★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Tool comparison edition
Tool Comparison
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) vs Macrotrends
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 want an API so you can script or automate things
- You care about calendar, alerts, and APIs & data feeds, things Macrotrends doesn't offer
Pick Macrotrends if
Macrotrends
Free • Paid plans available · Web
- You care about screeners, stock comparison, and financials, things FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) doesn't offer
- You're a long-term investor who cares more about fundamentals than headlines
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
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Macrotrends cover a lot of the same ground (2 shared categories, macro data and data visualizations), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. The real difference is focus: only FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) gives you calendar and alerts, and only Macrotrends gives you screeners and stock comparison.
What readers say
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
Macrotrends
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
Key differences at a glance
- Mobile app
- FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
- API access
- FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
- Asset coverage
- MacrotrendsAdds stocks and bonds
- 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 • Paid plans available |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | Free: api key required: Yes and Free: api rate limited: Yes | Premium Access: billing cadence: No monthly billing; pricing shown at checkout |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | Yes | No |
API access | Yes | No |
Integrations | Microsoft Excel (FRED Add-in) | — |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Students/Researchers, Analysts +1 more | Retail Traders and Long-term Investors |
Categories covered | 7 | 7 |
Regions | — | — |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Capabilities | — | Universe builder |
| Try it | Visit FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) | Visit Macrotrends |
Where each one shines
What FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Macrotrends each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Macrotrends 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 Macrotrends does best
- Browsing access to long-run historical charts across stocks, market indices, precious metals, oil and gas, commodities, exchange rates, interest rates, economy pages, global metrics, and real estate-style data.
- The stock screener to filter U.S. and international stocks by 50+ performance, fundamental, and technical criteria.
- Research coverage for and compare thousands of U.S. and foreign equities by price performance, region, investment focus, fundamentals, and chart context.
- Views for reviewing 50+ years of historical stock price and dividend data where available.
- 10 years of quarterly stock fundamental data for quick company-history context.
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Macrotrends, side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Macrotrends, side by side.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | Other | StocksBondsCommoditiesCurrenciesReal EstateOther |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Students/ResearchersAnalystsQuants/Developers | Retail TradersLong-term Investors |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | REST | Not specified |
API auth & delivery | Auth: APIKeyDocs | Not specified |
Integrations | Microsoft Excel (FRED Add-in) | Not specified |
Export formats | ExcelImageJSONXML | Not specified |
| Plans & trust | ||
Capability signals | Not specified | Universe builder |
Vendor & support | Federal Reserve Bank of St. LouisCountry: United StatesSupport: Email | Macrotrends LLC. |
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 |
| Entry paid plan | — | Subscription“Premium Access”billing cadence: No monthly billing; pricing shown at checkout |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Macrotrends?
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) leans toward macro data, data visualizations, and calendar, while Macrotrends puts more weight on screeners, stock comparison, and data visualizations. They overlap in 2 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Macrotrends cost?
Good news: both FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Macrotrends have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Can I use FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) or Macrotrends on my phone?
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) lists a dedicated mobile app, so it travels better. Macrotrends doesn't list a dedicated mobile app; its documented access is web.
Does FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) or Macrotrends have an API?
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) has an API for programmatic access and custom integrations. Macrotrends doesn't, so you're working through its interface.
Should I choose FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) or Macrotrends?
It depends on what you're after. Pick FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) if calendar and alerts matter to you; go with Macrotrends if you'd rather have screeners and stock comparison. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Macrotrends cover?
Both cover other. Macrotrends adds stocks, bonds, and commodities on top.
Can I export data from FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Macrotrends?
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) exports to Excel. Macrotrends is stingier about getting data out.
Which has a better stock screener: FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) or Macrotrends?
Macrotrends has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
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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.