Trading Economics is the widest macro database you can rent, with twenty million series across 196 countries. The price is quoted, not published, there is no free tier any more, and every number arrives as a number. If your trading is US releases, rates and auctions, you are paying for breadth you will never query.
Trading Economics wins on breadth and loses on price and reading. Its own page says API pricing is adjusted to the features you use, your request volume and your distribution; third parties report entry plans from about $149 a month billed yearly, with the live calendar on higher tiers. Helious covers the US macro job from a free key, $14.99 on Starter and $39.99 on Pro: the calendar with the actual the second it prints, every release scored against its own history, Treasury auctions read within seconds, the curve and its regime, and an MCP server so an AI agent can ask for any of it in plain words.
| Helious | Trading Economics | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price for the data a macro trader needs | Free key $0; Starter $14.99; Pro $39.99 a month | Quoted, not published; reported from about $149 a month billed yearly |
| Cost per year | About $180 on Starter or $480 on Pro paid monthly, 25% off paid yearly | Reported from about $1,788, billed yearly |
| Free tier | Yes, 100 credits a month on a free key, no card | No; a trial capped at 100 requests |
| Economic calendar with forecast, prior and live result | Yes, every US release with forecast, prior and the actual the second it lands | Yes, 196 countries, the core product |
| Releases scored on print, in standard deviations | Yes, every US release, against its own history | No, forecast and actual only; the surprise is your work |
| Treasury auction results with the tail and bidders | Yes, within seconds: tail, bid to cover, bidder split and a verdict | Not covered |
| Treasury curve and regime | Yes, 3 month bill to 30 year bond, 2s10s, and the regime named | Bond yields as series, no regime |
| Answers open with a plain sentence | Yes, every answer opens with the finished sentence, then the numbers | No, numbers only |
| MCP server for AI agents | Yes, 24 tools at one address, no glue code | No official server |
| History | 7 days free, 12 months Starter, 24 months Pro, 10 years Ultimate | Decades, 20 million series |
| Calls a minute | 60 free, 90 Starter, 120 Pro, 300 Ultimate, per key | Set by the plan |
| Live stream | Yes, a WebSocket on Pro and Ultimate | Yes, calendar updates on higher tiers |
| Redistribution | Personal on Free to Pro; Ultimate at $99 allows redistribution | Priced by distribution |
Go with Trading Economics if you model many countries at once, you need deep global history and forecasts, and the subscription is a firm expense.
Go with Helious if you trade US rates, Treasuries, index futures or FX around the US calendar, you want the print read as it lands, and you want a price you can see before you sign up.
There is a longer piece on what is the best financial news source if you want the whole category. Or go and look at the live news feed, the economic calendar and the Treasury auction results.
Competitor names are the trademarks of their respective owners. Prices shown are approximate list prices as of October 2026 and change without notice. Check each provider for current pricing. This is our own view of the market, offered as general information and not financial advice.
