Model-based probabilities from futures prices |
Capabilities | Policy documents, release dates, and time series | Meeting outcomes, history, and Dot Plot comparison |
| Try it | Visit Bank of Japan (BOJ) | Visit CME FedWatch |
Standout features
The best features of Bank of Japan (BOJ) and CME FedWatch.ShowHide
Standout features
What Bank of Japan (BOJ) does best
Policy documents
Read meeting statements, minutes, and Outlook Reports.
Time-series search
Find long-run statistics by category or series code.
Public data API
Retrieve selected statistical series as JSON or CSV without an API key.
What CME FedWatch does best
Meeting probabilities
Compare futures-implied target-rate outcomes for upcoming FOMC meetings.
Historical expectations
Review probability shifts and export up to one year of values to Excel.
Dot Plot comparison
View futures-implied rates alongside published Federal Reserve projections.
All details
Every attribute we track for Bank of Japan (BOJ) and CME FedWatch.ShowHide
All details
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | BondsCurrenciesOther | Futures |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Retail TradersPro RetailInstitutional InvestorsAnalystsStudents/Researchers | Retail TradersPro RetailInstitutional InvestorsAnalystsQuants/DevelopersAsset ManagersHedge Funds |
Regions | APAC | North America |
Coverage details | Countries: JP | Countries: US |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | Not specified | Real-timeEnd of Day |
Data granularity | Not specified | MinuteEOD |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | REST | REST |
API auth & delivery | Auth: NoneDocs | Auth: OAuth2Docs |
Export formats | CSVExcelJSONPDF | ExcelPDF |
| Plans & trust | ||
Vendor & support | Bank of JapanCountry: JapanFounded 1882Support: Email and Phone | CME GroupCountry: United States |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
Pricing
Plans, billing, free trials, and monthly prices.ShowHide
Pricing
| Tier | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Freetime series selection per query: 250 · time series items approx: 200,000 | Free“Web Tool” |
| Entry paid plan | — | $25/mo“FedWatch End-of-Day API”update schedule: Business days 01:45 UTC (excluding holidays) · usage pricing: $25/month for 0-1,000 returned elements; $75 for 1,001-50,000; $125 f... |
| Custom / enterprise | — | Contact sales“FedWatch Intraday API”pricing note: Fee schedule includes per-device/per-application pricing and may excl... |
Questions we keep getting
Are BOJ and CME FedWatch alternatives for the same rate forecast?
No. BOJ is the primary source for Japanese central-bank policy and statistics. CME FedWatch models U.S. Federal Reserve target-rate probabilities from Fed Funds futures prices. They differ in country, institution, and evidence.
Are FedWatch probabilities official Fed guidance?
No. They describe implied outcomes from futures prices under CME's methodology. They are not a Federal Reserve forecast or a promise that a particular rate decision will happen.
Can I retrieve the data programmatically?
BOJ offers selected statistical series through a public JSON or CSV API without a key. CME offers separately licensed end-of-day and intraday FedWatch APIs. Free browser access does not imply identical API rights.
Can I use both in a rates-research routine?
Yes, when the routine covers Japan and the United States. Label BOJ material as official Japanese publications and FedWatch outputs as market-implied U.S. probabilities, so different sources are not mistaken for comparable official forecasts.
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