VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, February 19, 2026

Tool Comparison

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) vs World Bank Open Data (data.worldbank.org) comparison

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

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) logo

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)

fred.stlouisfed.org

PricingFree
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, API
World Bank Open Data (data.worldbank.org) logo

World Bank Open Data (data.worldbank.org)

data.worldbank.org

PricingFree
PlatformsWeb, API
Top 50 Investing ToolsThe global ranking of the best investing tools, ranked by community votes.

At a glance

Platforms
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)Web, Mobile, API
World Bank Open Data (data.worldbank.org)Web, API
Categories
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)10
World Bank Open Data (data.worldbank.org)5
Pricing details

Tool

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)

Starting price

Free tierYes
Free trial

Plans & pricing

FreeFree

Tool

World Bank Open Data (data.worldbank.org)

Starting price

Free tierYes
Free trial

Plans & pricing

FreeFree
Category leaders
AlertsFRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
Data VisualizationsFRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
Browse the #1 tool in 90+ categories

Vote sentiment comparison

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Platform details

AttributeFRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)World Bank Open Data (data.worldbank.org)
Asset types
Other
Other
Experience
BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced
BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced
Regions
Not specified
North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica
Data freshness
Not specified
End of Day
API access
REST
REST
Export formats
ExcelImageJSONXML
CSVExcelJSON

Coverage overlap

Shared categories5

Categories where both tools offer overlapping coverage.

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) strengths5

Categories covered by FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) only.

World Bank Open Data (data.worldbank.org) strengths0

Categories covered by World Bank Open Data (data.worldbank.org) only.

No unique categories.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and World Bank Open Data (data.worldbank.org)?

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) focuses on Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates, and GDP while World Bank Open Data (data.worldbank.org) specializes in Data APIs, GDP, and Inflation Rates. They overlap in 5 categories, so choose based on your preferred workflow and pricing.

How much do FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and World Bank Open Data (data.worldbank.org) cost?

Good news—both FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and World Bank Open Data (data.worldbank.org) 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 World Bank Open Data (data.worldbank.org) on my phone?

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) has a mobile app so you can check your research on the go. World Bank Open Data (data.worldbank.org) is web-only, so you'll need a browser to access it from mobile devices.

Do FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and World Bank Open Data (data.worldbank.org) 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 World Bank Open Data (data.worldbank.org)?

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 World Bank Open Data (data.worldbank.org) if Programmatic access to nearly 16,000 time-series indicators across 45+ databases, with many series spanning over 50 years., and Indicators API requires no key and supports both JSON and XML responses with flexible query styles. better fits how you invest.

Can I export data from FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and World Bank Open Data (data.worldbank.org)?

Both platforms let you export data to spreadsheets (Excel, and JSON). This is useful for custom analysis or record-keeping.

Keep Exploring

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.