★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Tool comparison edition
Tool Comparison
Macrotrends vs Trading Economics
Macrotrends
Best for screeners and stock comparison
Free • Paid plans available
Trading Economics
Best for calendar and alerts
Free • Paid plans available
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The verdict
The bottom line
Macrotrends and Trading Economics cover a lot of the same ground (3 shared categories, financials, dividends, and macro data), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. Trading Economics simply does more: 11 categories to Macrotrends's 7, including calendar, alerts, and news, plus a mobile app. Macrotrends counters by being completely free.
Key differences at a glance
- Mobile app
- Trading Economics
- Broader coverage
- Trading Economics11 vs 7 categories
- Desktop app
- Trading Economics
- API access
- Trading Economics
- Real-time data
- Trading Economics
- Asset coverage
- MacrotrendsAdds real estate
Choose
Macrotrends if…
- You care about screeners, stock comparison, and data visualizations, things Trading Economics doesn't offer
- You're a long-term investor who cares more about fundamentals than headlines
Choose
Trading Economics if…
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You want an API so you can script or automate things
- You care about calendar, alerts, and news, things Macrotrends doesn't offer
Comparison snapshot
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Free • Paid plans available | Free • Paid plans available |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | Premium Access: billing cadence: No monthly billing; pricing shown at checkout | — |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Desktop app | No | Yes |
Mobile app | No | Yes |
API access | No | Yes |
Integrations | — | Microsoft Excel (Add-In), Excel Online / Office 365 (Web Add-In) +4 more |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Retail Traders and Long-term Investors | Retail Traders, Institutional Investors +3 more |
Categories covered | 7 | 11 |
Regions | — | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | — | Latency: Streaming and Real-time |
Capabilities | Universe builder | Credit ratings |
| Try it | Visit Macrotrends | Visit Trading Economics |
Standout features
What Macrotrends does best
- Market & macro research site with navigation sections for Stock Screener, Stock Research, Market Indices, Precious Metals, Oil & Gas, Commodities, Exchange Rates, Interest Rates, Economy, Global Metrics and Delisted Stocks.
- Stock screener described as using 50+ performance/fundamental criteria; screener page states it can screen 4,600+ U.S. and international stocks using 50+ performance, fundamental and technical criteria.
- Stock research page states users can research and compare 5,000+ U.S. and foreign equities by price performance, geographic region and investment focus.
- Long-run historical datasets highlighted on the homepage, including 50+ years of historical stock price & dividend data and 10 years of quarterly stock fundamental data.
- Per-ticker pages include historical stock price history context such as 52-week high/low and average price over the last 52 weeks (example ticker page).
What Trading Economics does best
- Docs advertise indicators (>15,000 data series from official sources) and an economic calendar (~1600 events/month across 150+ countries).
- REST API provides direct access to economic indicators plus markets data (FX, stock indexes, government bond yields, commodities) and company financials; includes subscriptions to market quotes and streaming updates (calendar + earnings).
- API supports JSON/CSV/XML output via the &f= parameter and API-key auth via query param (c=) or Authorization header.
- API limits: general limit of 1 request/second; historical endpoints capped at 10,000 rows and economic calendar endpoints capped at 1,000 rows per call.
- WebSocket streaming via wss://stream.tradingeconomics.com/ for live markets; uses client key/secret; guest:guest is limited to a single topic (EURUSD:CUR).
Data & access details
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksBondsCommoditiesCurrenciesReal EstateOther | StocksBondsCommoditiesCurrenciesOther |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Retail TradersLong-term Investors | Retail TradersInstitutional InvestorsAnalystsQuants/DevelopersStudents/Researchers |
Regions | Not specified | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica |
Coverage details | Not specified | Identifiers: Ticker |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | Not specified | StreamingReal-time |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | Not specified | RESTWebSocket |
API auth & delivery | Not specified | Auth: APIKeySDKs: Python and R60 req/minDocs |
Integrations | Not specified | Microsoft Excel (Add-In)Excel Online / Office 365 (Web Add-In)Google SheetsTableauChainlinkMCP |
Export formats | Not specified | CSVExcelJSONXML |
| Plans & trust | ||
Capability signals | Universe builder | Credit ratings |
Vendor & support | Macrotrends LLC. | IECONOMICS INC |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
Pricing breakdown
Free
Starting price
Plans & pricing
- billing cadence: No monthly billing; pricing shown at checkout
Free
Starting price
Plans & pricing
Coverage overlap
Shared categories
3Where the two tools cover the same ground.
Macrotrends strengths
4What you only get with Macrotrends.
Trading Economics strengths
8What you only get with Trading Economics.
Community category leaders
Vote sentiment comparison
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between Macrotrends and Trading Economics?
Macrotrends leans toward screeners, stock comparison, and data visualizations, while Trading Economics puts more weight on macro data, calendar, and alerts. They overlap in 3 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do Macrotrends and Trading Economics cost?
Good news: both Macrotrends and Trading Economics have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Can I use Macrotrends or Trading Economics on my phone?
Trading Economics lists a dedicated mobile app, so it travels better. Macrotrends doesn't list a dedicated mobile app; its documented access is web.
Does Macrotrends or Trading Economics have an API?
Trading Economics has an API for programmatic access and custom integrations. Macrotrends doesn't, so you're working through its interface.
Should I choose Macrotrends or Trading Economics?
It depends on what you're after. Pick Macrotrends if screeners and stock comparison matter to you; go with Trading Economics if you'd rather have calendar and alerts. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do Macrotrends and Trading Economics cover?
Both cover stocks, bonds, commodities, and currencies. Macrotrends also handles real estate.
Does Macrotrends or Trading Economics have real-time data?
Trading Economics offers real-time data, which matters if you trade actively. Macrotrends runs on delayed or end-of-day data, which is perfectly fine for longer-term investors who don't live and die by the tick.
Can I export data from Macrotrends and Trading Economics?
Trading Economics exports to CSV and Excel. Macrotrends is stingier about getting data out.
Which has a better stock screener: Macrotrends or Trading Economics?
Macrotrends has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; Trading Economics doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
Other tools you might like
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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.