FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) adds Calendar, Data Visualizations, Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates, GDP, Interest Rates, PMI / ISM, Housing & Construction, Retail Sales, Consumer Sentiment, Yield Curves, Real Yields, APIs & SDKs, and Sheets / Excel Add-ins coverage that Social Blade skips.
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★
PRICE: 5 CENTS
Sunday, October 5, 2025
Head-to-head
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) vs Social Blade comparison
Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.
Quick takeaways
Social Blade 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..
Social Blade is known for: Track creator stats across YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, Instagram, and Facebook, including estimated earnings and growth projections., Top lists and platform rankings with SB Rank/grade and live subscriber/follower counts (list lengths vary by plan)., and Favorites dashboard with plan-based limits and ad-free browsing for premium members..
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) ships a mobile app. Social Blade 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
Pricing
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)
Social Blade
socialblade.com
Analytics for social channels including YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, Instagram, and Facebook. Features include rankings, projections, and estimated earnings. Premium expands historical data access (daily charts up to three years for YouTube, ten years for other platforms), increases favorite slots, removes ads, and includes Business API credits. A free tier is available with limited history and functionality.
Categories
Platforms
Pricing
Quick highlights
- Track creator stats across YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, Instagram, and Facebook, including estimated earnings and growth projections.
- Top lists and platform rankings with SB Rank/grade and live subscriber/follower counts (list lengths vary by plan).
- Favorites dashboard with plan-based limits and ad-free browsing for premium members.
- Historical data access: free users get 14 days of tabular data plus weekly/monthly charts, while paid tiers unlock up to three years of daily history for YouTube and up to ten years for other platforms.
- Downloadable YouTube Report Cards as PDFs and Custom Reports (influencer finder) exportable to Excel.
Community votes (overall)
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.
Social Blade
Distinct strengths include:
- Track creator stats across YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, Instagram, and Facebook, including estimated earnings and growth projections.
- Top lists and platform rankings with SB Rank/grade and live subscriber/follower counts (list lengths vary by plan).
- Favorites dashboard with plan-based limits and ad-free browsing for premium members.
- Historical data access: free users get 14 days of tabular data plus weekly/monthly charts, while paid tiers unlock up to three years of daily history for YouTube and up to ten years for other platforms.
Feature-by-feature breakdown
Attribute | FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) | Social Blade |
---|---|---|
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets | Shared: Data APIs Unique: Calendar, Data Visualizations, Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates, GDP, Interest Rates, PMI / ISM, Housing & Construction, Retail Sales, Consumer Sentiment, Yield Curves, Real Yields, APIs & SDKs, Sheets / Excel Add-ins | Shared: Data APIs 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 Social Blade both support?
Both platforms cover Data APIs 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 Social Blade require subscriptions?
Both FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Social Blade 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 Social Blade 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 Social Blade stands out for Track creator stats across YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, Instagram, and Facebook, including estimated earnings and growth projections., Top lists and platform rankings with SB Rank/grade and live subscriber/follower counts (list lengths vary by plan)., and Favorites dashboard with plan-based limits and ad-free browsing for premium members..
Keep exploring
Stay on top of related tools
Browse the categories and profiles that overlap most with this comparison to round out your shortlist.
Related categories
Follow the same themes these tools compete in.
Recommended tools
These profiles share overlapping coverage with both sides of this matchup.
- Trading EconomicsHands-on review
Overlap: Data APIs, Calendar, and PMI / ISM.
Data APIsCalendarPMI / ISM - YChartsHands-on review
Overlap: Data Visualizations, Data APIs, and Inflation Rates.
Data VisualizationsData APIsInflation Rates - ECB Data Portal
Overlap: Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, and Inflation Rates.
Data APIsAPIs & SDKsInflation Rates - Alpha VantageHands-on review
Overlap: Data APIs, Calendar, and Inflation Rates.
Data APIsCalendarInflation Rates - MacroMicro
Overlap: Data Visualizations, Calendar, and GDP.
Data VisualizationsCalendarGDP - OpenBB
Overlap: APIs & SDKs, Sheets / Excel Add-ins, and Data APIs.
APIs & SDKsSheets / Excel Add-insData APIs
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.