VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Monday, October 13, 2025

View OpenBBView U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)Back to Home

Head-to-head

OpenBB 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

OpenBB adds APIs & SDKs, Sheets / Excel Add-ins, Custom Dashboards, News, IPO, Dividends, Splits, Interest Rates, GDP, Commitment of Traders (COT), Dark Pool & Off-Exchange, Data Visualizations, Options & Derivatives, Quant, Financials, Transcripts, ETF Overview, ETF Performance, ETF Holdings, Analyst Forecasts, Analyst Price Targets, Regulatory Filings Monitoring, AI, and AI Chat coverage that U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) skips.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) includes Calendar, and Education categories that OpenBB omits.

OpenBB highlights: REST API and Python client with JSON-serializable endpoints; local API deployment supported., Wide coverage across equities, ETFs, options, fixed income, macroeconomics, news, transcripts, and regulatory filings., and Command-line interface (successor to the legacy OpenBB Terminal) plus Python workflows..

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is known 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..

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) offers mobile access, which OpenBB skips.

OpenBB logo

OpenBB

openbb.co

Open-source data and analytics platform with a REST API, Python SDK, and an enterprise workspace for custom dashboards and apps. The free Community plan includes unlimited dashboards and 20 AI Copilot queries per day. Pro adds collaboration features, Excel integration, secure deployment (VPC/on-prem), and export options. Infrastructure is SOC 2 Type II certified, with SSO support and a public status page.

Platforms

Web
API

Pricing

Free
Subscription

Quick highlights

  • REST API and Python client with JSON-serializable endpoints; local API deployment supported.
  • Wide coverage across equities, ETFs, options, fixed income, macroeconomics, news, transcripts, and regulatory filings.
  • Command-line interface (successor to the legacy OpenBB Terminal) plus Python workflows.
  • Workspace dashboards and apps with customizable widgets; unlimited dashboards on the Community tier.
  • OpenBB Copilot AI chat that integrates dashboard widgets as context and supports attachments (PDF, CSV, XLSX).

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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) logo

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

Web
API
Mobile

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.

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Overlap

Shared focus areas

3 overlaps

Mutual strengths include Data APIs, Inflation Rates, and Unemployment Rates.

Where they differ

OpenBB

Distinct strengths include:

APIs & SDKs
Sheets / Excel Add-ins
Custom Dashboards
News
IPO
Dividends
Splits
Interest Rates
  • REST API and Python client with JSON-serializable endpoints; local API deployment supported.
  • Wide coverage across equities, ETFs, options, fixed income, macroeconomics, news, transcripts, and regulatory filings.
  • Command-line interface (successor to the legacy OpenBB Terminal) plus Python workflows.
  • Workspace dashboards and apps with customizable widgets; unlimited dashboards on the Community tier.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Distinct strengths include:

Calendar
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

AttributeOpenBBU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: Data APIs, Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates

Unique: APIs & SDKs, Sheets / Excel Add-ins, Custom Dashboards, News, IPO, Dividends, Splits, Interest Rates, GDP, Commitment of Traders (COT), Dark Pool & Off-Exchange, Data Visualizations, Options & Derivatives, Quant, Financials, Transcripts, ETF Overview, ETF Performance, ETF Holdings, Analyst Forecasts, Analyst Price Targets, Regulatory Filings Monitoring, AI, AI Chat

Shared: Data APIs, Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates

Unique: Calendar, Education

Asset types

Supported asset classes and universes

Stocks, ETFs, Options, Futures, Bonds, 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, API

Web, API, Mobile

Pricing

High-level pricing models

Free, Subscription

Free

Key features

Core capabilities called out by each vendor

Unique

  • REST API and Python client with JSON-serializable endpoints; local API deployment supported.
  • Wide coverage across equities, ETFs, options, fixed income, macroeconomics, news, transcripts, and regulatory filings.
  • Command-line interface (successor to the legacy OpenBB Terminal) plus Python workflows.
  • Workspace dashboards and apps with customizable widgets; unlimited dashboards on the Community tier.
  • OpenBB Copilot AI chat that integrates dashboard widgets as context and supports attachments (PDF, CSV, XLSX).
  • Community plan includes 20 Copilot queries/day; Pro adds Excel Add-in, data export, team roles and sharing, and SSO (Azure/Google).

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.
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Featured inside curated shortlists

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do OpenBB and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) both support?

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

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

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

Which tool has mobile access?

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) ships a dedicated mobile experience, while OpenBB focuses on web or desktop access.

What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?

OpenBB differentiates itself with REST API and Python client with JSON-serializable endpoints; local API deployment supported., Wide coverage across equities, ETFs, options, fixed income, macroeconomics, news, transcripts, and regulatory filings., and Command-line interface (successor to the legacy OpenBB Terminal) plus Python workflows., 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.

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.