VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Monday, October 13, 2025

View FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)View U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)Back to Home

Head-to-head

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) vs U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) comparison

Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.

Quick takeaways

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) adds Data Visualizations, GDP, Interest Rates, PMI / ISM, Housing & Construction, Retail Sales, Consumer Sentiment, Yield Curves, Real Yields, APIs & SDKs, and Sheets / Excel Add-ins coverage that U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) skips.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) includes Education 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..

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is known for: Public Data API v2: JSON and Excel (.xlsx) output; single or batched series; optional calculations, annual averages, aspects & catalog metadata for registered users., Usage limits (v2): up to 50 series per query, up to 20 years per query, ~50 requests per 10 seconds; daily cap 500 queries (registered) or 25 (unregistered)., and Data Tools: Series Report (direct series ID lookup), Top Picks, One‑screen/Multi‑screen table builders, Data Finder, charts for news releases, CPI Inflation Calculator..

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) logo

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.

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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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) logo

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

bls.gov

Primary U.S. source for official labor‑market, inflation and productivity statistics. Offers a free Public Data API (v2) with JSON/XLSX responses, extensive web data tools (Series Report, Top Picks, Data Finder), and an official release calendar with RSS/iCal. Coverage spans CPI/PPI/Import‑Export prices, Employment Situation (payrolls & unemployment rate), JOLTS, ECI, productivity, QCEW and more. Registered API users get higher limits and can request calculations and catalog metadata.

Platforms

Web
API
Mobile

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

  • Public Data API v2: JSON and Excel (.xlsx) output; single or batched series; optional calculations, annual averages, aspects & catalog metadata for registered users.
  • Usage limits (v2): up to 50 series per query, up to 20 years per query, ~50 requests per 10 seconds; daily cap 500 queries (registered) or 25 (unregistered).
  • Data Tools: Series Report (direct series ID lookup), Top Picks, One‑screen/Multi‑screen table builders, Data Finder, charts for news releases, CPI Inflation Calculator.
  • Official release schedules & feeds: per‑release pages (e.g., Employment Situation) show dates/times (typically 8:30 a.m. ET); global calendar with RSS and iCal (ICS) subscription.
  • Mobile: “BLS Local Data” app for iOS/Android surfaces local labor market stats (states, metros, counties) and includes QCEW content.

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Overlap

Shared focus areas

4 overlaps

Mutual strengths include Data APIs, Calendar, and Inflation Rates plus 1 more area.

Where they differ

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)

Distinct strengths include:

Data Visualizations
GDP
Interest Rates
PMI / ISM
Housing & Construction
Retail Sales
Consumer Sentiment
Yield Curves
  • 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.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Distinct strengths include:

Education
  • Public Data API v2: JSON and Excel (.xlsx) output; single or batched series; optional calculations, annual averages, aspects & catalog metadata for registered users.
  • Usage limits (v2): up to 50 series per query, up to 20 years per query, ~50 requests per 10 seconds; daily cap 500 queries (registered) or 25 (unregistered).
  • Data Tools: Series Report (direct series ID lookup), Top Picks, One‑screen/Multi‑screen table builders, Data Finder, charts for news releases, CPI Inflation Calculator.
  • Official release schedules & feeds: per‑release pages (e.g., Employment Situation) show dates/times (typically 8:30 a.m. ET); global calendar with RSS and iCal (ICS) subscription.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

AttributeFRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: Data APIs, Calendar, Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates

Unique: Data Visualizations, GDP, Interest Rates, PMI / ISM, Housing & Construction, Retail Sales, Consumer Sentiment, Yield Curves, Real Yields, APIs & SDKs, Sheets / Excel Add-ins

Shared: Data APIs, Calendar, Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates

Unique: Education

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, Mobile

Pricing

High-level pricing models

Free

Free

Key features

Core capabilities called out by each vendor

Unique

  • 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.
  • Free Excel add-in enables direct downloads, refreshes, frequency conversions, and growth-rate calculations.

Unique

  • Public Data API v2: JSON and Excel (.xlsx) output; single or batched series; optional calculations, annual averages, aspects & catalog metadata for registered users.
  • Usage limits (v2): up to 50 series per query, up to 20 years per query, ~50 requests per 10 seconds; daily cap 500 queries (registered) or 25 (unregistered).
  • Data Tools: Series Report (direct series ID lookup), Top Picks, One‑screen/Multi‑screen table builders, Data Finder, charts for news releases, CPI Inflation Calculator.
  • Official release schedules & feeds: per‑release pages (e.g., Employment Situation) show dates/times (typically 8:30 a.m. ET); global calendar with RSS and iCal (ICS) subscription.
  • Mobile: “BLS Local Data” app for iOS/Android surfaces local labor market stats (states, metros, counties) and includes QCEW content.
  • Mission/authority & confidentiality: Principal U.S. fact‑finding agency for labor economics; data collected and protected under CIPSEA and other federal laws.
Tested

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Editor pick

Featured inside curated shortlists

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) both support?

Both platforms cover Data APIs, Calendar, Inflation Rates, and Unemployment Rates 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 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) require subscriptions?

Both FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

How can you access FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)?

Both FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) support web and mobile access, making it easy to keep tabs on research away from the desk.

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 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) stands out for Public Data API v2: JSON and Excel (.xlsx) output; single or batched series; optional calculations, annual averages, aspects & catalog metadata for registered users., Usage limits (v2): up to 50 series per query, up to 20 years per query, ~50 requests per 10 seconds; daily cap 500 queries (registered) or 25 (unregistered)., and Data Tools: Series Report (direct series ID lookup), Top Picks, One‑screen/Multi‑screen table builders, Data Finder, charts for news releases, CPI Inflation Calculator..

Keep exploring

Stay on top of related tools

Browse the categories and profiles that overlap most with this comparison to round out your shortlist.

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.