UI vs API vs Open-Source

ForecastOS is designed to meet users where they are in the research-to-production lifecycle. You can interact with the platform through the UI, the API, or open-source PyPI module (which uses the API).

Below is a practical guide to choosing the right interface.

When to Use the UI

The ForecastOS UI is best suited for discovery, exploration, and decision-making, especially when you want fast iteration without writing code.

Ideal use cases

  • Exploring trends, narratives, and exposures interactively
  • Validating hypotheses
  • Comparing factors, signals, and historical behaviour visually
  • Sharing insights with teammates, PMs, or stakeholders

Why the UI works well

  • Point-and-click access to complex datasets and derived signals
  • Built-in visualization
  • Designed for collaboration

Typical users

  • Portfolio managers
  • Researchers doing exploratory analysis
  • Investment committees

When to Use the API / Open-Source

The ForecastOS API and open-source are designed for automation, production workflows, and technical research.

Ideal use cases

  • Integrating ForecastOS data into live or backtesting pipelines
  • Systematic portfolio construction and optimisation
  • Large-scale historical analysis or research
  • Extending ForecastOS outputs with internal data

Why the API / Open-Source works well

  • Bulk access to data / outputs (especially via open-source)
  • Designed for institutional data workflows
  • Freedom to modify and extend

Typical users

  • Quant researchers
  • Data scientists
  • Engineers
  • Systematic investment teams

A Common Pattern: UI → API / Open-Source

A typical workflow looks like this:

  1. Explore ideas in the UI
  2. Operationalise the signals via the API or open-source

When possible, the UI is great for quick exploration.

Summary

If you’re unsure where to start: start in the UI, then move to the API / open-source as your use case matures or you need to download and work with all of the data.

Next: The Choice Is Yours

What's next is up to you:

  • Check out Why Hivemind if you want to dive into Hivemind.
  • Check out Why FeatureHub if you want to explore FeatureHub.
  • Check out Why InvestOS if you want to check out our open-source portfolio construction and backtesting solution.