VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

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Friday, December 26, 2025

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Tool Comparison

Google Trends vs Total Real Returns comparison

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

Quick takeaways

Google Trends adds News, and Newsletters coverage that Total Real Returns skips.

Total Real Returns includes Risk Metrics categories that Google Trends omits.

In depth comparison

Google Trends logo

Google Trends

trends.google.com

A free tool from Google that tracks search interest over time and across regions. You can compare up to five groups of terms, monitor “Trending now” in near real time, and export charts to CSV or embed them on the web. A limited alpha API is available by application, and a separate BigQuery dataset exposes the top rising queries over the past 30 days.

Platforms

Web

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

  • Explore search interest over time with geographic and category filters; compare up to five groups of terms (25 terms per group).
  • Discover related topics and rising queries to spot shifts in attention.
  • Filter by region, timeframe, category, and Google property (Web, News, Images, Shopping, YouTube).
  • Export charts to CSV, share links, or embed selected charts via HTML.
  • “Trending now” dashboard shows news-linked spikes across 100+ countries, refreshed every 10 minutes, with multiple time windows and CSV/RSS export.

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Total Real Returns logo

Total Real Returns

totalrealreturns.com

Web tool for CPI-U inflation-adjusted ("real") and nominal total return charts with dividends reinvested, plus returns tables and drawdowns (EOD; daily updates ~8pm ET).

Platforms

Web

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

  • CPI-U inflation-adjusted "Total Real Return" charts with dividends reinvested (purchasing-power view).
  • Toggle inflation adjustment on/off (real vs. nominal dollars) on chart pages.
  • Compare multiple symbols on a single chart by entering comma-separated tickers.
  • Controls for custom date ranges and normalization modes (Start=1, End=1, IPO=1, Off).
  • Per-symbol performance breakdown includes overall return, exponential trendline/annualized rates (with R^2), growth of $10,000, annual returns, and drawdowns.

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Where they differ

Google Trends

Distinct strengths include:

NewsNewsletters
  • Explore search interest over time with geographic and category filters; compare up to five groups of terms (25 terms per group).
  • Discover related topics and rising queries to spot shifts in attention.
  • Filter by region, timeframe, category, and Google property (Web, News, Images, Shopping, YouTube).
  • Export charts to CSV, share links, or embed selected charts via HTML.

Total Real Returns

Distinct strengths include:

Risk Metrics
  • CPI-U inflation-adjusted "Total Real Return" charts with dividends reinvested (purchasing-power view).
  • Toggle inflation adjustment on/off (real vs. nominal dollars) on chart pages.
  • Compare multiple symbols on a single chart by entering comma-separated tickers.
  • Controls for custom date ranges and normalization modes (Start=1, End=1, IPO=1, Off).

Feature-by-feature breakdown

AttributeGoogle TrendsTotal Real Returns
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: Data Visualizations

Unique: News, Newsletters

Shared: Data Visualizations

Unique: Risk Metrics

Asset types

Supported asset classes and universes

Other

Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Currencies

Experience levels

Who each product is built for

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Beginner, Intermediate

Platforms

Where you can access the product

Web

Web

Pricing

High-level pricing models

Free

Free

Key features

Core capabilities called out by each vendor

Unique

  • Explore search interest over time with geographic and category filters; compare up to five groups of terms (25 terms per group).
  • Discover related topics and rising queries to spot shifts in attention.
  • Filter by region, timeframe, category, and Google property (Web, News, Images, Shopping, YouTube).
  • Export charts to CSV, share links, or embed selected charts via HTML.
  • “Trending now” dashboard shows news-linked spikes across 100+ countries, refreshed every 10 minutes, with multiple time windows and CSV/RSS export.
  • Methodology based on anonymized, aggregated samples normalized to a 0–100 scale. Longer ranges use UTC time, short ranges use local time zones.

Unique

  • CPI-U inflation-adjusted "Total Real Return" charts with dividends reinvested (purchasing-power view).
  • Toggle inflation adjustment on/off (real vs. nominal dollars) on chart pages.
  • Compare multiple symbols on a single chart by entering comma-separated tickers.
  • Controls for custom date ranges and normalization modes (Start=1, End=1, IPO=1, Off).
  • Per-symbol performance breakdown includes overall return, exponential trendline/annualized rates (with R^2), growth of $10,000, annual returns, and drawdowns.
  • Instrument pages include common stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and a USDOLLAR cash/currency series.
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Featured inside curated shortlists

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do Google Trends and Total Real Returns both support?

Both platforms cover Data Visualizations workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Do Google Trends and Total Real Returns require subscriptions?

Both Google Trends and Total Real Returns keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

How can you access Google Trends and Total Real Returns?

Both Google Trends and Total Real Returns 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?

Google Trends differentiates itself with Explore search interest over time with geographic and category filters; compare up to five groups of terms (25 terms per group)., Discover related topics and rising queries to spot shifts in attention., and Filter by region, timeframe, category, and Google property (Web, News, Images, Shopping, YouTube)., whereas Total Real Returns stands out for CPI-U inflation-adjusted "Total Real Return" charts with dividends reinvested (purchasing-power view)., Toggle inflation adjustment on/off (real vs. nominal dollars) on chart pages., and Compare multiple symbols on a single chart by entering comma-separated tickers..

Keep exploring

Keep exploring

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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.