VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Saturday, September 27, 2025

Investors comparing Open Payments (CMS) and Similarweb will find that Both Open Payments (CMS) and Similarweb concentrate on Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, and Data Visualizations workflows, making them natural alternatives for similar investment research jobs. Open Payments (CMS) leans into Regulatory Filings Monitoring, which can be decisive for teams that need depth over breadth. Similarweb stands out with App & Website Traffic, 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

Open Payments (CMS) vs Similarweb

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

Quick takeaways

  • Open Payments (CMS) adds Regulatory Filings Monitoring coverage that Similarweb skips.
  • Similarweb includes App & Website Traffic, and Sheets / Excel Add-ins categories that Open Payments (CMS) omits.
  • Open Payments (CMS) highlights: Three core datasets each year: General Payments, Research Payments, and Ownership/Investment Interests., Web search/explorer with filtering and charts; program year downloads available from the portal., and Open Data API (ODA) for programmatic access with filtering, querying, and aggregation (SoQL‑style)..
  • Similarweb is known for: Website traffic and engagement analytics, including keyword research, referral sources, and a free traffic checker tool., APIs available in REST and Batch modes: REST delivers JSON responses, while Batch handles large CSV reports., and Webhook support for subscribing to daily or monthly data releases, with options to manage subscriptions directly..
Open Payments (CMS) logo

Open Payments (CMS)

openpaymentsdata.cms.gov

U.S. federal open‑data program (Affordable Care Act ‘Sunshine Act’) that publishes financial relationships between drug/device manufacturers (and GPOs) and healthcare providers (physicians, NPPs since PY2021, and teaching hospitals). CMS publishes the prior program year’s full datasets on or before June 30 each year and issues a January refresh. Data are accessible via the web search tool, bulk downloads, and a REST Open Data API (filter, query, aggregate).

Platforms

Web
API

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

  • Three core datasets each year: General Payments, Research Payments, and Ownership/Investment Interests.
  • Web search/explorer with filtering and charts; program year downloads available from the portal.
  • Open Data API (ODA) for programmatic access with filtering, querying, and aggregation (SoQL‑style).
  • Publication cadence: initial annual publication on/around June 30 for the prior year, plus a January data refresh.
  • Pre‑publication workflow: 45‑day recipient review & dispute (Apr 1–May 15) + 15‑day correction window (May 16–May 30).
Similarweb logo

Similarweb

similarweb.com

Digital intelligence platform providing website and app traffic data, engagement benchmarks, and competitive insights. API access is sold separately or bundled with Enterprise plans, and is required for most native integrations (Excel, Sheets, Tableau, Power BI, Salesforce, HubSpot, Snowflake, Databricks). Webhooks support daily and monthly data release notifications. A free DigitalRank API offers basic website ranking data.

Platforms

Web
API

Pricing

Free
Subscription

Quick highlights

  • Website traffic and engagement analytics, including keyword research, referral sources, and a free traffic checker tool.
  • APIs available in REST and Batch modes: REST delivers JSON responses, while Batch handles large CSV reports.
  • Webhook support for subscribing to daily or monthly data releases, with options to manage subscriptions directly.
  • Data Exporter for no-code bulk exports, including scheduled email delivery and CSV downloads.
  • Bulk input support for uploading CSV lists (up to ~1M entries per report) to create large exports.

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

Open Payments (CMS)

Distinct strengths include:

  • Three core datasets each year: General Payments, Research Payments, and Ownership/Investment Interests.
  • Web search/explorer with filtering and charts; program year downloads available from the portal.
  • Open Data API (ODA) for programmatic access with filtering, querying, and aggregation (SoQL‑style).
  • Publication cadence: initial annual publication on/around June 30 for the prior year, plus a January data refresh.

Similarweb

Distinct strengths include:

  • Website traffic and engagement analytics, including keyword research, referral sources, and a free traffic checker tool.
  • APIs available in REST and Batch modes: REST delivers JSON responses, while Batch handles large CSV reports.
  • Webhook support for subscribing to daily or monthly data releases, with options to manage subscriptions directly.
  • Data Exporter for no-code bulk exports, including scheduled email delivery and CSV downloads.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

AttributeOpen Payments (CMS)Similarweb
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, Data Visualizations

Unique: Regulatory Filings Monitoring

Shared: Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, Data Visualizations

Unique: App & Website Traffic, 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, API

Pricing

High-level pricing models

Free

Free, Subscription

Key features

Core capabilities called out by each vendor

Unique

  • Three core datasets each year: General Payments, Research Payments, and Ownership/Investment Interests.
  • Web search/explorer with filtering and charts; program year downloads available from the portal.
  • Open Data API (ODA) for programmatic access with filtering, querying, and aggregation (SoQL‑style).
  • Publication cadence: initial annual publication on/around June 30 for the prior year, plus a January data refresh.
  • Pre‑publication workflow: 45‑day recipient review & dispute (Apr 1–May 15) + 15‑day correction window (May 16–May 30).
  • Supplemental/lookup tables (e.g., Covered Recipient Profile Supplement; distinct physician profile) to aid joins.

Unique

  • Website traffic and engagement analytics, including keyword research, referral sources, and a free traffic checker tool.
  • APIs available in REST and Batch modes: REST delivers JSON responses, while Batch handles large CSV reports.
  • Webhook support for subscribing to daily or monthly data releases, with options to manage subscriptions directly.
  • Data Exporter for no-code bulk exports, including scheduled email delivery and CSV downloads.
  • Bulk input support for uploading CSV lists (up to ~1M entries per report) to create large exports.
  • Dashboard and table exports in Excel, PDF, PPT, and PNG formats.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do Open Payments (CMS) and Similarweb both support?

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

Do Open Payments (CMS) and Similarweb require subscriptions?

Both Open Payments (CMS) and Similarweb keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

How can you access Open Payments (CMS) and Similarweb?

Both Open Payments (CMS) and Similarweb 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?

Open Payments (CMS) differentiates itself with Three core datasets each year: General Payments, Research Payments, and Ownership/Investment Interests., Web search/explorer with filtering and charts; program year downloads available from the portal., and Open Data API (ODA) for programmatic access with filtering, querying, and aggregation (SoQL‑style)., whereas Similarweb stands out for Website traffic and engagement analytics, including keyword research, referral sources, and a free traffic checker tool., APIs available in REST and Batch modes: REST delivers JSON responses, while Batch handles large CSV reports., and Webhook support for subscribing to daily or monthly data releases, with options to manage subscriptions directly..

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.