VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Monday, October 6, 2025

View FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)View Portfolio123Back to Home

Head-to-head

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 Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates, GDP, Interest Rates, PMI / ISM, Housing & Construction, Retail Sales, Consumer Sentiment, Yield Curves, Real Yields, and Sheets / Excel Add-ins coverage that Portfolio123 skips.

Portfolio123 includes Screeners, Quant, Backtesting, Portfolio, Correlation, and Broker Connectors 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..

Portfolio123 is known for: Build custom multi-factor ranking systems and rank stocks by universe, sector, or industry., Spreadsheet-style screening with formulas (including Piotroski F-Score) across current and historical data., and Backtesting with realistic assumptions for slippage, commissions, buy/sell rules, position sizing, and hedging..

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

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) logo

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.

Community votes (overall)

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Portfolio123 logo

Portfolio123

portfolio123.com

Editor’s pick Hands-on review

Quant research and live-deployment platform with point-in-time fundamentals and estimates. Users can screen, backtest, and simulate strategies, then deploy them live with broker integrations. Supports API access and a no-code desktop DataMiner. FactSet or S&P Compustat licenses are required for full historical fundamentals.

Platforms

Web
Desktop
API

Pricing

Free
Subscription

Quick highlights

  • Build custom multi-factor ranking systems and rank stocks by universe, sector, or industry.
  • Spreadsheet-style screening with formulas (including Piotroski F-Score) across current and historical data.
  • Backtesting with realistic assumptions for slippage, commissions, buy/sell rules, position sizing, and hedging.
  • ‘Books’ feature to combine multiple strategies and view correlations between them.
  • Point-in-time fundamentals, estimates, and corporate actions with dividends handled on ex/pay dates (no survivorship bias or look-ahead).

Community votes (overall)

0% upvotes 0% downvotes
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Overlap

Shared focus areas

4 overlaps

Mutual strengths include Data APIs, Calendar, and Data Visualizations plus 1 more area.

Where they differ

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)

Distinct strengths include:

Inflation Rates
Unemployment Rates
GDP
Interest Rates
PMI / ISM
Housing & Construction
Retail Sales
Consumer Sentiment
  • 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
Backtesting
Portfolio
Correlation
Broker Connectors
  • Build custom multi-factor ranking systems and rank stocks by universe, sector, or industry.
  • Spreadsheet-style screening with formulas (including Piotroski F-Score) across current and historical data.
  • Backtesting with realistic assumptions for slippage, commissions, buy/sell rules, position sizing, and hedging.
  • ‘Books’ feature to combine multiple strategies and view correlations between them.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

AttributeFRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)Portfolio123
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: Data APIs, Calendar, Data Visualizations, APIs & SDKs

Unique: Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates, GDP, Interest Rates, PMI / ISM, Housing & Construction, Retail Sales, Consumer Sentiment, Yield Curves, Real Yields, Sheets / Excel Add-ins

Shared: Data APIs, Calendar, Data Visualizations, APIs & SDKs

Unique: Screeners, Quant, Backtesting, Portfolio, Correlation, Broker Connectors

Asset types

Supported asset classes and universes

Bonds, Commodities, Currencies, Stocks, Other

Stocks, ETFs

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, Desktop, API

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

  • Build custom multi-factor ranking systems and rank stocks by universe, sector, or industry.
  • Spreadsheet-style screening with formulas (including Piotroski F-Score) across current and historical data.
  • Backtesting with realistic assumptions for slippage, commissions, buy/sell rules, position sizing, and hedging.
  • ‘Books’ feature to combine multiple strategies and view correlations between them.
  • Point-in-time fundamentals, estimates, and corporate actions with dividends handled on ex/pay dates (no survivorship bias or look-ahead).
  • Coverage of 15,000+ equities in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, including delisted stocks and spinoffs.
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, Calendar, Data Visualizations, 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 Build custom multi-factor ranking systems and rank stocks by universe, sector, or industry., Spreadsheet-style screening with formulas (including Piotroski F-Score) across current and historical data., and Backtesting with realistic assumptions for slippage, commissions, buy/sell rules, position sizing, and hedging..

Keep exploring

Stay on top of related tools

Browse the categories and profiles that overlap most with this comparison to round out your shortlist.

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.