VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON
Tool details checked August 23, 2026
Tool Comparison
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) vs The Fly Pro
Pick FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) instead if
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
Free · Web · Mobile · API
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
- You want sheets / excel add-ins and official sources.
Start here
The Fly Pro
Free • From $31/mo · Web · API
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You want screeners, stock comparison, and watchlist.
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
See alternativesOutbound links may include affiliate or sponsor codes.
Our take
The bottom line
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and The Fly Pro cover a lot of the same ground (5 shared categories, including macro data, data visualizations, and calendar), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. The Fly Pro simply does more: 13 categories to FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)'s 7, including screeners, stock comparison, and watchlist. FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) counters by being completely free.
What readers say
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
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The Fly Pro
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Key differences at a glance
- Real-time data
- The Fly Pro
- Free trial
- The Fly Pro7 days
- Broader coverage
- The Fly Pro13 vs 7 categories
- Mobile app
- FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
- 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 $31/mo |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | 7 days |
Plan limits | Free: api key required: Yes and Free: api rate limited: Yes | 8 limits: Premium Annual: regular monthly equivalent usd: 62, Premium Annual: promotion: Limited-time 50% off +6 more |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | Yes | No |
API access | Yes | Yes |
Integrations | Microsoft Excel (FRED Add-in) | — |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Students/Researchers, Analysts +1 more | — |
Categories covered | 7 | 13 |
Regions | — | North America, Europe |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | — | Latency: Real-time and End of Day and Granularity: EOD |
| Try it | Visit FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) | Visit The Fly Pro |
Where each one shines
What FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and The Fly Pro each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and The Fly Pro each do best.What FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) does best
- Search 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.
- Monitor the economic release calendar for scheduled release dates and times, while accounting for provider timing and availability caveats.
What The Fly Pro does best
- Build company dashboards and financial charts.
- Screen stocks and ETFs with fundamental and performance filters.
- Research more than 10,000 business metrics and KPIs on Premium and higher plans.
- Review 10 years of financial data on Free and Premium or up to 30 years on Ultimate.
- Compare company operating metrics and financial data.
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and The Fly Pro, side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and The Fly Pro, side by side.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | Other | StocksETFs |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Students/ResearchersAnalystsQuants/Developers | Not specified |
Regions | Not specified | North AmericaEurope |
Coverage details | Not specified | Identifiers: Ticker |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | Not specified | Real-timeEnd of Day |
Data granularity | Not specified | EOD |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | REST | Not specified |
API auth & delivery | Auth: APIKeyDocs | Not specified |
Integrations | Microsoft Excel (FRED Add-in) | Not specified |
Export formats | ExcelImageJSONXML | Not specified |
| Plans & trust | ||
Vendor & support | Federal Reserve Bank of St. LouisCountry: United StatesSupport: Email | The Fly Inc.Support: Email |
Curation ratings | Not specified | Methodology 3/5Reliability 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 | — | $31/mo“Premium Annual”regular monthly equivalent usd: 62 · promotion: Limited-time 50% off |
| Tier 2 | — | $37/mo“Premium Monthly”regular monthly price usd: 74 · promotion: Limited-time 50% off |
| Tier 3 | — | $75/mo“Ultimate Annual”regular monthly equivalent usd: 150 · promotion: Limited-time 50% off |
| Top plan | — | $90/mo“Ultimate Monthly”regular monthly price usd: 180 · promotion: Limited-time 50% off |
| Custom / enterprise | — | Contact sales“Institutional” |
| Free trial | — | 7 days |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and The Fly Pro?
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) leans toward macro data, data visualizations, and calendar, while The Fly Pro puts more weight on screeners, data visualizations, and stock comparison. They overlap in 5 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and The Fly Pro cost?
Good news: both FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and The Fly Pro have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Can I use FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) or The Fly Pro on my phone?
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) lists a dedicated mobile app, so it travels better. The Fly Pro doesn't list a dedicated mobile app; its documented access is web and API.
Do FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and The Fly Pro 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 The Fly Pro?
It depends on what you're after. Pick FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) if sheets / excel add-ins and official sources matter to you; go with The Fly Pro if you'd rather have screeners and stock comparison. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and The Fly Pro cover?
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) covers other. The Fly Pro covers stocks and ETFs.
Does FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) or The Fly Pro have real-time data?
The Fly Pro offers real-time data, which matters if you trade actively. FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) runs on delayed or end-of-day data, which is perfectly fine for longer-term investors who don't live and die by the tick.
Can I export data from FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and The Fly Pro?
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) exports to Excel. The Fly Pro is stingier about getting data out.
Which has a better stock screener: FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) or The Fly Pro?
The Fly Pro has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
Keep researching
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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.