★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Source check: BIS Data Portal checked August 4, 2026
Tool Comparison
BIS Data Portal vs Open Payments (CMS)
Pick BIS Data Portal if
BIS Data Portal
Free · Web · API
- You care about calendar and macro data, things Open Payments (CMS) doesn't offer
Pick Open Payments (CMS) if
Open Payments (CMS)
Free · Web · API
- You care about regulatory filings monitoring, something BIS Data Portal doesn't offer
- You're newer to investing and want something approachable
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
See alternativesOutbound links may include affiliate or sponsor codes.
Our take
The bottom line
BIS Data Portal and Open Payments (CMS) cover a lot of the same ground (3 shared categories, APIs & data feeds, data visualizations, and official sources), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. The real difference is focus: only BIS Data Portal gives you calendar and macro data, and only Open Payments (CMS) gives you regulatory filings monitoring.
What readers say
BIS Data Portal
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
Open Payments (CMS)
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Key differences at a glance
- Asset coverage
- BIS Data PortalAdds currencies and bonds
- Beginner friendly
- Open Payments (CMS)
- Free plan
- Both
See for yourself
How they stack up
The side-by-side table: pricing, platforms, data, and coverage at a glance.ShowHide
How they stack up
The side-by-side table: pricing, platforms, data, and coverage at a glance.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Free | Free |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | Free: max time series per export: 4,500 | — |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | No | No |
API access | Yes | Yes |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Analysts, Quants/Developers +1 more | — |
Categories covered | 5 | 4 |
Regions | — | North America |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | — | Latency: End of Day and Granularity: EOD |
Security | — | Data residency: US |
| Try it | Visit BIS Data Portal | Visit Open Payments (CMS) |
Where each one shines
What BIS Data Portal and Open Payments (CMS) each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What BIS Data Portal and Open Payments (CMS) each do best.What BIS Data Portal does best
- Tools for exploring official BIS statistics across international banking, debt securities, credit, global liquidity, derivatives, property prices, consumer prices, exchange rates, central banks, and payments.
- Search tools for time series across topics, refine with filters, and browse datasets by country, topic, and key characteristics.
- Table, list, and chart views to inspect series, including visible time-series breaks where available.
- Export support for selected series to Excel or CSV, with a 4,500-series export limit.
- Bulk downloads to retrieve complete topics as zipped CSV or SDMX files.
What Open Payments (CMS) does best
- Search tools across official Sunshine Act records for payments and ownership interests reported by drug manufacturers, device manufacturers, and group purchasing organizations.
- Comparison tools for General Payments, Research Payments, and Ownership or Investment Interests across program years.
- Lookup tools for physicians, non-physician practitioners, teaching hospitals, manufacturers, products, payment categories, dates, and dollar amounts from the public web tool.
- Charts, filters, and downloadable tables to move from a provider, company, or product question into the underlying records.
- Download support for bulk datasets when healthcare, pharma, medtech, policy, or compliance workflows need repeatable offline analysis.
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for BIS Data Portal and Open Payments (CMS), side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for BIS Data Portal and Open Payments (CMS), side by side.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | CurrenciesBondsReal EstateOptionsFuturesOther | Other |
Experience | IntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | AnalystsQuants/DevelopersStudents/Researchers | Not specified |
Regions | Not specified | North America |
Coverage details | Not specified | Countries: US |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | Not specified | End of Day |
Data granularity | Not specified | EOD |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | Not specified | REST |
API auth & delivery | Not specified | Auth: None |
Export formats | CSVExcelPDFJSONXML | CSVJSON |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | Not specified | Data residency: US |
Vendor & support | Bank for International Settlements (BIS)Country: SwitzerlandFounded 1930Support: Email | Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), U.S. Department of Health & Human ServicesCountry: USSupport: Email and Phone |
Curation ratings | Not specified | Methodology 5/5Reliability 5/5UX 4/5 |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
What you'll actually pay
Plans, billing, trials, and per-month pricing for both tools.ShowHide
What you'll actually pay
Plans, billing, trials, and per-month pricing for both tools.| Tier | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Freemax time series per export: 4,500 | Free |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between BIS Data Portal and Open Payments (CMS)?
BIS Data Portal leans toward APIs & data feeds, data visualizations, and calendar, while Open Payments (CMS) puts more weight on APIs & data feeds, data visualizations, and regulatory filings monitoring. They overlap in 3 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do BIS Data Portal and Open Payments (CMS) cost?
Good news: both BIS Data Portal and Open Payments (CMS) have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Which is better for beginners: BIS Data Portal or Open Payments (CMS)?
Open Payments (CMS) is the friendlier place to start; its interface takes less getting used to. Both work fine once you're past the basics.
Do BIS Data Portal and Open Payments (CMS) have APIs?
Yes, both offer API access, so developers and quants can pull data programmatically or wire up their own integrations.
Should I choose BIS Data Portal or Open Payments (CMS)?
It depends on what you're after. Pick BIS Data Portal if calendar and macro data matter to you; go with Open Payments (CMS) if you'd rather have regulatory filings monitoring. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do BIS Data Portal and Open Payments (CMS) cover?
Both cover other. BIS Data Portal also handles currencies, bonds, and real estate.
Can I export data from BIS Data Portal and Open Payments (CMS)?
Yes, both export to spreadsheets (CSV), which is handy if you like running your own numbers.
Feedback
Spot stale pricing, missing features, or a comparison that feels off? Send feedback on the verdict, table, alternatives, or recommendation.
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.