VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ A CURATED DIRECTORY OF FINANCIAL TOOLS ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Friday, December 12, 2025

Tool Comparison

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) vs Portfolio123 comparison

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

Quick takeaways

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) adds Calendar, Inflation Rates, PMI / ISM, Retail Sales, Yield Curves, Real Yields, and Sheets / Excel Add-ins coverage that Portfolio123 skips.

Portfolio123 includes Screeners, Quant, Stock Ideas, Portfolio, Watchlist, Backtesting, Correlation, Financials, Broker Connectors, Education, Blogs, and Videos categories that FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) omits.

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) ships a mobile app. Portfolio123 is web/desktop only.

In depth comparison

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

WebMobileAPI

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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Portfolio123

portfolio123.com

Editor’s pick Hands-on review

Rules‑based quant research and portfolio‑management platform. Free Manage module covers multi‑account tracking, watchlists, and broker connectivity, while paid Research/DataMiner/API tiers unlock multifactor ranking, screening, long history backtests, AI Factor, and programmatic access. API & DataMiner use an API‑credit system with monthly caps that depend on your membership; the 21‑day paid Research trial excludes API/DataMiner and runs on a limited history slice.

Platforms

WebAPIDesktop

Pricing

FreeSubscription

Quick highlights

Web‑based quant research terminal for building multifactor ranking systems, stock/ETF screens, and complete rules‑based strategies with no programming, powered by point‑in‑time FactSet data and marketed as free of survivorship and look‑ahead bias.
Supports realistic simulations and backtests over roughly 20 years of history for US, Canadian, and European equities, with custom universes, separate buy/sell rules, position sizing, hedging, and “Book of Strategies” to combine and analyze correlated systems.
Stock & ETF coverage uses fundamentals, estimates, corporate actions, plus industry/sector classification, with “over 15,000 current US, Canadian, and European stocks” and many more historical issues.
AI Factor lets users train machine‑learning factors and plug them into ranking systems and strategies alongside traditional factors, with supporting API endpoints.
Manage module (free) provides portfolio/account tracking with real‑time quotes, multi‑account strategy tracking, stock timelines, integrated research views, and re‑imagined watchlists that chart watchlist performance vs benchmarks.

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Where they differ

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)

Distinct strengths include:

Calendar Inflation Rates PMI / ISM Retail Sales Yield Curves Real Yields Sheets / Excel Add-ins

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.

Portfolio123

Distinct strengths include:

Screeners Quant Stock Ideas Portfolio Watchlist Backtesting Correlation Financials

Web‑based quant research terminal for building multifactor ranking systems, stock/ETF screens, and complete rules‑based strategies with no programming, powered by point‑in‑time FactSet data and marketed as free of survivorship and look‑ahead bias.
Supports realistic simulations and backtests over roughly 20 years of history for US, Canadian, and European equities, with custom universes, separate buy/sell rules, position sizing, hedging, and “Book of Strategies” to combine and analyze correlated systems.
Stock & ETF coverage uses fundamentals, estimates, corporate actions, plus industry/sector classification, with “over 15,000 current US, Canadian, and European stocks” and many more historical issues.
AI Factor lets users train machine‑learning factors and plug them into ranking systems and strategies alongside traditional factors, with supporting API endpoints.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

Attribute	FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)	Portfolio123
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets	Shared: Data APIs, Data Visualizations, Unemployment Rates, GDP, Interest Rates, Housing & Construction, Consumer Sentiment, APIs & SDKs Unique: Calendar, Inflation Rates, PMI / ISM, Retail Sales, Yield Curves, Real Yields, Sheets / Excel Add-ins	Shared: Data APIs, Data Visualizations, Unemployment Rates, GDP, Interest Rates, Housing & Construction, Consumer Sentiment, APIs & SDKs Unique: Screeners, Quant, Stock Ideas, Portfolio, Watchlist, Backtesting, Correlation, Financials, Broker Connectors, Education, Blogs, Videos
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes	Bonds, Commodities, Currencies, Stocks, Other	Stocks, ETFs, Closed-End Funds
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, API, Desktop
Pricing High-level pricing models	Free	Free, 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 Web‑based quant research terminal for building multifactor ranking systems, stock/ETF screens, and complete rules‑based strategies with no programming, powered by point‑in‑time FactSet data and marketed as free of survivorship and look‑ahead bias. Supports realistic simulations and backtests over roughly 20 years of history for US, Canadian, and European equities, with custom universes, separate buy/sell rules, position sizing, hedging, and “Book of Strategies” to combine and analyze correlated systems. Stock & ETF coverage uses fundamentals, estimates, corporate actions, plus industry/sector classification, with “over 15,000 current US, Canadian, and European stocks” and many more historical issues. AI Factor lets users train machine‑learning factors and plug them into ranking systems and strategies alongside traditional factors, with supporting API endpoints. Manage module (free) provides portfolio/account tracking with real‑time quotes, multi‑account strategy tracking, stock timelines, integrated research views, and re‑imagined watchlists that chart watchlist performance vs benchmarks. Broker connectivity enables sending orders from Portfolio123 to linked brokerage accounts (e.g., Interactive Brokers, Tradier), syncing holdings and fills automatically while keeping assets at your existing broker.
Tested Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat	Not yet	Yes
Editor pick Featured inside curated shortlists	Standard listing	Highlighted

Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Portfolio123 both support?

Both platforms cover Data APIs, Data Visualizations, Unemployment Rates, GDP, Interest Rates, Housing & Construction, Consumer Sentiment, and APIs & SDKs workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Do FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Portfolio123 require subscriptions?

Both FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Portfolio123 keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

Which tool has mobile access?

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) ships a dedicated mobile experience, while Portfolio123 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 Portfolio123 stands out for Web‑based quant research terminal for building multifactor ranking systems, stock/ETF screens, and complete rules‑based strategies with no programming, powered by point‑in‑time FactSet data and marketed as free of survivorship and look‑ahead bias., Supports realistic simulations and backtests over roughly 20 years of history for US, Canadian, and European equities, with custom universes, separate buy/sell rules, position sizing, hedging, and “Book of Strategies” to combine and analyze correlated systems., and Stock & ETF coverage uses fundamentals, estimates, corporate actions, plus industry/sector classification, with “over 15,000 current US, Canadian, and European stocks” and many more historical issues..

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