★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Tool comparison edition
Tool Comparison
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) vs Semrush
Start here
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
Free · Web · Mobile · API
- You care about macro data, data visualizations, and calendar, things Semrush doesn't offer
Pick Semrush instead if
Semrush
Free • From $139.95/mo · Web · Mobile · API
- You care about app & website traffic and blogs, things FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) doesn't offer
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 Semrush cover a lot of the same ground (2 shared categories, APIs & data feeds and sheets / excel add-ins), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) simply does more: 7 categories to Semrush's 4, including macro data, data visualizations, and calendar. Semrush counters by keeping things simpler.
What readers say
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
Semrush
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Key differences at a glance
- Broader coverage
- FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)7 vs 4 categories
- Free trial
- Semrush7 days
- 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 $139.95/mo |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | 7 days |
Plan limits | Free: api key required: Yes and Free: api rate limited: Yes | — |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
API access | Yes | Yes |
Integrations | Microsoft Excel (FRED Add-in) | Google Analytics, Google Search Console +1 more |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Students/Researchers, Analysts +1 more | — |
Categories covered | 7 | 4 |
Regions | — | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Security | — | Data residency: US and SSO: SAML |
| Try it | Visit FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) | Visit Semrush |
Where each one shines
What FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Semrush each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Semrush 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 Semrush does best
- Analysis of website traffic, visitor sources, engagement, keywords, competitors, backlinks, SEO performance, paid search, and market benchmarks.
- Semrush One and AI visibility products to monitor brand and content visibility across AI search and classic SEO workflows.
- The Standard API for eligible SEO Toolkit Business users, with separately purchased API units and request or line-based consumption.
- Separate API paths for Trends, Listing Management, and Map Rank Tracker, noting that local APIs and map rank APIs have their own access and billing rules.
- Export support for data and reports through CSV, Excel, PDF, JSON, Google Sheets, Position Tracking, Site Audit, and App Center connector workflows.
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Semrush, side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Semrush, side by side.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | Other | Other |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Students/ResearchersAnalystsQuants/Developers | Not specified |
Regions | Not specified | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | REST | REST |
API auth & delivery | Auth: APIKeyDocs | Auth: APIKey and OAuth2 |
Integrations | Microsoft Excel (FRED Add-in) | Google AnalyticsGoogle Search ConsoleGoogle Sheets |
Export formats | ExcelImageJSONXML | CSVExcelPDFJSON |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | Not specified | Data residency: USSSO: SAML |
Vendor & support | Federal Reserve Bank of St. LouisCountry: United StatesSupport: Email | Semrush Inc.Country: United StatesSupport: Email |
Curation ratings | Not specified | Methodology 4/5Reliability 4/5UX 4/5 |
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 | — | $139.95/mo“Pro” |
| Tier 2 | — | $249.95/mo“Guru” |
| Tier 3 | — | $499.95/mo“Business” |
| Top plan | — | Subscription“Enterprise” |
| Free trial | — | 7 days |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Semrush?
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) leans toward macro data, data visualizations, and calendar, while Semrush puts more weight on app & website traffic, APIs & data feeds, and sheets / excel add-ins. 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 Semrush cost?
Good news: both FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Semrush have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Do FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Semrush have APIs?
Yes, both offer API access, so developers and quants can pull data programmatically or wire up their own integrations.
Should I choose FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) or Semrush?
It depends on what you're after. Pick FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) if macro data and data visualizations matter to you; go with Semrush if you'd rather have app & website traffic and blogs. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
Can I export data from FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Semrush?
Yes, both export to spreadsheets (Excel), which is handy if you like running your own numbers.
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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.