★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Tool comparison edition
Tool Comparison
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) vs FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
Pick Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) if
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)
Free • From $22/mo · Web · Desktop · API
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You care about screeners, news, and dividends, things FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) doesn't offer
Pick FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) if
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
Free · Web · Mobile · API
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
- You care about data visualizations, alerts, and official sources, things Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) doesn't offer
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
See alternativesOutbound links may include affiliate or sponsor codes.
Our take
The bottom line
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) cover a lot of the same ground (4 shared categories, including APIs & data feeds, calendar, and macro data), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) simply does more: 19 categories to FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)'s 7, including screeners, news, and dividends. FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) counters by being completely free.
What readers say
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
Key differences at a glance
- Real-time data
- Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)
- Broader coverage
- Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)19 vs 7 categories
- Mobile app
- FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
- Desktop app
- Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)
- Asset coverage
- Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)Adds stocks and ETFs
- Free plan
- Both
See for yourself
How they stack up
The side-by-side table: pricing, platforms, data, and coverage at a glance.ShowHide
How they stack up
The side-by-side table: pricing, platforms, data, and coverage at a glance.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Free • From $22/mo | Free |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | 20 limits: Basic: api calls per day: 250, Basic: timeframe: End of Day +18 more | Free: api key required: Yes and Free: api rate limited: Yes |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Desktop app | Yes | No |
Mobile app | No | Yes |
API access | Yes | Yes |
Integrations | Excel Add-in, Google Sheets Add-on +3 more | Microsoft Excel (FRED Add-in) |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +6 more | Students/Researchers, Analysts +1 more |
Categories covered | 19 | 7 |
Regions | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa | — |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | 4 signals: Latency: Streaming, Real-time, and End of Day, Granularity: Minute and EOD +2 more | — |
Capabilities | Universe builder and Yield curves | — |
Security | Status page | — |
| Try it | Visit Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) | Visit FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) |
Where each one shines
What Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) each do best.What Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) does best
- One API for market data, fundamentals, news, calendars, macro indicators, ESG, ownership, analyst data, transcripts, funds, crypto, forex, and commodities.
- Tools for building with REST endpoints, WebSocket streaming for real-time stocks, crypto, and FX, an API playground, documentation, changelog, cycle-time pages, and a public status page.
- Access to real-time quotes plus intraday and end-of-day historical bars, with higher tiers adding longer history, technical indicators, 1-minute intraday charting, and bulk delivery.
- Access to standardized and as-reported financial statements, key metrics, ratios, financial scores, enterprise values, segment revenue, DCF models, and other valuation metrics.
- Calendar and corporate-action endpoints for earnings, IPO prospectuses, dividends, splits, economic releases, and related event research.
What FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) does best
- Search tools across and chart hundreds of thousands of economic and financial data series from many official and third-party sources.
- Research coverage for macro topics such as GDP, inflation, prices, employment, exchange rates, interest rates, credit, monetary data, and market indicators.
- Browsing access to by categories, releases, sources, and tags, with series metadata for units, frequency, last update, and next release where available.
- FRED charts for visualization, sharing, embedded graphs, graph images, and saved graph workflows with a free account.
- Monitoring the economic release calendar for scheduled release dates and times, while accounting for provider timing and availability caveats.
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data), side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data), side by side.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksETFsMutual FundsFundsCurrenciesCryptosCommoditiesOther | Other |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Retail TradersPro RetailInstitutional InvestorsQuants/DevelopersAnalystsAsset ManagersHedge FundsStudents/Researchers | Students/ResearchersAnalystsQuants/Developers |
Regions | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica | Not specified |
Coverage details | Identifiers: Ticker, CUSIP, ISIN, and CIK | Not specified |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | StreamingReal-timeEnd of Day | Not specified |
Data granularity | MinuteEOD | Not specified |
Pricing sources | Exchange | Not specified |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | RESTWebSocket | REST |
API auth & delivery | Auth: APIKeySDKs: Python, R, and GoDocs | Auth: APIKeyDocs |
Integrations | Excel Add-inGoogle Sheets Add-onPerplexity AIFinance ToolkitWisesheets | Microsoft Excel (FRED Add-in) |
Export formats | CSVJSON | ExcelImageJSONXML |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | Status page | Not specified |
Capability signals | Universe builderYield curves | Not specified |
Vendor & support | Financial Modeling PrepSupport: Email and Chat | Federal Reserve Bank of St. LouisCountry: United StatesSupport: Email |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
What you'll actually pay
Plans, billing, trials, and per-month pricing for both tools.ShowHide
What you'll actually pay
Plans, billing, trials, and per-month pricing for both tools.| Tier | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free“Basic”api calls per day: 250 · timeframe: End of Day · +3 more | Freeapi key required: Yes · api rate limited: Yes |
| Entry paid plan | $22/mo“Starter”api calls per minute: 300 · historical years: 5 · +3 more | — |
| Tier 2 | $59/mo“Premium”api calls per minute: 750 · historical years: 30 · +3 more | — |
| Top plan | $149/mo“Ultimate”api calls per minute: 3,000 · historical years: 30+ · +3 more | — |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)?
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) leans toward screeners, APIs & data feeds, and news, while FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) puts more weight on macro data, data visualizations, and calendar. They overlap in 4 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) cost?
Good news: both Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Can I use Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) or FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) on my phone?
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) lists a dedicated mobile app, so it travels better. Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) doesn't list a dedicated mobile app; its documented access is web, desktop, and API.
Do Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) have APIs?
Yes, both offer API access, so developers and quants can pull data programmatically or wire up their own integrations.
Should I choose Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) or FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)?
It depends on what you're after. Pick Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) if screeners and news matter to you; go with FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) if you'd rather have data visualizations and alerts. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) cover?
Both cover other. Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) also handles stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds.
Does Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) or FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) have real-time data?
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) offers real-time data, which matters if you trade actively. FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) runs on delayed or end-of-day data, which is perfectly fine for longer-term investors who don't live and die by the tick.
Can I export data from Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)?
Yes, both export to spreadsheets (Financial Modeling Prep (FMP): CSV; FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data): Excel), which is handy if you like running your own numbers.
Which has a better stock screener: Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) or FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)?
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
Keep researching
Other tools you might like
Keep Exploring
Feedback
Spot stale pricing, missing features, or a comparison that feels off? Send feedback on the verdict, table, alternatives, or recommendation.
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.