Frost & Sullivan adds PMI / ISM, Retail Sales, Housing & Construction, Consumer Sentiment, GDP, Inflation Rates, and Newsletters coverage that IBISWorld skips.
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
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Monday, November 10, 2025
Tool Comparison
Frost & Sullivan vs IBISWorld comparison
Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.
Quick takeaways
IBISWorld includes Data APIs, AI Chat, Blogs, and Custom Dashboards categories that Frost & Sullivan omits.
In depth comparison
Frost & Sullivan
frost.com
Global analyst research and benchmarking delivered as one-off PDF reports through their online store, or as part of enterprise subscriptions like Growth Opportunity Analytics and iFrost. Pricing is premium — for example, a Frost Radar report costs around $4,950, while an Economic Tracker study is about $1,500. iFrost is positioned as an interactive, API-driven data platform, though no open developer API is publicly offered.
Categories
Platforms
Pricing
Quick highlights
- Frost Radar™: a signature benchmarking framework that scores companies on Growth and Innovation. Reports include the PDF download plus an analyst-led Growth Dialog™ session.
- Online research store with single-purchase studies across industries and themes. Deliverables include Frost Radar reports, market and technology studies, and economic trackers, all offered as PDF downloads with list pricing.
- iFrost Industry Research Database: a digital platform for interactive analysis with instant data updates, customizable charts, and what Frost calls “API-driven solutions.”
- Global Economic Tracker (GET-IT): macroeconomic database covering GDP, inflation, PMIs, retail sales, consumer and business confidence, industrial production, and housing indicators. Data is updated monthly, quarterly, or annually with forecasts included.
- Growth Opportunity Analytics and Growth Analytics programs: subscription offerings that bundle ongoing research, datasets, and analyst access for enterprise clients.
Community votes (overall)
IBISWorld
ibisworld.com
Subscription-based industry research platform with options to purchase single reports. Full industry reports (30–40 pages) are downloadable as PDF, while Key Statistics tables can be exported to Excel. API access requires an API-enabled account and uses OAuth2 with documented rate limits. Add-ons include custom dashboards, a Salesforce app, and specialized Excel-based tools. AI features are delivered through Phil, a chat assistant trained on IBISWorld data.
Platforms
Pricing
Quick highlights
- Industry Research Reports (30–40 pages) across multiple countries, with PDF downloads and Key Statistics exportable to Excel.
- Business Environment Profiles with proprietary forecasts across hundreds of economic indicators.
- Industry Risk Ratings and an Early Warning System to assess forward-looking industry risk.
- REST API (OAuth2) for retrieving full reports or sections, with rate limits (10 requests/sec, 100/min, 5,000/hr).
- Phil AI — an assistant trained on IBISWorld content, linking directly to report sections for context.
Community votes (overall)
Where they differ
Frost & Sullivan
Distinct strengths include:
- Frost Radar™: a signature benchmarking framework that scores companies on Growth and Innovation. Reports include the PDF download plus an analyst-led Growth Dialog™ session.
- Online research store with single-purchase studies across industries and themes. Deliverables include Frost Radar reports, market and technology studies, and economic trackers, all offered as PDF downloads with list pricing.
- iFrost Industry Research Database: a digital platform for interactive analysis with instant data updates, customizable charts, and what Frost calls “API-driven solutions.”
- Global Economic Tracker (GET-IT): macroeconomic database covering GDP, inflation, PMIs, retail sales, consumer and business confidence, industrial production, and housing indicators. Data is updated monthly, quarterly, or annually with forecasts included.
IBISWorld
Distinct strengths include:
- Industry Research Reports (30–40 pages) across multiple countries, with PDF downloads and Key Statistics exportable to Excel.
- Business Environment Profiles with proprietary forecasts across hundreds of economic indicators.
- Industry Risk Ratings and an Early Warning System to assess forward-looking industry risk.
- REST API (OAuth2) for retrieving full reports or sections, with rate limits (10 requests/sec, 100/min, 5,000/hr).
Feature-by-feature breakdown
| Attribute | Frost & Sullivan | IBISWorld |
|---|---|---|
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets | Shared: Scores Unique: PMI / ISM, Retail Sales, Housing & Construction, Consumer Sentiment, GDP, Inflation Rates, Newsletters | Shared: Scores Unique: Data APIs, AI Chat, Blogs, Custom Dashboards |
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes | Other | Other |
Experience levels Who each product is built for | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Platforms Where you can access the product | Web | Web, API |
Pricing High-level pricing models | One-time, Subscription | Subscription, One-time |
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor | Unique
| Unique
|
Tested Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat | Not yet | Not yet |
Editor pick Featured inside curated shortlists | Standard listing | Standard listing |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which workflows do Frost & Sullivan and IBISWorld both support?
Both platforms cover Scores workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.
Do Frost & Sullivan and IBISWorld require subscriptions?
Neither platform maintains a free tier. Budget for a subscription to unlock the research coverage highlighted in this comparison.
How can you access Frost & Sullivan and IBISWorld?
Both Frost & Sullivan and IBISWorld prioritize web or desktop access. Investors wanting a mobile-first workflow may need to rely on responsive web views.
What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?
Frost & Sullivan differentiates itself with Frost Radar™: a signature benchmarking framework that scores companies on Growth and Innovation. Reports include the PDF download plus an analyst-led Growth Dialog™ session., Online research store with single-purchase studies across industries and themes. Deliverables include Frost Radar reports, market and technology studies, and economic trackers, all offered as PDF downloads with list pricing., and iFrost Industry Research Database: a digital platform for interactive analysis with instant data updates, customizable charts, and what Frost calls “API-driven solutions.”, whereas IBISWorld stands out for Industry Research Reports (30–40 pages) across multiple countries, with PDF downloads and Key Statistics exportable to Excel., Business Environment Profiles with proprietary forecasts across hundreds of economic indicators., and Industry Risk Ratings and an Early Warning System to assess forward-looking industry risk..
Keep exploring
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Overlap: Data APIs, Housing & Construction, and Inflation Rates.
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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.