VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Sunday, October 5, 2025

View FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)View Frost & Sullivan Back to Home

Head-to-head

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) vs Frost & Sullivan comparison

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

Quick takeaways

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) adds Data APIs, Calendar, Data Visualizations, Unemployment Rates, Interest Rates, Yield Curves, Real Yields, APIs & SDKs, and Sheets / Excel Add-ins coverage that Frost & Sullivan skips.

Frost & Sullivan includes Scores, and Newsletters categories that FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) omits.

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) highlights: Access to over 840,000 time series from more than 100 official and third-party sources, all browsable and downloadable online., Official REST API covering both FRED and ALFRED, with endpoints for categories, releases, series, and sources., and Flexible output formats including JSON, XML, Excel, and CSV for easy integration..

Frost & Sullivan is known for: Frost Radar™: a signature benchmarking framework that scores companies on Growth and Innovation. Reports include the PDF download plus an analyst-led Growth Dialog™ session., Online research store with single-purchase studies across industries and themes. Deliverables include Frost Radar reports, market and technology studies, and economic trackers, all offered as PDF downloads with list pricing., and iFrost Industry Research Database: a digital platform for interactive analysis with instant data updates, customizable charts, and what Frost calls “API-driven solutions.”.

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) has a free tier, while Frost & Sullivan requires a paid plan.

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) ships a mobile app. Frost & Sullivan is web/desktop only.

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)

fred.stlouisfed.org

One of the most trusted sources of macroeconomic and market data worldwide. FRED offers free access to charts, releases, Excel add-ins, and a public API. An API key (free) is required, with standard rate limits. ALFRED, the companion service, provides vintage datasets so you can see what was known at any point in time.

Platforms

Web

Mobile

API

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

Access to over 840,000 time series from more than 100 official and third-party sources, all browsable and downloadable online.
Official REST API covering both FRED and ALFRED, with endpoints for categories, releases, series, and sources.
Flexible output formats including JSON, XML, Excel, and CSV for easy integration.
ALFRED (the archival database) provides point-in-time vintages, letting you track historical revisions exactly as they were published.
Maps API delivers regional datasets with GeoJSON shapefiles for states, counties, MSAs, and more.

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Frost & Sullivan

frost.com

Global analyst research and benchmarking delivered as one-off PDF reports through their online store, or as part of enterprise subscriptions like Growth Opportunity Analytics and iFrost. Pricing is premium — for example, a Frost Radar report costs around $4,950, while an Economic Tracker study is about $1,500. iFrost is positioned as an interactive, API-driven data platform, though no open developer API is publicly offered.

Platforms

Web

Pricing

One-time

Subscription

Quick highlights

Frost Radar™: a signature benchmarking framework that scores companies on Growth and Innovation. Reports include the PDF download plus an analyst-led Growth Dialog™ session.
Online research store with single-purchase studies across industries and themes. Deliverables include Frost Radar reports, market and technology studies, and economic trackers, all offered as PDF downloads with list pricing.
iFrost Industry Research Database: a digital platform for interactive analysis with instant data updates, customizable charts, and what Frost calls “API-driven solutions.”
Global Economic Tracker (GET-IT): macroeconomic database covering GDP, inflation, PMIs, retail sales, consumer and business confidence, industrial production, and housing indicators. Data is updated monthly, quarterly, or annually with forecasts included.
Growth Opportunity Analytics and Growth Analytics programs: subscription offerings that bundle ongoing research, datasets, and analyst access for enterprise clients.

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Overlap

Shared focus areas

6 overlaps

Mutual strengths include Inflation Rates, GDP, and PMI / ISM plus 3 more areas.

Where they differ

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)

Distinct strengths include:

Access to over 840,000 time series from more than 100 official and third-party sources, all browsable and downloadable online.
Official REST API covering both FRED and ALFRED, with endpoints for categories, releases, series, and sources.
Flexible output formats including JSON, XML, Excel, and CSV for easy integration.
ALFRED (the archival database) provides point-in-time vintages, letting you track historical revisions exactly as they were published.

Frost & Sullivan

Distinct strengths include:

Scores

Newsletters

Frost Radar™: a signature benchmarking framework that scores companies on Growth and Innovation. Reports include the PDF download plus an analyst-led Growth Dialog™ session.
Online research store with single-purchase studies across industries and themes. Deliverables include Frost Radar reports, market and technology studies, and economic trackers, all offered as PDF downloads with list pricing.
iFrost Industry Research Database: a digital platform for interactive analysis with instant data updates, customizable charts, and what Frost calls “API-driven solutions.”
Global Economic Tracker (GET-IT): macroeconomic database covering GDP, inflation, PMIs, retail sales, consumer and business confidence, industrial production, and housing indicators. Data is updated monthly, quarterly, or annually with forecasts included.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

Attribute	FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)	Frost & Sullivan
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets	Shared: Inflation Rates, GDP, PMI / ISM, Housing & Construction, Retail Sales, Consumer Sentiment Unique: Data APIs, Calendar, Data Visualizations, Unemployment Rates, Interest Rates, Yield Curves, Real Yields, APIs & SDKs, Sheets / Excel Add-ins	Shared: Inflation Rates, GDP, PMI / ISM, Housing & Construction, Retail Sales, Consumer Sentiment Unique: Scores, Newsletters
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes	Bonds, Commodities, Currencies, Stocks, Other	Other
Experience levels Who each product is built for	Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced	Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Platforms Where you can access the product	Web, Mobile, API	Web
Pricing High-level pricing models	Free	One-time, Subscription
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor	Unique Access to over 840,000 time series from more than 100 official and third-party sources, all browsable and downloadable online. Official REST API covering both FRED and ALFRED, with endpoints for categories, releases, series, and sources. Flexible output formats including JSON, XML, Excel, and CSV for easy integration. ALFRED (the archival database) provides point-in-time vintages, letting you track historical revisions exactly as they were published. Maps API delivers regional datasets with GeoJSON shapefiles for states, counties, MSAs, and more. Free Excel add-in enables direct downloads, refreshes, frequency conversions, and growth-rate calculations.	Unique Frost Radar™: a signature benchmarking framework that scores companies on Growth and Innovation. Reports include the PDF download plus an analyst-led Growth Dialog™ session. Online research store with single-purchase studies across industries and themes. Deliverables include Frost Radar reports, market and technology studies, and economic trackers, all offered as PDF downloads with list pricing. iFrost Industry Research Database: a digital platform for interactive analysis with instant data updates, customizable charts, and what Frost calls “API-driven solutions.” Global Economic Tracker (GET-IT): macroeconomic database covering GDP, inflation, PMIs, retail sales, consumer and business confidence, industrial production, and housing indicators. Data is updated monthly, quarterly, or annually with forecasts included. Growth Opportunity Analytics and Growth Analytics programs: subscription offerings that bundle ongoing research, datasets, and analyst access for enterprise clients. Best Practices Awards program: structured recognition for companies across industries, supported by published methodologies and ongoing press releases.
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 FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Frost & Sullivan both support?

Both platforms cover Inflation Rates, GDP, PMI / ISM, Housing & Construction, Retail Sales, and Consumer Sentiment workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Which tool offers a free plan?

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) offers a free entry point, while Frost & Sullivan requires a paid subscription. Review the pricing table to see how the paid tiers compare.

Which tool has mobile access?

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) ships a dedicated mobile experience, while Frost & Sullivan focuses on web or desktop access.

What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) differentiates itself with Access to over 840,000 time series from more than 100 official and third-party sources, all browsable and downloadable online., Official REST API covering both FRED and ALFRED, with endpoints for categories, releases, series, and sources., and Flexible output formats including JSON, XML, Excel, and CSV for easy integration., whereas Frost & Sullivan stands out for Frost Radar™: a signature benchmarking framework that scores companies on Growth and Innovation. Reports include the PDF download plus an analyst-led Growth Dialog™ session., Online research store with single-purchase studies across industries and themes. Deliverables include Frost Radar reports, market and technology studies, and economic trackers, all offered as PDF downloads with list pricing., and iFrost Industry Research Database: a digital platform for interactive analysis with instant data updates, customizable charts, and what Frost calls “API-driven solutions.”.

Keep exploring

Stay on top of related tools

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