★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Tool details checked August 4, 2026
Tool Comparison
BIS Data Portal vs USAspending
Pick BIS Data Portal if
BIS Data Portal
Free · Web · API
- You care about calendar and macro data, things USAspending doesn't offer
Pick USAspending if
USAspending
Free · Web · API
- You care about videos and other, things 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 USAspending 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 USAspending gives you videos and other.
What readers say
BIS Data Portal
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
USAspending
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
Key differences at a glance
- Asset coverage
- BIS Data PortalAdds currencies and bonds
- Beginner friendly
- USAspending
- 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 | 5 |
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 USAspending |
Where each one shines
What BIS Data Portal and USAspending each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What BIS Data Portal and USAspending 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 USAspending does best
- Search tools across federal awards, recipients, agencies, federal accounts, contracts, grants, loans, direct payments, insurance, and other assistance records.
- Advanced Search filters such as award type, date, place of performance, NAICS, PSC, Assistance Listing, agency, recipient, and disaster-emergency funding codes.
- Tools for exploring top-down spending through Spending Explorer, agency profiles, and federal-account profiles before drilling into awards and recipients.
- The public REST API V2 with JSON responses for award and account workflows; current endpoint docs say authorization is not required.
- Download support for data through award archives, custom award downloads, custom account downloads, Advanced Search exports, award profile downloads, and the full database download.
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for BIS Data Portal and USAspending, side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for BIS Data Portal and USAspending, 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 | U.S. Department of the Treasury – Bureau of the Fiscal ServiceCountry: USSupport: Email |
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 USAspending?
BIS Data Portal leans toward APIs & data feeds, data visualizations, and calendar, while USAspending puts more weight on APIs & data feeds, data visualizations, and videos. They overlap in 3 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do BIS Data Portal and USAspending cost?
Good news: both BIS Data Portal and USAspending 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 USAspending?
USAspending 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 USAspending 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 USAspending?
It depends on what you're after. Pick BIS Data Portal if calendar and macro data matter to you; go with USAspending if you'd rather have videos and other. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do BIS Data Portal and USAspending cover?
Both cover other. BIS Data Portal also handles currencies, bonds, and real estate.
Can I export data from BIS Data Portal and USAspending?
Yes, both export to spreadsheets (CSV), which is handy if you like running your own numbers.
Keep researching
Other tools you might like
Keep Exploring
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.