VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Tuesday, November 11, 2025

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Tool Comparison

CME FedWatch Tool vs Federal Reserve Board (FRB.gov) comparison

Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.

Quick takeaways

CME FedWatch Tool adds APIs & SDKs, and Data Visualizations coverage that Federal Reserve Board (FRB.gov) skips.

Federal Reserve Board (FRB.gov) includes News, and Yield Curves categories that CME FedWatch Tool omits.

In depth comparison

CME FedWatch Tool logo

CME FedWatch Tool

cmegroup.com

Official CME probabilities for upcoming FOMC decisions, derived from 30‑Day Fed Funds (ZQ) futures. Web tool provides meeting‑by‑meeting probability matrices, comparisons over time, a historical download, and a Dot Plot view. A paid REST API is available for programmatic access. CME documents the probability‑tree methodology clearly; API snapshots update on business days at ~01:45 UTC. Media usage asks attribution to “CME FedWatch.”

Platforms

WebAPI

Pricing

FreeSubscription

Quick highlights

  • Meeting‑by‑meeting probabilities of FOMC target‑rate outcomes implied by Fed Funds futures.
  • Compare view (current vs 1‑day/1‑week/1‑month ago) and Historical panel.
  • Fed ‘Dot Plot’ chart plus table view.
  • One‑click PDF generation of the current page and Excel downloads for historical probabilities.
  • Transparent methodology: unconditional probabilities via a binary probability tree built from implied EFFR, assuming 25 bp step sizes.

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Federal Reserve Board (FRB.gov) logo

Federal Reserve Board (FRB.gov)

federalreserve.gov

Hands-on review

The official website of the U.S. central bank. Through its Data Download Program (DDP), the Fed offers public access to many of its most important statistical releases in Excel, CSV, or XML formats. Key datasets include interest rates, the Fed balance sheet, commercial bank assets, foreign exchange rates, industrial production, and financial accounts. The site also hosts FOMC calendars, meeting minutes, press releases, speeches, and other policy materials.

Platforms

WebAPI

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

  • Data Download Program (DDP) with custom or preformatted packages, available in Excel, CSV, or XML.
  • H.15 Selected Interest Rates, including daily Treasury constant-maturity yields.
  • H.4.1 Factors Affecting Reserve Balances (the Fed balance sheet), updated weekly every Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
  • H.8 Assets & Liabilities of Commercial Banks, with detailed weekly data and customizable downloads.
  • Foreign exchange reference rates (H.10 weekly and G.5 monthly), with scheduled update times and public downloads.

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Where they differ

CME FedWatch Tool

Distinct strengths include:

APIs & SDKsData Visualizations
  • Meeting‑by‑meeting probabilities of FOMC target‑rate outcomes implied by Fed Funds futures.
  • Compare view (current vs 1‑day/1‑week/1‑month ago) and Historical panel.
  • Fed ‘Dot Plot’ chart plus table view.
  • One‑click PDF generation of the current page and Excel downloads for historical probabilities.

Federal Reserve Board (FRB.gov)

Distinct strengths include:

NewsYield Curves
  • Data Download Program (DDP) with custom or preformatted packages, available in Excel, CSV, or XML.
  • H.15 Selected Interest Rates, including daily Treasury constant-maturity yields.
  • H.4.1 Factors Affecting Reserve Balances (the Fed balance sheet), updated weekly every Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
  • H.8 Assets & Liabilities of Commercial Banks, with detailed weekly data and customizable downloads.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

AttributeCME FedWatch ToolFederal Reserve Board (FRB.gov)
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: Central Bank Watcher, Interest Rates, Data APIs, Calendar

Unique: APIs & SDKs, Data Visualizations

Shared: Central Bank Watcher, Interest Rates, Data APIs, Calendar

Unique: News, Yield Curves

Asset types

Supported asset classes and universes

Futures

Bonds, Currencies, 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

Pricing

High-level pricing models

Free, Subscription

Free

Key features

Core capabilities called out by each vendor

Unique

  • Meeting‑by‑meeting probabilities of FOMC target‑rate outcomes implied by Fed Funds futures.
  • Compare view (current vs 1‑day/1‑week/1‑month ago) and Historical panel.
  • Fed ‘Dot Plot’ chart plus table view.
  • One‑click PDF generation of the current page and Excel downloads for historical probabilities.
  • Transparent methodology: unconditional probabilities via a binary probability tree built from implied EFFR, assuming 25 bp step sizes.
  • FedWatch REST API (OAuth2) with endpoints for /forecasts and /meetings (future/history); extended history available.

Unique

  • Data Download Program (DDP) with custom or preformatted packages, available in Excel, CSV, or XML.
  • H.15 Selected Interest Rates, including daily Treasury constant-maturity yields.
  • H.4.1 Factors Affecting Reserve Balances (the Fed balance sheet), updated weekly every Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
  • H.8 Assets & Liabilities of Commercial Banks, with detailed weekly data and customizable downloads.
  • Foreign exchange reference rates (H.10 weekly and G.5 monthly), with scheduled update times and public downloads.
  • G.17 Industrial Production & Capacity Utilization, published monthly with full release schedules and data formats.
Tested

Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat

Not yet

Yes

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Featured inside curated shortlists

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do CME FedWatch Tool and Federal Reserve Board (FRB.gov) both support?

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

Do CME FedWatch Tool and Federal Reserve Board (FRB.gov) require subscriptions?

Both CME FedWatch Tool and Federal Reserve Board (FRB.gov) keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

How can you access CME FedWatch Tool and Federal Reserve Board (FRB.gov)?

Both CME FedWatch Tool and Federal Reserve Board (FRB.gov) prioritize web or desktop access. Investors wanting a mobile-first workflow may need to rely on responsive web views.

What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?

CME FedWatch Tool differentiates itself with Meeting‑by‑meeting probabilities of FOMC target‑rate outcomes implied by Fed Funds futures., Compare view (current vs 1‑day/1‑week/1‑month ago) and Historical panel., and Fed ‘Dot Plot’ chart plus table view., whereas Federal Reserve Board (FRB.gov) stands out for Data Download Program (DDP) with custom or preformatted packages, available in Excel, CSV, or XML., H.15 Selected Interest Rates, including daily Treasury constant-maturity yields., and H.4.1 Factors Affecting Reserve Balances (the Fed balance sheet), updated weekly every Thursday at 4:30 p.m..

Keep exploring

Keep exploring

Stay on top of related tools

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

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.