Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) adds Data Visualizations, Shipping & Trade, and Education coverage that Semrush skips.
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★
PRICE: 5 CENTS
Tuesday, November 11, 2025
Tool Comparison
Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) vs Semrush comparison
Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.
Quick takeaways
Semrush includes App & Website Traffic, APIs & SDKs, and Sheets / Excel Add-ins categories that Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) omits.
Semrush offers mobile access, which Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) skips.
In depth comparison
Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC)
oec.world
A global trade and economic complexity platform with rich visualizations, country and product rankings, and an API. Pro plans unlock the latest monthly and subnational datasets, while Premium adds company-level Bill of Lading data and bulk downloads. Academic discounts and enterprise options with SSO support are also available.
Platforms
Pricing
Quick highlights
- Visualizations and rankings based on Economic Complexity Index (ECI) and Product Complexity Index (PCI), with reports by HS classification.
- Monthly international trade data and subnational coverage across 30+ countries available on Pro plans.
- Premium tier adds company-level U.S. Bill of Lading data through a Company Explorer sourced from U.S. Customs.
- REST API with a free tier for historical data and Pro/Premium tokens for the latest datasets, subnational access, and higher query volumes.
- Data downloads in CSV, Excel, or JSON, with bulk access and larger query limits available for subscribers.
Community votes (overall)
Semrush
semrush.com
Comprehensive SEO, marketing, and web traffic analytics platform. API access for core Analytics and Projects requires a Business plan, with usage billed in API units. Some APIs—like Listing Management and Map Rank Tracker—don’t consume units. Enterprise security options include SAML SSO on Guru and Business tiers. A 7-day free trial is available for all paid plans.
Platforms
Pricing
Quick highlights
- Traffic Analytics tools to examine any website’s visitors, sources, engagement metrics, and competitive benchmarks.
- Rich API suite: Analytics and Projects APIs (Business plan), Trends API, Listing Management, and Map Rank Tracker. Current versions support API key (v3) and OAuth 2.0 with JSON (v4).
- API consumption billed in ‘units’ per request or per line of data. Historical queries cost more; some APIs like Listing Management and Map Rank Tracker are excluded from unit billing.
- Flexible exports in CSV, Excel, and PDF across tools. Position Tracking and Site Audit modules generate PDF reports; Position Tracking also supports direct Google Sheets export.
- Google Sheets integration through the App Center ‘AI Automated Data Connector’ for automated reporting pipelines.
Community votes (overall)
Where they differ
Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC)
Distinct strengths include:
- Visualizations and rankings based on Economic Complexity Index (ECI) and Product Complexity Index (PCI), with reports by HS classification.
- Monthly international trade data and subnational coverage across 30+ countries available on Pro plans.
- Premium tier adds company-level U.S. Bill of Lading data through a Company Explorer sourced from U.S. Customs.
- REST API with a free tier for historical data and Pro/Premium tokens for the latest datasets, subnational access, and higher query volumes.
Semrush
Distinct strengths include:
- Traffic Analytics tools to examine any website’s visitors, sources, engagement metrics, and competitive benchmarks.
- Rich API suite: Analytics and Projects APIs (Business plan), Trends API, Listing Management, and Map Rank Tracker. Current versions support API key (v3) and OAuth 2.0 with JSON (v4).
- API consumption billed in ‘units’ per request or per line of data. Historical queries cost more; some APIs like Listing Management and Map Rank Tracker are excluded from unit billing.
- Flexible exports in CSV, Excel, and PDF across tools. Position Tracking and Site Audit modules generate PDF reports; Position Tracking also supports direct Google Sheets export.
Feature-by-feature breakdown
| Attribute | Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) | Semrush |
|---|---|---|
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets | Shared: Data APIs, Blogs Unique: Data Visualizations, Shipping & Trade, Education | Shared: Data APIs, Blogs Unique: App & Website Traffic, APIs & SDKs, Sheets / Excel Add-ins |
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, API | Web, Mobile, API |
Pricing High-level pricing models | Free, Subscription | Free, Subscription |
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 Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) and Semrush both support?
Both platforms cover Data APIs, and Blogs workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.
Do Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) and Semrush require subscriptions?
Both Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) and Semrush keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.
Which tool has mobile access?
Semrush ships a dedicated mobile experience, while Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) focuses on web or desktop access.
What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?
Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) differentiates itself with Visualizations and rankings based on Economic Complexity Index (ECI) and Product Complexity Index (PCI), with reports by HS classification., Monthly international trade data and subnational coverage across 30+ countries available on Pro plans., and Premium tier adds company-level U.S. Bill of Lading data through a Company Explorer sourced from U.S. Customs., whereas Semrush stands out for Traffic Analytics tools to examine any website’s visitors, sources, engagement metrics, and competitive benchmarks., Rich API suite: Analytics and Projects APIs (Business plan), Trends API, Listing Management, and Map Rank Tracker. Current versions support API key (v3) and OAuth 2.0 with JSON (v4)., and API consumption billed in ‘units’ per request or per line of data. Historical queries cost more; some APIs like Listing Management and Map Rank Tracker are excluded from unit billing..
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.