★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Tool comparison edition
Tool Comparison
GuruFocus vs U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
Start here
GuruFocus
Free • From $549/yr · Web · Mobile · API
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
- You care about stock ideas, screeners, and ETF screeners, things U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) doesn't offer
- You're a long-term investor who cares more about fundamentals than headlines
Pick U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) instead if
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
Free · Web · API
- You care about official sources, something GuruFocus doesn't offer
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
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Our take
The bottom line
GuruFocus and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) cover a lot of the same ground (4 shared categories, including news, calendar, and APIs & data feeds), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. GuruFocus simply does more: 48 categories to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)'s 5, including stock ideas, screeners, and ETF screeners, plus a mobile app. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) counters by being completely free.
What readers say
GuruFocus
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
Key differences at a glance
- Mobile app
- GuruFocus
- Free trial
- GuruFocus7 days
- Broader coverage
- GuruFocus48 vs 5 categories
- Global coverage
- GuruFocus
- Asset coverage
- GuruFocusAdds stocks and ETFs
- Free plan
- Both
See for yourself
How they stack up
The side-by-side table: pricing, platforms, data, and coverage at a glance.ShowHide
How they stack up
The side-by-side table: pricing, platforms, data, and coverage at a glance.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Free • From $549/yr | Free |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | 7 days | — |
Plan limits | 47 limits: Free: portfolio limit: Up to 3 portfolios with 25 stocks each for free members, Free: data api requests: 100/month included in the Free API package +45 more | 9 limits: Public Data API v1 (Unregistered): daily query limit: 25, Public Data API v1 (Unregistered): series per query limit: 25 +7 more |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | Yes | No |
API access | Yes | Yes |
Broker sync | Yes | — |
Integrations | GuruFocus Data API, GuruFocus MCP Server +3 more | — |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +9 more | Retail Traders, Institutional Investors +3 more |
Categories covered | 48 | 5 |
Regions | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa | North America |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | 5 signals: Latency: End of Day, Granularity: EOD +3 more | — |
Data partners | 5 partners: QuoteMedia, Morningstar +3 more | — |
Capabilities | 8 signals: Custom formulas, Ranking backtests +6 more | — |
Security | Status page and Encryption in transit | Encryption in transit |
| Try it | Visit GuruFocus | Visit U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) |
Where each one shines
What GuruFocus and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What GuruFocus and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) each do best.What GuruFocus does best
- Research coverage for global stocks with long historical financials, valuation data, charts, comparisons, market valuation indicators, economic indicators, industry data, and company-level fundamentals.
- The All-in-One Screener with hundreds of filters across fundamentals, valuation, profitability, growth, dividends, guru holdings, insider trades, predefined value screens, custom filters, saved screens, and downloads.
- Backtest screener strategies across many countries with configurable stock count, ranking metric, sort order, date range, and rebalance frequency.
- GF Score to compare stocks through a 0-100 framework built around financial strength, profitability, growth, valuation, and momentum.
- GF Value to frame fair value from historical multiples, past returns, and analyst estimates, then classify stocks by valuation range.
What U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does best
- Official BLS data for CPI, PPI, payrolls, unemployment, wages, productivity, employment costs, job openings, occupations, and labor-market research.
- The Public Data API to retrieve published historical time-series data in JSON or Excel formats.
- Starting point: unregistered API v1 for open access, then register for API v2 when you need higher limits, more series, more history, calculations, annual averages, or catalog metadata.
- Documented API limits for daily queries, series per query, years per query, and request-rate throttling.
- HTTP GET or POST endpoints depending on whether you are requesting a single item or a larger API query.
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for GuruFocus and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for GuruFocus and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), side by side.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksETFsBondsMutual FundsOptionsFundsOther | Other |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Retail TradersPro RetailLong-term InvestorsValue InvestorsQuality InvestorsDividend InvestorsAnalystsQuants/Developers+3 more | Retail TradersInstitutional InvestorsAnalystsQuants/DevelopersStudents/Researchers |
Regions | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica | North America |
Coverage details | Identifiers: Ticker and CIK | Countries: US |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | End of Day | Not specified |
Data granularity | EOD | Not specified |
Pricing sources | ExchangeVendorModel | Not specified |
Data partners | QuoteMediaMorningstarRefinitivFREDSEC / local regulators | Not specified |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | REST | REST |
API auth & delivery | Auth: APIKeySDKs: Python and GoDocs | Auth: None and APIKey300 req/minDocs |
Import methods | CSVBrokerOAuthManual | Not specified |
Integrations | GuruFocus Data APIGuruFocus MCP ServerGuruFocus Excel Add-inGuruFocus Google Sheets Add-onSnapTrade | Not specified |
Export formats | CSVExcelJSON | JSONExcel |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | Status pageEncryption in transit | Encryption in transit |
Capability signals | Custom formulasRanking backtestsUniverse builderFactors: Value, Quality, Momentum, and GrowthBroker syncMulti-currencyYield curvesAI summaries: Transcripts | Not specified |
Vendor & support | GuruFocus.com, LLCCountry: United StatesFounded 2004Support: Email, Chat, Phone, and Forum | U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsCountry: United StatesFounded 1884 |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
What you'll actually pay
Plans, billing, trials, and per-month pricing for both tools.ShowHide
What you'll actually pay
Plans, billing, trials, and per-month pricing for both tools.| Tier | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Freeportfolio limit: Up to 3 portfolios with 25 stocks each for free members · data api requests: 100/month included in the Free API package · +1 more | Free“Public Data API v1 (Unregistered)”daily query limit: 25 · series per query limit: 25 · +2 more |
| Entry paid plan | $549/yr≈ $45.75/mo“Premium”billing: Annual only · data api requests: 200/month included with Premium membership · +2 more | — |
| Tier 2 | $1398/yr≈ $116.50/mo“Plus / Premium Plus”billing: Annual only · data api requests: 500/month included with Premium Plus membership · +2 more | — |
| Tier 3 | $200/mo“Data API Builder”billing: Billed annually · monthly request limit: No limit · +10 more | — |
| Tier 4 | $2448/yr≈ $204/mo“Pro / Professional”billing: Annual only · data api requests: 2,000/month included with Professional membership | — |
| Tier 5 | $2000/mo“Data API Commercial”billing: Billed annually · monthly request limit: No limit · +1 more | — |
| Top plan | $100 per unit“Data API Pay As You Go”initial top up: $100 credit · stock daily prices: $0.05/request · +16 more | — |
| Custom / enterprise | Contact sales“Custom API / Enterprise Package” | — |
| Free trial | 7 days | — |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between GuruFocus and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)?
GuruFocus leans toward stock ideas, screeners, and ETF screeners, while U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) puts more weight on APIs & data feeds, macro data, and calendar. They overlap in 4 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do GuruFocus and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) cost?
Good news: both GuruFocus and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Can I use GuruFocus or U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on my phone?
GuruFocus lists a dedicated mobile app, so it travels better. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) doesn't list a dedicated mobile app; its documented access is web and API.
Do GuruFocus and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) have APIs?
Yes, both offer API access, so developers and quants can pull data programmatically or wire up their own integrations.
Should I choose GuruFocus or U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)?
It depends on what you're after. Pick GuruFocus if stock ideas and screeners matter to you; go with U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) if you'd rather have official sources. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do GuruFocus and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) cover?
Both cover other. GuruFocus also handles stocks, ETFs, and bonds.
Which covers international markets: GuruFocus or U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)?
GuruFocus has documented international coverage (North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, and more), so it's the safer bet if you hold non-US stocks. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is more region-specific, mainly North America.
Can I export data from GuruFocus and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)?
Yes, both export to spreadsheets (Excel), which is handy if you like running your own numbers.
Which has a better stock screener: GuruFocus or U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)?
GuruFocus has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
Can I track my portfolio with GuruFocus or U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)?
GuruFocus handles portfolio tracking. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is really a research tool; you'd track your portfolio elsewhere.
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