VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Monday, October 6, 2025

View ECB Data Portal View Firefly III Back to Home

Head-to-head

ECB Data Portal vs Firefly III comparison

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

Quick takeaways

ECB Data Portal adds Data APIs, Central Bank Watcher, Inflation Rates, Interest Rates, GDP, Unemployment Rates, Yield Curves, Real Yields, and Data Visualizations coverage that Firefly III skips.

Firefly III includes Portfolio, Webhooks, and Other categories that ECB Data Portal omits.

ECB Data Portal highlights: Open SDMX 2.1 REST API with discovery & retrieval modes; single entry point at data-api.ecb.europa.eu/service/ and rich query parameters (e.g., startPeriod/endPeriod, updatedAfter, includeHistory, detail, firstNObservations/lastNObservations)., Format flexibility via content negotiation and the `format` query param: SDMX‑JSON, CSV, and SDMX‑ML (structure‑specific and generic)., and Interactive portal with export of data (CSV, XLS long/wide, SDMX) and export of visuals (PNG, PDF, PowerPoint)..

Firefly III is known for: Self-hosted open-source personal finance manager (AGPLv3 license)., Supports double-entry bookkeeping with budgets, categories, tags, and detailed reporting., and Comprehensive REST API (JSON) with OAuth2 and Personal Access Tokens, plus a full OpenAPI specification..

ECB Data Portal

data.ecb.europa.eu

Official ECB gateway for euro‑area statistics with an open SDMX 2.1 REST API. The new endpoint is https://data-api.ecb.europa.eu/service/ (replacing the legacy SDW path). Content negotiation supports SDMX‑JSON, CSV, and SDMX‑ML. Charts and tables can be downloaded as CSV/XLS (long & wide), and charts as PNG/PDF/PPT. Typical update cadence is daily to monthly (e.g., reference FX rates around 16:00 CET on working days). ECB advises migrating from the old SDW URL as automatic redirects are planned to end on 1 Oct 2025.

Platforms

Web

API

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

Open SDMX 2.1 REST API with discovery & retrieval modes; single entry point at data-api.ecb.europa.eu/service/ and rich query parameters (e.g., startPeriod/endPeriod, updatedAfter, includeHistory, detail, firstNObservations/lastNObservations).
Format flexibility via content negotiation and the `format` query param: SDMX‑JSON, CSV, and SDMX‑ML (structure‑specific and generic).
Interactive portal with export of data (CSV, XLS long/wide, SDMX) and export of visuals (PNG, PDF, PowerPoint).
Comprehensive euro‑area macro & markets coverage: HICP inflation, key & market interest rates, exchange rates (reference rates), GDP and labor indicators, plus euro‑area yield curves (spot/forward/par).
Revisions/deltas supported (`updatedAfter`) and conditional GET via `If‑Modified‑Since` for efficient sync.

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Firefly III

firefly-iii.org

An open-source, self-hosted personal finance manager licensed under AGPLv3. Offers full double-entry bookkeeping, REST APIs, and optional event webhooks. Exchange-rate conversion is available from v6.2 onward as an opt-in feature. Bank connections are handled separately through the Firefly Data Importer app.

Platforms

Web

API

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

Self-hosted open-source personal finance manager (AGPLv3 license).
Supports double-entry bookkeeping with budgets, categories, tags, and detailed reporting.
Comprehensive REST API (JSON) with OAuth2 and Personal Access Tokens, plus a full OpenAPI specification.
Event webhooks for transaction create/update/delete, enabled through environment configuration.
Separate Data Importer tool supports CSV and CAMT.053, with optional bank integrations via Salt Edge, GoCardless, and SimpleFIN.

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Overlap

Shared focus areas

1 overlap

Both tools cover this research theme.

APIs & SDKs

Where they differ

ECB Data Portal

Distinct strengths include:

Open SDMX 2.1 REST API with discovery & retrieval modes; single entry point at data-api.ecb.europa.eu/service/ and rich query parameters (e.g., startPeriod/endPeriod, updatedAfter, includeHistory, detail, firstNObservations/lastNObservations).
Format flexibility via content negotiation and the `format` query param: SDMX‑JSON, CSV, and SDMX‑ML (structure‑specific and generic).
Interactive portal with export of data (CSV, XLS long/wide, SDMX) and export of visuals (PNG, PDF, PowerPoint).
Comprehensive euro‑area macro & markets coverage: HICP inflation, key & market interest rates, exchange rates (reference rates), GDP and labor indicators, plus euro‑area yield curves (spot/forward/par).

Firefly III

Distinct strengths include:

Portfolio

Webhooks

Other

Self-hosted open-source personal finance manager (AGPLv3 license).
Supports double-entry bookkeeping with budgets, categories, tags, and detailed reporting.
Comprehensive REST API (JSON) with OAuth2 and Personal Access Tokens, plus a full OpenAPI specification.
Event webhooks for transaction create/update/delete, enabled through environment configuration.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

Attribute	ECB Data Portal	Firefly III
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets	Shared: APIs & SDKs Unique: Data APIs, Central Bank Watcher, Inflation Rates, Interest Rates, GDP, Unemployment Rates, Yield Curves, Real Yields, Data Visualizations	Shared: APIs & SDKs Unique: Portfolio, Webhooks, Other
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes	Bonds, Currencies, Other	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	Free
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor	Unique Open SDMX 2.1 REST API with discovery & retrieval modes; single entry point at data-api.ecb.europa.eu/service/ and rich query parameters (e.g., startPeriod/endPeriod, updatedAfter, includeHistory, detail, firstNObservations/lastNObservations). Format flexibility via content negotiation and the `format` query param: SDMX‑JSON, CSV, and SDMX‑ML (structure‑specific and generic). Interactive portal with export of data (CSV, XLS long/wide, SDMX) and export of visuals (PNG, PDF, PowerPoint). Comprehensive euro‑area macro & markets coverage: HICP inflation, key & market interest rates, exchange rates (reference rates), GDP and labor indicators, plus euro‑area yield curves (spot/forward/par). Revisions/deltas supported (`updatedAfter`) and conditional GET via `If‑Modified‑Since` for efficient sync. Yield curve datasets include AAA euro‑area government curves with daily business‑week frequency; additional capital‑market series include real benchmark bond yields.	Unique Self-hosted open-source personal finance manager (AGPLv3 license). Supports double-entry bookkeeping with budgets, categories, tags, and detailed reporting. Comprehensive REST API (JSON) with OAuth2 and Personal Access Tokens, plus a full OpenAPI specification. Event webhooks for transaction create/update/delete, enabled through environment configuration. Separate Data Importer tool supports CSV and CAMT.053, with optional bank integrations via Salt Edge, GoCardless, and SimpleFIN. CSV export available for accounts, budgets, categories, tags, recurring transactions, subscriptions, piggy banks, rules, and more.
Tested Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat	Not yet	Not yet
Editor pick Featured inside curated shortlists	Standard listing	Standard listing

Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do ECB Data Portal and Firefly III both support?

Both platforms cover APIs & SDKs workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Do ECB Data Portal and Firefly III require subscriptions?

Both ECB Data Portal and Firefly III keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

How can you access ECB Data Portal and Firefly III?

Both ECB Data Portal and Firefly III 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?

ECB Data Portal differentiates itself with Open SDMX 2.1 REST API with discovery & retrieval modes; single entry point at data-api.ecb.europa.eu/service/ and rich query parameters (e.g., startPeriod/endPeriod, updatedAfter, includeHistory, detail, firstNObservations/lastNObservations)., Format flexibility via content negotiation and the `format` query param: SDMX‑JSON, CSV, and SDMX‑ML (structure‑specific and generic)., and Interactive portal with export of data (CSV, XLS long/wide, SDMX) and export of visuals (PNG, PDF, PowerPoint)., whereas Firefly III stands out for Self-hosted open-source personal finance manager (AGPLv3 license)., Supports double-entry bookkeeping with budgets, categories, tags, and detailed reporting., and Comprehensive REST API (JSON) with OAuth2 and Personal Access Tokens, plus a full OpenAPI specification..

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