ausdata.io vs the alternatives
Australian government data has good free tools already. Here's where ausdata.io fits and where it doesn't.
| Feature | ausdata.io | Raw ABS / RBA | readrba (R) | DBnomics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One API key for ABS, RBA, APRA, AEMO | partial | |||
| JSON responses (no SDMX, no XLS) | ||||
| Composed series (real wages, real cash rate, approvals vs migration) | ||||
| Python SDK | ||||
| R support | partial | |||
| MCP server for LLM agents | ||||
| Pulse webhooks on new releases | ||||
| Source URL + attribution in every response | partial | |||
| AUD billing | free | free | free | |
| Free tier | 500/mo |
Use raw ABS / RBA if…
You only need one series, once, and you're happy parsing SDMX or XLS by hand. It's free and it always will be. ausdata.io is a wrapper, not a replacement for the source.
Use readrba if…
You're an R user. Matt Cowgill's package is excellent and idiomatic for the tidyverse. ausdata.io doesn't ship an R client.
Use DBnomics if…
You need a global macro database (IMF, OECD, ECB) and Australian data is one slice of that. DBnomics is broader; ausdata.io is deeper on AU and ships composed series DBnomics doesn't.
Use ausdata.io if…
You're shipping a product or an LLM agent that needs live Australian numbers, with one auth key, JSON in, JSON out, citation-ready, and ideally a webhook when the data changes.