VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Sunday, October 5, 2025

View FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)View YCharts Back to Home

Head-to-head

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) vs YCharts comparison

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

Quick takeaways

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) adds Calendar, PMI / ISM, Housing & Construction, Retail Sales, Consumer Sentiment, and Real Yields coverage that YCharts skips.

YCharts includes Screeners, Stock Comparison, ETF Comparison, Portfolio, Watchlist, Correlation, Risk Metrics (VaR/ES/Drawdown), Performance Attribution, Scenario & Stress Tests, News, Alerts, Financials, Scores, ETF Overview, ETF Performance, ETF Holdings, ETF Fundamentals, ETF Overlap, Analyst Forecasts, Short Interest, Insider Data, and Broker Connectors 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..

YCharts is known for: Research workspace with Fundamental Charts, robust screeners, comp tables, scatter plots, scenario tools, and Quickflows to speed common tasks., Portfolio analytics for model and client accounts: optimizer and rebalancing (daily through annual), correlation matrices, attribution and transition analysis, drift/overlap checks, and exposure breakdowns., and Broad data coverage: U.S. and Canadian equities, ETFs and CEFs, plus mutual funds and SMAs as add-ons; 4,000+ fundamental metrics, S&P Global analyst estimates, MSCI ESG datasets, and a large set of macro indicators..

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) has a free tier, while YCharts requires a paid plan.

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) ships a mobile app. YCharts 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.

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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YCharts

ycharts.com

Hands-on review

Advisor-focused research, portfolio analytics, and proposal platform. Lower tiers are more view-only, while add-ons unlock the Excel add-in and broader fund/SMA datasets. Intraday quotes are available on a short delay (about 90–120 seconds).

Platforms

Web

API

Pricing

Subscription

Quick highlights

Research workspace with Fundamental Charts, robust screeners, comp tables, scatter plots, scenario tools, and Quickflows to speed common tasks.
Portfolio analytics for model and client accounts: optimizer and rebalancing (daily through annual), correlation matrices, attribution and transition analysis, drift/overlap checks, and exposure breakdowns.
Broad data coverage: U.S. and Canadian equities, ETFs and CEFs, plus mutual funds and SMAs as add-ons; 4,000+ fundamental metrics, S&P Global analyst estimates, MSCI ESG datasets, and a large set of macro indicators.
Monitoring built in: dashboards, watchlists, alerts, and a live news feed (MT Newswires). Intraday quotes update on a short delay (~90–120 seconds).
Excel & API: an add-on Excel add-in with dynamic formulas/templates, a REST API with API keys and official Python/R clients, and exports to CSV/Excel/PDF/images.

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Overlap

Shared focus areas

9 overlaps

Mutual strengths include Data APIs, Data Visualizations, and Inflation Rates plus 6 more areas.

Where they differ

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)

Distinct strengths include:

Calendar

PMI / ISM

Housing & Construction

Retail Sales

Consumer Sentiment

Real Yields

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.

YCharts

Distinct strengths include:

Risk Metrics (VaR/ES/Drawdown)

Performance Attribution

Research workspace with Fundamental Charts, robust screeners, comp tables, scatter plots, scenario tools, and Quickflows to speed common tasks.
Portfolio analytics for model and client accounts: optimizer and rebalancing (daily through annual), correlation matrices, attribution and transition analysis, drift/overlap checks, and exposure breakdowns.
Broad data coverage: U.S. and Canadian equities, ETFs and CEFs, plus mutual funds and SMAs as add-ons; 4,000+ fundamental metrics, S&P Global analyst estimates, MSCI ESG datasets, and a large set of macro indicators.
Monitoring built in: dashboards, watchlists, alerts, and a live news feed (MT Newswires). Intraday quotes update on a short delay (~90–120 seconds).

Feature-by-feature breakdown

Attribute	FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)	YCharts
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets	Shared: Data APIs, Data Visualizations, Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates, GDP, Interest Rates, Yield Curves, APIs & SDKs, Sheets / Excel Add-ins Unique: Calendar, PMI / ISM, Housing & Construction, Retail Sales, Consumer Sentiment, Real Yields	Shared: Data APIs, Data Visualizations, Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates, GDP, Interest Rates, Yield Curves, APIs & SDKs, Sheets / Excel Add-ins Unique: Screeners, Stock Comparison, ETF Comparison, Portfolio, Watchlist, Correlation, Risk Metrics (VaR/ES/Drawdown), Performance Attribution, Scenario & Stress Tests, News, Alerts, Financials, Scores, ETF Overview, ETF Performance, ETF Holdings, ETF Fundamentals, ETF Overlap, Analyst Forecasts, Short Interest, Insider Data, Broker Connectors
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes	Bonds, Commodities, Currencies, Stocks, Other	Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Closed-End Funds
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	Subscription
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 Research workspace with Fundamental Charts, robust screeners, comp tables, scatter plots, scenario tools, and Quickflows to speed common tasks. Portfolio analytics for model and client accounts: optimizer and rebalancing (daily through annual), correlation matrices, attribution and transition analysis, drift/overlap checks, and exposure breakdowns. Broad data coverage: U.S. and Canadian equities, ETFs and CEFs, plus mutual funds and SMAs as add-ons; 4,000+ fundamental metrics, S&P Global analyst estimates, MSCI ESG datasets, and a large set of macro indicators. Monitoring built in: dashboards, watchlists, alerts, and a live news feed (MT Newswires). Intraday quotes update on a short delay (~90–120 seconds). Excel & API: an add-on Excel add-in with dynamic formulas/templates, a REST API with API keys and official Python/R clients, and exports to CSV/Excel/PDF/images. Advisor ecosystem integrations including Addepar, Orion, Redtail, Schwab Advisor Center, iRebal, Pershing, LPL ClientWorks, Black Diamond, and VRGL.
Tested Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat	Not yet	Yes
Editor pick Featured inside curated shortlists	Standard listing	Standard listing

Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and YCharts both support?

Both platforms cover Data APIs, Data Visualizations, Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates, GDP, Interest Rates, Yield Curves, APIs & SDKs, and Sheets / Excel Add-ins workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Which tool offers a free plan?

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) offers a free entry point, while YCharts requires a paid subscription. Review the pricing table to see how the paid tiers compare.

Which tool has mobile access?

FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) ships a dedicated mobile experience, while YCharts 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 YCharts stands out for Research workspace with Fundamental Charts, robust screeners, comp tables, scatter plots, scenario tools, and Quickflows to speed common tasks., Portfolio analytics for model and client accounts: optimizer and rebalancing (daily through annual), correlation matrices, attribution and transition analysis, drift/overlap checks, and exposure breakdowns., and Broad data coverage: U.S. and Canadian equities, ETFs and CEFs, plus mutual funds and SMAs as add-ons; 4,000+ fundamental metrics, S&P Global analyst estimates, MSCI ESG datasets, and a large set of macro indicators..

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