ECB Data Portal adds Central Bank Watcher, Inflation Rates, GDP, Unemployment Rates, and Real Yields coverage that Office of Financial Research (U.S. Treasury) skips.
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★
PRICE: 5 CENTS
Wednesday, November 12, 2025
Tool Comparison
ECB Data Portal vs Office of Financial Research (U.S. Treasury) comparison
Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.
Quick takeaways
Office of Financial Research (U.S. Treasury) includes Scores, Market Sentiment, Fund Holdings, and Blogs categories that ECB Data Portal omits.
In depth comparison
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.
Categories
Platforms
Pricing
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.
Community votes (overall)
Office of Financial Research (U.S. Treasury)
financialresearch.gov
U.S. Treasury’s OFR publishes free, methods‑backed monitors and datasets (Short‑term Funding Monitor, U.S. Money Market Fund Monitor, Bank Systemic Risk Monitor, and the daily OFR Financial Stress Index). STFM and HFM provide open JSON APIs (no keys), CSV downloads are available from some monitors. Updates are end‑of‑day with documented lags (e.g., FSI ~T+2 business days; repo series T+1/T+2 depending on segment).
Categories
Platforms
Pricing
Quick highlights
- Short‑term Funding Monitor (STFM): curated repo/CP/CD/FF market charts plus **open REST API** (JSON, HTTPS) with series search, metadata, and spread endpoints; no tokens required.
- U.S. Money Market Fund Monitor: interactive holdings transparency by asset type, counterparty, country; per‑chart **CSV download**.
- Hedge Fund Monitor (HFM): aggregated Form PF and related series via an **open REST API** (JSON) organized by datasets and mnemonics.
- OFR Financial Stress Index (FSI): **daily** global market‑based stress index built from 33 variables; FSI values publish with a ~**two‑business‑day** lag.
- Bank Systemic Risk Monitor: G‑SIB scores/surcharges, OFR Contagion Index, leverage/assets/equity; clear notes on refresh cadence (e.g., Basel scores annually, contagion index quarterly).
Community votes (overall)
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).
Office of Financial Research (U.S. Treasury)
Distinct strengths include:
- Short‑term Funding Monitor (STFM): curated repo/CP/CD/FF market charts plus **open REST API** (JSON, HTTPS) with series search, metadata, and spread endpoints; no tokens required.
- U.S. Money Market Fund Monitor: interactive holdings transparency by asset type, counterparty, country; per‑chart **CSV download**.
- Hedge Fund Monitor (HFM): aggregated Form PF and related series via an **open REST API** (JSON) organized by datasets and mnemonics.
- OFR Financial Stress Index (FSI): **daily** global market‑based stress index built from 33 variables; FSI values publish with a ~**two‑business‑day** lag.
Feature-by-feature breakdown
| Attribute | ECB Data Portal | Office of Financial Research (U.S. Treasury) |
|---|---|---|
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets | Shared: Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, Interest Rates, Yield Curves, Data Visualizations Unique: Central Bank Watcher, Inflation Rates, GDP, Unemployment Rates, Real Yields | Shared: Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, Interest Rates, Yield Curves, Data Visualizations Unique: Scores, Market Sentiment, Fund Holdings, Blogs |
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes | Bonds, Currencies, Other | Bonds, Mutual Funds, Hedge Funds |
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
| Unique
|
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 Office of Financial Research (U.S. Treasury) both support?
Both platforms cover Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, Interest Rates, Yield Curves, and Data Visualizations workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.
Do ECB Data Portal and Office of Financial Research (U.S. Treasury) require subscriptions?
Both ECB Data Portal and Office of Financial Research (U.S. Treasury) keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.
How can you access ECB Data Portal and Office of Financial Research (U.S. Treasury)?
Both ECB Data Portal and Office of Financial Research (U.S. Treasury) 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 Office of Financial Research (U.S. Treasury) stands out for Short‑term Funding Monitor (STFM): curated repo/CP/CD/FF market charts plus **open REST API** (JSON, HTTPS) with series search, metadata, and spread endpoints; no tokens required., U.S. Money Market Fund Monitor: interactive holdings transparency by asset type, counterparty, country; per‑chart **CSV download**., and Hedge Fund Monitor (HFM): aggregated Form PF and related series via an **open REST API** (JSON) organized by datasets and mnemonics..
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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.