VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
NO ADVICE
Sunday, January 18, 2026
Tool Comparison
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) vs U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) comparison
Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
fred.stlouisfed.org
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
bea.gov
At a glance
| FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | ||
| Free trial | ||
| Starting price | — | — |
| Enterprise option | ||
| Available plans | Free | Free |
Vote sentiment comparison
Cumulative positive vote share. Loading fresh totals...
Platform details
| Attribute | FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) |
|---|---|---|
Asset types | Other | Other |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Regions | Not specified | North America |
Data freshness | Not specified | Not specified |
API access | REST | REST |
Export formats | ExcelImageJSONXML | CSVExcelPDFJSONXML |
Coverage overlap
Categories where both tools offer overlapping coverage.
Categories covered by FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) only.
Categories covered by U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) only.
No unique categories.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)?
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) focuses on Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates, and GDP while U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) specializes in GDP, Inflation Rates, and Calendar. They overlap in 6 categories, so choose based on your preferred workflow and pricing.
How much do FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) cost?
Good news—both FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) offer free plans. You can try each platform without commitment and only pay when you need premium features.
Can I use FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) or U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) on my phone?
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) has a mobile app so you can check your research on the go. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) is web-only, so you'll need a browser to access it from mobile devices.
Do FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) have APIs?
Yes, both platforms offer API access for developers and quants who want to build custom integrations or automate their workflows.
Should I choose FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) or U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)?
Choose FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) if you need 800,000+ economic data series from 100+ sources, covering topics such as GDP, prices/inflation, employment, exchange rates, and interest rates., and Browse and track data via categories, releases, sources, and tags; series pages show metadata like units/frequency and “last updated / next release” fields.. Go with U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) if Interactive Data Application for national, international, regional, and industry statistics; supports customized charts plus downloads as CSV, spreadsheets, or PDF., and Open Data hub with a public data listing file (JSON) and downloadable datasets in CSV, XLS, and/or ZIP formats. better fits how you invest.
Can I export data from FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)?
Both platforms let you export data to spreadsheets (Excel, JSON, and XML). This is useful for custom analysis or record-keeping.
Other tools you might like
These profiles share overlapping coverage with both sides of this matchup.
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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.