Macrotrends adds Screeners, Data Visualizations, Financials, Unemployment Rates, Interest Rates, Housing & Construction, Retail Sales, and Consumer Sentiment coverage that U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) skips.
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
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Thursday, October 30, 2025
Tool Comparison
Macrotrends vs U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) comparison
Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.
Quick takeaways
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) includes Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, and Calendar categories that Macrotrends omits.
In depth comparison
Macrotrends
macrotrends.net
Free web-based portal for long-run charts and datasets across stocks, commodities, indices, FX, and macro indicators. Many series span 50–100+ years. Features include a stock screener and CSV downloads. Some content is gated by registration, and Terms mention fee-based premium products. No public API is advertised.
Categories
Platforms
Web
Pricing
FreeOther
Quick highlights
- Interactive charts for stocks, commodities, indices, currencies, crypto, and macroeconomic data, often with history spanning back 50–100 years.
- Free stock screener with 50+ filters covering fundamentals, technicals, and performance; includes U.S. and international equities.
- Company profile pages combine daily prices, dividends, and full annual/quarterly financial statements, with fundamentals sourced from Zacks.
- Macro indicator pages cite primary data sources such as BEA (GDP), University of Michigan (consumer sentiment), and Optimal Blue (mortgage rates).
- CSV downloads available for many “Global Metrics” datasets via a dedicated download link.
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U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
bea.gov
Official U.S. macroeconomic statistics publisher (U.S. Dept. of Commerce). Offers free interactive tables (iTables) and a REST API with JSON/XML output for GDP, PCE/inflation, personal income/outlays, international transactions (ITA), international investment position (IIP), fixed assets, GDP by industry, and regional accounts. The API requires a 36‑character key and enforces throttling (100 requests/min or 100 MB/min; 429 with Retry‑After). A public release calendar is available (ICS/JSON).
Platforms
WebAPI
Pricing
Free
Quick highlights
- Free REST API with JSON or XML responses, plus meta‑data methods (dataset list, parameter list/values); browser use supported via CORS/JSONP.
- Official datasets: NIPA/GDP, NI underlying detail, personal income & outlays (incl. PCE price indexes), Fixed Assets, International Transactions (ITA), International Investment Position (IIP), GDP by Industry, and Regional accounts.
- API key (36‑character UserID) with documented throttling: 100 requests/min OR 100 MB/min OR 30 errors/min; throttled requests return HTTP 429 with Retry‑After (~1‑hour timeout).
- Interactive Data Tables (iTables) for building custom tables; download as CSV, Excel, or PDF.
- Release Schedule provides machine‑readable calendar feeds (ICS/JSON) and shows planned 8:30/10:00 a.m. release times.
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Where they differ
Macrotrends
Distinct strengths include:
ScreenersData VisualizationsFinancialsUnemployment RatesInterest RatesHousing & ConstructionRetail SalesConsumer Sentiment
- Interactive charts for stocks, commodities, indices, currencies, crypto, and macroeconomic data, often with history spanning back 50–100 years.
- Free stock screener with 50+ filters covering fundamentals, technicals, and performance; includes U.S. and international equities.
- Company profile pages combine daily prices, dividends, and full annual/quarterly financial statements, with fundamentals sourced from Zacks.
- Macro indicator pages cite primary data sources such as BEA (GDP), University of Michigan (consumer sentiment), and Optimal Blue (mortgage rates).
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
Distinct strengths include:
- Free REST API with JSON or XML responses, plus meta‑data methods (dataset list, parameter list/values); browser use supported via CORS/JSONP.
- Official datasets: NIPA/GDP, NI underlying detail, personal income & outlays (incl. PCE price indexes), Fixed Assets, International Transactions (ITA), International Investment Position (IIP), GDP by Industry, and Regional accounts.
- API key (36‑character UserID) with documented throttling: 100 requests/min OR 100 MB/min OR 30 errors/min; throttled requests return HTTP 429 with Retry‑After (~1‑hour timeout).
- Interactive Data Tables (iTables) for building custom tables; download as CSV, Excel, or PDF.
Feature-by-feature breakdown
| Attribute | Macrotrends | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) |
|---|---|---|
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets | Shared: Inflation Rates, GDP Unique: Screeners, Data Visualizations, Financials, Unemployment Rates, Interest Rates, Housing & Construction, Retail Sales, Consumer Sentiment | Shared: Inflation Rates, GDP Unique: Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, Calendar |
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes | Stocks, ETFs, Commodities, Currencies, Cryptos | 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 | Free, Other | Free |
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 Macrotrends and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) both support?
Both platforms cover Inflation Rates, and GDP workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.
Do Macrotrends and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) require subscriptions?
Both Macrotrends and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.
How can you access Macrotrends and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)?
Both Macrotrends and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) 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?
Macrotrends differentiates itself with Interactive charts for stocks, commodities, indices, currencies, crypto, and macroeconomic data, often with history spanning back 50–100 years., Free stock screener with 50+ filters covering fundamentals, technicals, and performance; includes U.S. and international equities., and Company profile pages combine daily prices, dividends, and full annual/quarterly financial statements, with fundamentals sourced from Zacks., whereas U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) stands out for Free REST API with JSON or XML responses, plus meta‑data methods (dataset list, parameter list/values); browser use supported via CORS/JSONP., Official datasets: NIPA/GDP, NI underlying detail, personal income & outlays (incl. PCE price indexes), Fixed Assets, International Transactions (ITA), International Investment Position (IIP), GDP by Industry, and Regional accounts., and API key (36‑character UserID) with documented throttling: 100 requests/min OR 100 MB/min OR 30 errors/min; throttled requests return HTTP 429 with Retry‑After (~1‑hour timeout)..
Keep exploring
Keep exploring
Stay on top of related tools
Browse the categories and profiles that overlap most with this comparison to round out your shortlist.
Related categories
Follow the same themes these tools compete in.
Recommended tools
These profiles share overlapping coverage with both sides of this matchup.
- FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
Overlap: Data APIs, Calendar, and Data Visualizations.
Data APIsCalendarData Visualizations - Trading EconomicsHands-on review
Overlap: Data APIs, Calendar, and Housing & Construction.
Data APIsCalendarHousing & Construction - YChartsHands-on review
Overlap: Screeners, Data Visualizations, and Data APIs.
ScreenersData VisualizationsData APIs - Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)Editor's pickHands-on review
Overlap: Data APIs, Financials, and Calendar.
Data APIsFinancialsCalendar - GuruFocusEditor's pickHands-on review
Overlap: Screeners, Calendar, and GDP.
ScreenersCalendarGDP - OpenBB
Overlap: APIs & SDKs, Data APIs, and Interest Rates.
APIs & SDKsData APIsInterest Rates
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.