VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Thursday, October 30, 2025

Tool Comparison

MarineTraffic vs U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) comparison

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

Quick takeaways

MarineTraffic adds Data Visualizations, Shipping & Trade, and Alerts coverage that U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) skips.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) includes Calendar, Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates, and Education categories that MarineTraffic omits.

In depth comparison

MarineTraffic

marinetraffic.com

Global AIS vessel tracking platform with map views, alerts, voyage history, and data exports. Many features are plan-gated: CSV export quotas, Past Track history, detailed Route Forecasts, and the number of Custom Areas you can define. API access is available with an API key, and mobile apps provide push notifications.

Platforms

WebMobileAPI

Pricing

FreeSubscription

Quick highlights

Live Map with advanced filters, including ship type, capacity, status, and custom smart filters.
Notifications for port calls, area entries, vessel movements (speed, course changes, drifting), AIS data updates (ETA, destination, draught), proximity events (STS, tug, pilot, bunkering), and AIS-coverage changes, delivered via email, mobile push, or archive.
CSV exports from vessel and port databases, with monthly quotas depending on plan: Basic (5), Essential (300), Enterprise (10,000).
Past Track playback varies by plan: Free (1 day), Essential (7 days), Enterprise (up to 5 years, in 7-day playback windows).
Route Forecast tools: Basic shows path previews; Essential and Enterprise unlock ETA and speed details.

Community votes (overall)

0% upvotes 0% downvotes

You haven't voted yet

View full profile Visit site

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

bls.gov

Primary U.S. source for official labor‑market, inflation and productivity statistics. Offers a free Public Data API (v2) with JSON/XLSX responses, extensive web data tools (Series Report, Top Picks, Data Finder), and an official release calendar with RSS/iCal. Coverage spans CPI/PPI/Import‑Export prices, Employment Situation (payrolls & unemployment rate), JOLTS, ECI, productivity, QCEW and more. Registered API users get higher limits and can request calculations and catalog metadata.

Platforms

WebAPIMobile

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

Public Data API v2: JSON and Excel (.xlsx) output; single or batched series; optional calculations, annual averages, aspects & catalog metadata for registered users.
Usage limits (v2): up to 50 series per query, up to 20 years per query, ~50 requests per 10 seconds; daily cap 500 queries (registered) or 25 (unregistered).
Data Tools: Series Report (direct series ID lookup), Top Picks, One‑screen/Multi‑screen table builders, Data Finder, charts for news releases, CPI Inflation Calculator.
Official release schedules & feeds: per‑release pages (e.g., Employment Situation) show dates/times (typically 8:30 a.m. ET); global calendar with RSS and iCal (ICS) subscription.
Mobile: “BLS Local Data” app for iOS/Android surfaces local labor market stats (states, metros, counties) and includes QCEW content.

Community votes (overall)

0% upvotes 0% downvotes

You haven't voted yet

View full profile Visit site

Where they differ

MarineTraffic

Distinct strengths include:

Data Visualizations Shipping & Trade Alerts

Live Map with advanced filters, including ship type, capacity, status, and custom smart filters.
Notifications for port calls, area entries, vessel movements (speed, course changes, drifting), AIS data updates (ETA, destination, draught), proximity events (STS, tug, pilot, bunkering), and AIS-coverage changes, delivered via email, mobile push, or archive.
CSV exports from vessel and port databases, with monthly quotas depending on plan: Basic (5), Essential (300), Enterprise (10,000).
Past Track playback varies by plan: Free (1 day), Essential (7 days), Enterprise (up to 5 years, in 7-day playback windows).

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Distinct strengths include:

Calendar Inflation Rates Unemployment Rates Education

Public Data API v2: JSON and Excel (.xlsx) output; single or batched series; optional calculations, annual averages, aspects & catalog metadata for registered users.
Usage limits (v2): up to 50 series per query, up to 20 years per query, ~50 requests per 10 seconds; daily cap 500 queries (registered) or 25 (unregistered).
Data Tools: Series Report (direct series ID lookup), Top Picks, One‑screen/Multi‑screen table builders, Data Finder, charts for news releases, CPI Inflation Calculator.
Official release schedules & feeds: per‑release pages (e.g., Employment Situation) show dates/times (typically 8:30 a.m. ET); global calendar with RSS and iCal (ICS) subscription.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

Attribute	MarineTraffic	U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets	Shared: Data APIs Unique: Data Visualizations, Shipping & Trade, Alerts	Shared: Data APIs Unique: Calendar, Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates, Education
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, Mobile, API	Web, API, Mobile
Pricing High-level pricing models	Free, Subscription	Free
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor	Unique Live Map with advanced filters, including ship type, capacity, status, and custom smart filters. Notifications for port calls, area entries, vessel movements (speed, course changes, drifting), AIS data updates (ETA, destination, draught), proximity events (STS, tug, pilot, bunkering), and AIS-coverage changes, delivered via email, mobile push, or archive. CSV exports from vessel and port databases, with monthly quotas depending on plan: Basic (5), Essential (300), Enterprise (10,000). Past Track playback varies by plan: Free (1 day), Essential (7 days), Enterprise (up to 5 years, in 7-day playback windows). Route Forecast tools: Basic shows path previews; Essential and Enterprise unlock ETA and speed details. Custom Areas can be created or imported (KMZ/KML/GEOJSON/WKT), with plan limits from 1 area (Essential) up to 2,000 (Enterprise).	Unique Public Data API v2: JSON and Excel (.xlsx) output; single or batched series; optional calculations, annual averages, aspects & catalog metadata for registered users. Usage limits (v2): up to 50 series per query, up to 20 years per query, ~50 requests per 10 seconds; daily cap 500 queries (registered) or 25 (unregistered). Data Tools: Series Report (direct series ID lookup), Top Picks, One‑screen/Multi‑screen table builders, Data Finder, charts for news releases, CPI Inflation Calculator. Official release schedules & feeds: per‑release pages (e.g., Employment Situation) show dates/times (typically 8:30 a.m. ET); global calendar with RSS and iCal (ICS) subscription. Mobile: “BLS Local Data” app for iOS/Android surfaces local labor market stats (states, metros, counties) and includes QCEW content. Mission/authority & confidentiality: Principal U.S. fact‑finding agency for labor economics; data collected and protected under CIPSEA and other federal laws.
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 MarineTraffic and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) both support?

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

Do MarineTraffic and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) require subscriptions?

Both MarineTraffic and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

How can you access MarineTraffic and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)?

Both MarineTraffic and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) support web and mobile access, making it easy to keep tabs on research away from the desk.

What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?

MarineTraffic differentiates itself with Live Map with advanced filters, including ship type, capacity, status, and custom smart filters., Notifications for port calls, area entries, vessel movements (speed, course changes, drifting), AIS data updates (ETA, destination, draught), proximity events (STS, tug, pilot, bunkering), and AIS-coverage changes, delivered via email, mobile push, or archive., and CSV exports from vessel and port databases, with monthly quotas depending on plan: Basic (5), Essential (300), Enterprise (10,000)., whereas U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) stands out for Public Data API v2: JSON and Excel (.xlsx) output; single or batched series; optional calculations, annual averages, aspects & catalog metadata for registered users., Usage limits (v2): up to 50 series per query, up to 20 years per query, ~50 requests per 10 seconds; daily cap 500 queries (registered) or 25 (unregistered)., and Data Tools: Series Report (direct series ID lookup), Top Picks, One‑screen/Multi‑screen table builders, Data Finder, charts for news releases, CPI Inflation Calculator..

Keep exploring

Stay on top of related tools

Browse the categories and profiles that overlap most with this comparison to round out your shortlist.