★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Tool comparison edition
Tool Comparison
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) vs Investing.com
Pick FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) if
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
Free · Web · Mobile · API
- You want an API so you can script or automate things
- You care about APIs & data feeds, sheets / excel add-ins, and official sources, things Investing.com doesn't offer
Pick Investing.com if
Investing.com
Free • From $13.99/mo · Web · Mobile · Other
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You care about stock ideas, screeners, and stock comparison, things FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) doesn't offer
- You trade often and need tooling built for speed
Use code findmymoat
Already use these? The faster win is ranked stock ideas or the free-tools shortlist.
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
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Our take
The bottom line
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Investing.com cover a lot of the same ground (4 shared categories, including macro data, data visualizations, and calendar), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. Investing.com simply does more: 34 categories to FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)'s 7, including stock ideas, screeners, and stock comparison. FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) counters by being completely free.
What readers say
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
Investing.com
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
Key differences at a glance
- Real-time data
- Investing.com
- Broader coverage
- Investing.com34 vs 7 categories
- API access
- FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
- Asset coverage
- Investing.comAdds 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 | Free • From $13.99/mo |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | Free: api key required: Yes and Free: api rate limited: Yes | 21 limits: Free / Ad-supported Investing.com: public api: Not available, Free / Ad-supported Investing.com: data latency: Varies by instrument/source; not all data is real-time +19 more |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
API access | Yes | No |
Broker sync | — | No |
Integrations | Microsoft Excel (FRED Add-in) | Investing.com Webmaster Tools / embeddable widgets, RSS feeds +2 more |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Students/Researchers, Analysts +1 more | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +8 more |
Categories covered | 7 | 34 |
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 |
Data partners | — | 6 partners: S&P Global Market Intelligence, Morningstar +4 more |
Capabilities | — | 6 signals: Universe builder, Factors: Value, Quality, Momentum, and Growth +4 more |
Security | — | Encryption in transit |
| Try it | Visit FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) | Visit Investing.com |
Where each one shines
What FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Investing.com each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Investing.com each do best.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.
What Investing.com does best
- Monitoring global markets across stocks, ETFs, indices, commodities, currencies, crypto, bonds, funds, futures, options, interest rates, and economic indicators.
- The economic calendar for streaming macro events, actual versus forecast data, country and importance filters, time-zone controls, date ranges, and event alerts.
- Tracking watchlists and portfolios across web and mobile with alerts, holdings monitoring, CSV import for watchlists or holdings, and portfolio CSV export.
- Screening for stocks with filters for valuation, growth, dividends, sectors, industries, themes, technicals, risk, returns, price, market cap, and profile data.
- Research coverage for ticker pages with charts, technical indicators, financials, analyst ratings, transcripts, SEC filings, insider trading, earnings, dividends, news, and related investment ideas where available.
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Investing.com, side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Investing.com, side by side.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | Other | StocksETFsBondsCommoditiesCurrenciesCryptosClosed-End FundsFunds+4 more |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Students/ResearchersAnalystsQuants/Developers | Retail TradersPro RetailDay TradersSwing TradersLong-term InvestorsValue InvestorsGrowth InvestorsDividend Investors+2 more |
Regions | Not specified | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica |
Coverage details | Not specified | Identifiers: Ticker and ISIN |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | Not specified | StreamingReal-timeEnd of Day |
Data granularity | Not specified | MinuteEOD |
Pricing sources | Not specified | ExchangeOTCVendorModel |
Data partners | Not specified | S&P Global Market IntelligenceMorningstarFactSetRefinitivMarket maker CFDsOther financial data providers |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | REST | Not specified |
API auth & delivery | Auth: APIKeyDocs | Not specified |
Import methods | Not specified | CSVManual |
Integrations | Microsoft Excel (FRED Add-in) | Investing.com Webmaster Tools / embeddable widgetsRSS feedsGoogle Play appApple App Store app |
Export formats | ExcelImageJSONXML | CSVXML |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | Not specified | Encryption in transit |
Capability signals | Not specified | Universe builderFactors: Value, Quality, Momentum, and GrowthMulti-currencyYield curvesCDS spreadsAI summaries: Transcripts and News |
Vendor & support | Federal Reserve Bank of St. LouisCountry: United StatesSupport: Email | Investing.com / Fusion MediaFounded 2007Support: Email and Chat |
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 | Freeapi key required: Yes · api rate limited: Yes | Free“Free / Ad-supported Investing.com”public api: Not available · data latency: Varies by instrument/source; not all data is real-time · +1 more |
| Entry paid plan | — | $13.99/mo“InvestingPro”warren ai credits: 50/month · us pro picks strategies: 6 · +8 more |
| Top plan | — | $31.49/mo“InvestingPro+”warren ai credits: 500/month · pro picks strategies: 88 · +6 more |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Investing.com?
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) leans toward macro data, data visualizations, and calendar, while Investing.com puts more weight on stock ideas, screeners, and stock comparison. They overlap in 4 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Investing.com cost?
Good news: both FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Investing.com have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Does FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) or Investing.com have an API?
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) has an API for programmatic access and custom integrations. Investing.com doesn't, so you're working through its interface.
Should I choose FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) or Investing.com?
It depends on what you're after. Pick FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) if APIs & data feeds and sheets / excel add-ins matter to you; go with Investing.com if you'd rather have stock ideas and screeners. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Investing.com cover?
Both cover other. Investing.com adds stocks, ETFs, and bonds on top.
Does FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) or Investing.com have real-time data?
Investing.com 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 FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Investing.com?
Yes, both export to spreadsheets (FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data): Excel; Investing.com: CSV), which is handy if you like running your own numbers.
Is FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) or Investing.com better for day trading?
Investing.com is the one positioned more for active traders. FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) is the better fit if you care less about fast trading workflows and more about a calmer research process.
Which has a better stock screener: FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) or Investing.com?
Investing.com has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
Can I track my portfolio with FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) or Investing.com?
Investing.com handles portfolio tracking. FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) is really a research tool; you'd track your portfolio elsewhere.
Keep researching
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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.