FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) adds Data APIs, Calendar, Data Visualizations, 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 Sensor Tower skips.
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
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Sunday, October 5, 2025
Head-to-head
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) vs Sensor Tower comparison
Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.
Quick takeaways
Sensor Tower includes App & Website Traffic 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..
Sensor Tower is known for: App download estimates and advertising intelligence, with insights into audience and market share., App performance tracking for ASO workflows, including keyword opportunities, competitive benchmarking, and Apple Search Ads analysis. Free sign-ups provide limited access., and Usage insights built from panel data, showing daily and hourly patterns such as retention, time spent, and session frequency..
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) ships a mobile app. Sensor Tower is web/desktop only.
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.
Categories
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.
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Sensor Tower
sensortower.com
Mobile app and web intelligence platform covering downloads, usage, advertising, and audience trends. A limited free tier is available, while enterprise add-ons include App Teardown and expanded ASO capabilities such as unlimited keyword tracking and custom alerts. Data is delivered via Connect APIs and scheduled feeds with daily refreshes, available in CSV/Parquet and through Snowflake integration.
Categories
Platforms
Web
API
Pricing
Free
Subscription
Quick highlights
- App download estimates and advertising intelligence, with insights into audience and market share.
- App performance tracking for ASO workflows, including keyword opportunities, competitive benchmarking, and Apple Search Ads analysis. Free sign-ups provide limited access.
- Usage insights built from panel data, showing daily and hourly patterns such as retention, time spent, and session frequency.
- Advertising insights covering share of voice across networks, creative tracking, and messaging trends.
- Web Insights module that measures cross-platform behavior across desktop web, mobile web, and apps, with deduplicated user benchmarking.
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Overlap
Shared focus areas
1 overlapBoth tools cover this research theme.
Where they differ
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
Distinct strengths include:
- 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.
Sensor Tower
Distinct strengths include:
- App download estimates and advertising intelligence, with insights into audience and market share.
- App performance tracking for ASO workflows, including keyword opportunities, competitive benchmarking, and Apple Search Ads analysis. Free sign-ups provide limited access.
- Usage insights built from panel data, showing daily and hourly patterns such as retention, time spent, and session frequency.
- Advertising insights covering share of voice across networks, creative tracking, and messaging trends.
Feature-by-feature breakdown
| Attribute | FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) | Sensor Tower |
|---|---|---|
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets | Shared: APIs & SDKs Unique: Data APIs, Calendar, Data Visualizations, Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates, GDP, Interest Rates, PMI / ISM, Housing & Construction, Retail Sales, Consumer Sentiment, Yield Curves, Real Yields, Sheets / Excel Add-ins | Shared: APIs & SDKs Unique: App & Website Traffic |
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes | Bonds, Commodities, Currencies, Stocks, Other | Other |
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 |
Pricing High-level pricing models | Free | Free, Subscription |
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor | Unique
| Unique
|
Tested Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat | Not yet | Not yet |
Editor pick Featured inside curated shortlists | Standard listing | Standard listing |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which workflows do FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Sensor Tower both support?
Both platforms cover 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 Sensor Tower require subscriptions?
Both FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Sensor Tower 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 Sensor Tower 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 Sensor Tower stands out for App download estimates and advertising intelligence, with insights into audience and market share., App performance tracking for ASO workflows, including keyword opportunities, competitive benchmarking, and Apple Search Ads analysis. Free sign-ups provide limited access., and Usage insights built from panel data, showing daily and hourly patterns such as retention, time spent, and session frequency..
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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.