VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Saturday, September 27, 2025

Investors comparing Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) and Semrush will find that Both Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) and Semrush concentrate on Data APIs, and Blogs workflows, making them natural alternatives for similar investment research jobs. Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) leans into Data Visualizations, Shipping & Trade, and Education, which can be decisive for teams that need depth over breadth. Semrush stands out with App & Website Traffic, APIs & SDKs, and Sheets / Excel Add-ins that the competition lacks. Use the feature-by-feature table to inspect unique capabilities and confirm which roadmap best maps to your process.

Head-to-head

Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) vs Semrush

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

Quick takeaways

  • Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) adds Data Visualizations, Shipping & Trade, and Education coverage that Semrush skips.
  • Semrush includes App & Website Traffic, APIs & SDKs, and Sheets / Excel Add-ins categories that Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) omits.
  • Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) 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., and Premium tier adds company-level U.S. Bill of Lading data through a Company Explorer sourced from U.S. Customs..
  • Semrush is known 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..
  • Semrush offers mobile access, which Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) skips.
Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) logo

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

Web
API

Pricing

Free
Subscription

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.
Semrush logo

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

Web
Mobile
API

Pricing

Free
Subscription

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.

Shared focus areas

Both platforms align on these research themes, so you can stay within one workflow when your use case involves them.

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

AttributeObservatory 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

  • 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.
  • Support for multiple HS revisions (from HS92 through HS2022) with well-documented historical ranges.

Unique

  • 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.
  • Native integrations with Google Analytics and Google Search Console to combine marketing and search performance data.
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..

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.