VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Sunday, October 5, 2025

Head-to-head

European Central Bank (ECB) vs MarketWatch comparison

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

Quick takeaways

European Central Bank (ECB) adds Data APIs, Central Bank Watcher, Inflation Rates, GDP, and Unemployment Rates coverage that MarketWatch skips.

MarketWatch includes Alerts, Screeners, Data Visualizations, Watchlist, Paper Trading, Financials, Options, ETF Overview, ETF Holdings, Analyst Price Targets, Insider Data, Short Interest, IPO, and Newsletters categories that European Central Bank (ECB) omits.

European Central Bank (ECB) highlights: Public SDMX 2.1 REST API with access to the ECB Data Portal (data-api.ecb.europa.eu). Existing SDW endpoints continue to work with unchanged syntax., Flexible format support including SDMX-ML, SDMX-JSON, CSV, and pivot-table-optimized CSV. Supports HTTP compression for efficient transfers., and Excel integration via Power Query using CSV endpoints or the application/vnd.ecb.data+csv MIME type..

MarketWatch is known for: Market data hub with stock and market screeners, mutual fund research, fund comparison, and multi-quote lookup tools., Personal watchlists available free with an account; syncs across web and mobile apps with customizable price and news alerts., and Comprehensive event calendars, including U.S. economic releases, corporate earnings, IPO schedules, and options-expiration dates..

MarketWatch offers mobile access, which European Central Bank (ECB) skips.

European Central Bank (ECB) logo

European Central Bank (ECB)

ecb.europa.eu

The official portal of the European Central Bank, including its Data Portal. Provides free access to monetary policy information, publications, and structured datasets. Data is available through a public SDMX 2.1 REST API with CSV and SDMX-JSON formats, bulk downloads, and chart-level exports. Key scheduled releases include €STR at 08:00 CET, FX reference rates around 16:00 CET, and daily euro area yield curves at 12:00 CET.

Platforms

Web
API

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

  • Public SDMX 2.1 REST API with access to the ECB Data Portal (data-api.ecb.europa.eu). Existing SDW endpoints continue to work with unchanged syntax.
  • Flexible format support including SDMX-ML, SDMX-JSON, CSV, and pivot-table-optimized CSV. Supports HTTP compression for efficient transfers.
  • Excel integration via Power Query using CSV endpoints or the application/vnd.ecb.data+csv MIME type.
  • Bulk dataset downloads available directly from dataset pages, including CSV and SDMX 2.1 exports.
  • €STR (Euro Short-Term Rate) published daily at 08:00 CET, with revisions at 09:00 CET if errors exceed 2 basis points.

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MarketWatch logo

MarketWatch

marketwatch.com

Hands-on review

A global financial-news portal from Dow Jones that combines market data, news, analysis, and investor tools. Real-time Nasdaq last-sale quotes are included, while most other intraday prices run on a standard 15-minute delay. Premium newsletters and in-depth articles are gated behind a subscription. Mobile apps extend the experience with push alerts and watchlist syncing.

Platforms

Web
Mobile

Pricing

Free
Subscription

Quick highlights

  • Market data hub with stock and market screeners, mutual fund research, fund comparison, and multi-quote lookup tools.
  • Personal watchlists available free with an account; syncs across web and mobile apps with customizable price and news alerts.
  • Comprehensive event calendars, including U.S. economic releases, corporate earnings, IPO schedules, and options-expiration dates.
  • BigCharts advanced charting platform with multiple timeframes (intraday to monthly) and technical overlays; intraday data typically delayed 15 minutes.
  • Options coverage with full chains per symbol and an expiration calendar.

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Overlap

Shared focus areas

4 overlaps

Mutual strengths include Calendar, News, and Interest Rates plus 1 more area.

Where they differ

European Central Bank (ECB)

Distinct strengths include:

  • Public SDMX 2.1 REST API with access to the ECB Data Portal (data-api.ecb.europa.eu). Existing SDW endpoints continue to work with unchanged syntax.
  • Flexible format support including SDMX-ML, SDMX-JSON, CSV, and pivot-table-optimized CSV. Supports HTTP compression for efficient transfers.
  • Excel integration via Power Query using CSV endpoints or the application/vnd.ecb.data+csv MIME type.
  • Bulk dataset downloads available directly from dataset pages, including CSV and SDMX 2.1 exports.

MarketWatch

Distinct strengths include:

  • Market data hub with stock and market screeners, mutual fund research, fund comparison, and multi-quote lookup tools.
  • Personal watchlists available free with an account; syncs across web and mobile apps with customizable price and news alerts.
  • Comprehensive event calendars, including U.S. economic releases, corporate earnings, IPO schedules, and options-expiration dates.
  • BigCharts advanced charting platform with multiple timeframes (intraday to monthly) and technical overlays; intraday data typically delayed 15 minutes.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

AttributeEuropean Central Bank (ECB)MarketWatch
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: Calendar, News, Interest Rates, Yield Curves

Unique: Data APIs, Central Bank Watcher, Inflation Rates, GDP, Unemployment Rates

Shared: Calendar, News, Interest Rates, Yield Curves

Unique: Alerts, Screeners, Data Visualizations, Watchlist, Paper Trading, Financials, Options, ETF Overview, ETF Holdings, Analyst Price Targets, Insider Data, Short Interest, IPO, Newsletters

Asset types

Supported asset classes and universes

Bonds, Currencies, Other

Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Options, Futures, Commodities, Currencies, Cryptos, Bonds

Experience levels

Who each product is built for

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Platforms

Where you can access the product

Web, API

Web, Mobile

Pricing

High-level pricing models

Free

Free, Subscription

Key features

Core capabilities called out by each vendor

Unique

  • Public SDMX 2.1 REST API with access to the ECB Data Portal (data-api.ecb.europa.eu). Existing SDW endpoints continue to work with unchanged syntax.
  • Flexible format support including SDMX-ML, SDMX-JSON, CSV, and pivot-table-optimized CSV. Supports HTTP compression for efficient transfers.
  • Excel integration via Power Query using CSV endpoints or the application/vnd.ecb.data+csv MIME type.
  • Bulk dataset downloads available directly from dataset pages, including CSV and SDMX 2.1 exports.
  • €STR (Euro Short-Term Rate) published daily at 08:00 CET, with revisions at 09:00 CET if errors exceed 2 basis points.
  • Euro foreign exchange reference rates updated around 16:00 CET on working days, provided for information purposes.

Unique

  • Market data hub with stock and market screeners, mutual fund research, fund comparison, and multi-quote lookup tools.
  • Personal watchlists available free with an account; syncs across web and mobile apps with customizable price and news alerts.
  • Comprehensive event calendars, including U.S. economic releases, corporate earnings, IPO schedules, and options-expiration dates.
  • BigCharts advanced charting platform with multiple timeframes (intraday to monthly) and technical overlays; intraday data typically delayed 15 minutes.
  • Options coverage with full chains per symbol and an expiration calendar.
  • ETF and mutual fund research, including top holdings for flagship funds like SPY and a comparison tool for side-by-side analysis.
Tested

Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat

Not yet

Yes

Editor pick

Featured inside curated shortlists

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do European Central Bank (ECB) and MarketWatch both support?

Both platforms cover Calendar, News, Interest Rates, and Yield Curves workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Do European Central Bank (ECB) and MarketWatch require subscriptions?

Both European Central Bank (ECB) and MarketWatch keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

Which tool has mobile access?

MarketWatch ships a dedicated mobile experience, while European Central Bank (ECB) focuses on web or desktop access.

What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?

European Central Bank (ECB) differentiates itself with Public SDMX 2.1 REST API with access to the ECB Data Portal (data-api.ecb.europa.eu). Existing SDW endpoints continue to work with unchanged syntax., Flexible format support including SDMX-ML, SDMX-JSON, CSV, and pivot-table-optimized CSV. Supports HTTP compression for efficient transfers., and Excel integration via Power Query using CSV endpoints or the application/vnd.ecb.data+csv MIME type., whereas MarketWatch stands out for Market data hub with stock and market screeners, mutual fund research, fund comparison, and multi-quote lookup tools., Personal watchlists available free with an account; syncs across web and mobile apps with customizable price and news alerts., and Comprehensive event calendars, including U.S. economic releases, corporate earnings, IPO schedules, and options-expiration dates..

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.