VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Tool Comparison

ECB Data Portal vs FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) comparison

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

ECB Data Portal logo

ECB Data Portal

data.ecb.europa.eu

PricingFree
PlatformsWeb, API
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) logo

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)

fred.stlouisfed.org

PricingFree
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, API
Top 50 Investing ToolsThe global ranking of the best investing tools, ranked by community votes.

At a glance

Platforms
ECB Data PortalWeb, API
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)Web, Mobile, API
Categories
ECB Data Portal8
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)10
Pricing details

Tool

ECB Data Portal

Starting price

Free tierYes
Free trial

Plans & pricing

FreeFree

Tool

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)

Starting price

Free tierYes
Free trial

Plans & pricing

FreeFree
Category leaders
AlertsFRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
Browse the #1 tool in 90+ categories

Vote sentiment comparison

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Platform details

AttributeECB Data PortalFRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
Asset types
BondsCurrenciesOther
Other
Experience
BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced
BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced
Regions
Europe
Not specified
Data freshness
Not specifiedNot specified
API access
REST
REST
Export formats
CSVExcelXMLJSONImagePDFPowerPoint
ExcelImageJSONXML

Coverage overlap

Shared categories7

Categories where both tools offer overlapping coverage.

ECB Data Portal strengths1

Categories covered by ECB Data Portal only.

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) strengths3

Categories covered by FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) only.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between ECB Data Portal and FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)?

ECB Data Portal focuses on Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, and Data Visualizations while FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) specializes in Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates, and GDP. They overlap in 7 categories, so choose based on your preferred workflow and pricing.

How much do ECB Data Portal and FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) cost?

Good news—both ECB Data Portal and FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) offer free plans. You can try each platform without commitment and only pay when you need premium features.

Can I use ECB Data Portal or FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) on my phone?

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) has a mobile app so you can check your research on the go. ECB Data Portal is web-only, so you'll need a browser to access it from mobile devices.

Do ECB Data Portal and FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) have APIs?

Yes, both platforms offer API access for developers and quants who want to build custom integrations or automate their workflows.

Should I choose ECB Data Portal or FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)?

Choose ECB Data Portal if you need ECB online delivery service with interactive charts/dashboards, powerful search & browsing, and access to publications/methodology; includes some national breakdowns and counterpart areas., and ECB website states the ECB Data Portal “provides access to all official ECB statistics” and offers data downloads plus comprehensive dataset metadata.. Go with FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) if 800,000+ economic data series from 100+ sources, covering topics such as GDP, prices/inflation, employment, exchange rates, and interest rates., and Browse and track data via categories, releases, sources, and tags; series pages show metadata like units/frequency and “last updated / next release” fields. better fits how you invest.

What asset classes do ECB Data Portal and FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) cover?

Both cover Other. ECB Data Portal also includes Bonds, and Currencies.

Can I export data from ECB Data Portal and FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)?

Both platforms let you export data to spreadsheets (Excel, XML, JSON, and Image). This is useful for custom analysis or record-keeping.

Keep Exploring

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.