★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Tool comparison edition
Tool Comparison
Alpha Vantage vs SEC API (sec-api.io)
Pick Alpha Vantage if
Alpha Vantage
Free • Contact for pricing · Web · API
- You care about news, news sentiment, and market sentiment, things SEC API (sec-api.io) doesn't offer
Pick SEC API (sec-api.io) if
SEC API (sec-api.io)
Free • From $55/mo · Web · API
- You care about regulatory filings monitoring, institutional ownership, and management compensation, things Alpha Vantage doesn't offer
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
See alternativesOutbound links may include affiliate or sponsor codes.
Our take
The bottom line
Alpha Vantage and SEC API (sec-api.io) cover a lot of the same ground (4 shared categories, including APIs & data feeds, IPO, and financials), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. Alpha Vantage simply does more: 18 categories to SEC API (sec-api.io)'s 7, including news, news sentiment, and market sentiment. SEC API (sec-api.io) counters by keeping things simpler.
What readers say
Alpha Vantage
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
SEC API (sec-api.io)
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
Key differences at a glance
- Global coverage
- Alpha Vantage
- Broader coverage
- Alpha Vantage18 vs 7 categories
- Asset coverage
- Alpha VantageAdds options and currencies
- Free plan
- Both
See for yourself
How they stack up
The side-by-side table: pricing, platforms, data, and coverage at a glance.ShowHide
How they stack up
The side-by-side table: pricing, platforms, data, and coverage at a glance.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Free • Contact for pricing | Free • From $55/mo |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | 4 limits: Free: api requests per day: 25, Premium membership (personal use): api requests per day: No enforced daily cap (governed by per‑minute rate). +2 more | 3 limits: Free Tier: api calls: 100, Personal & Startups: query api rate limit: 20 requests/second/API key +1 more |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | No | No |
API access | Yes | Yes |
Broker sync | No | No |
Integrations | Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets +1 more | — |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Retail Traders, Institutional Investors +3 more | — |
Categories covered | 18 | 7 |
Regions | North America, Europe, APAC | North America |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | 3 signals: Latency: Real-time, 15-min Delayed, and End of Day, Granularity: Minute and EOD +1 more | Latency: Real-time |
Data partners | Nasdaq | — |
Capabilities | Greeks and Yield curves | — |
| Try it | Visit Alpha Vantage | Visit SEC API (sec-api.io) |
Where each one shines
What Alpha Vantage and SEC API (sec-api.io) each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What Alpha Vantage and SEC API (sec-api.io) each do best.What Alpha Vantage does best
- REST APIs for global stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, FX, crypto, commodities, options, technical indicators, fundamentals, and macroeconomic indicators.
- Access to daily, weekly, monthly, and intraday equity time series with split and dividend adjustment support where available.
- U.S. options endpoints for realtime and historical option chains with Greeks and implied-volatility fields on premium access.
- Access to fundamentals such as company overview, income statement, balance sheet, cash flow, dividends, splits, shares outstanding, ETF profile and holdings, listings, earnings, and calendars.
- Alpha Intelligence endpoints for market news, sentiment, earnings call transcripts, top gainers and losers, insider transactions, and analytics.
What SEC API (sec-api.io) does best
- Search tools across SEC filings through query and full-text APIs covering all EDGAR form types and historical filings back to 1993.
- Real-time WebSocket filing streams when new SEC filings need to trigger alerts, workflows, or downstream processing quickly.
- Convert XBRL filings to standardized JSON financial statements for income statement, balance sheet, cash flow, and US GAAP line-item workflows.
- Extract clean filing sections such as MD&A, Risk Factors, and other 10-K, 10-Q, or 8-K sections for research or AI pipelines.
- Access to specialized APIs for Forms 3/4/5, 13F, 13D/G, Form 144, ADV, S-1, 424B4, Form C, Form D, Reg A, N-PORT, N-PX, and N-CEN data.
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for Alpha Vantage and SEC API (sec-api.io), side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for Alpha Vantage and SEC API (sec-api.io), side by side.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksETFsMutual FundsOptionsCurrenciesCryptosCommoditiesFunds | StocksETFsMutual FundsFunds |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Retail TradersInstitutional InvestorsQuants/DevelopersAnalystsStudents/Researchers | Not specified |
Regions | North AmericaEuropeAPAC | North America |
Coverage details | 6 countriesIdentifiers: Ticker | Countries: USIdentifiers: Ticker and CUSIP |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | Real-time15-min DelayedEnd of Day | Real-time |
Data granularity | MinuteEOD | Not specified |
Data partners | Nasdaq | Not specified |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | REST | RESTWebSocket |
API auth & delivery | Auth: APIKeyDocs | Auth: APIKeySDKs: Python |
Integrations | Microsoft ExcelGoogle SheetsMCP / AI agents (Claude, VS Code, Cursor, etc.) | Not specified |
Export formats | CSVJSON | JSONPDF |
| Plans & trust | ||
Capability signals | GreeksYield curves | Not specified |
Vendor & support | Alpha Vantage Inc.Country: USSupport: Email | Data2Value GmbHSupport: Email |
Curation ratings | Not specified | Methodology 4/5Reliability 4/5UX 4/5 |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
What you'll actually pay
Plans, billing, trials, and per-month pricing for both tools.ShowHide
What you'll actually pay
Plans, billing, trials, and per-month pricing for both tools.| Tier | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Freeapi requests per day: 25 | Free“Free Tier”api calls: 100 |
| Entry paid plan | Subscription“Premium membership (personal use)”api requests per day: No enforced daily cap (governed by per‑minute rate). · api requests per minute: 75, 150, 300, 600 or 1200 depending on plan. · +1 more | $55/mo“Personal & Startups”query api rate limit: 20 requests/second/API key |
| Top plan | — | $239/mo“Business (Internal Use)”query api rate limit: 40 requests/second/API key |
| Custom / enterprise | Contact sales“Commercial / enterprise licensing” | Contact sales“Enterprise & Institutions” |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between Alpha Vantage and SEC API (sec-api.io)?
Alpha Vantage leans toward APIs & data feeds, news, and news sentiment, while SEC API (sec-api.io) puts more weight on APIs & data feeds, regulatory filings monitoring, and insider data. They overlap in 4 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do Alpha Vantage and SEC API (sec-api.io) cost?
Good news: both Alpha Vantage and SEC API (sec-api.io) have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Do Alpha Vantage and SEC API (sec-api.io) have APIs?
Yes, both offer API access, so developers and quants can pull data programmatically or wire up their own integrations.
Should I choose Alpha Vantage or SEC API (sec-api.io)?
It depends on what you're after. Pick Alpha Vantage if news and news sentiment matter to you; go with SEC API (sec-api.io) if you'd rather have regulatory filings monitoring and institutional ownership. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do Alpha Vantage and SEC API (sec-api.io) cover?
Both cover stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and funds. Alpha Vantage also handles options, currencies, and cryptos.
Do Alpha Vantage and SEC API (sec-api.io) offer real-time data?
Yes, both serve real-time market data, so either works when timing matters.
Which covers international markets: Alpha Vantage or SEC API (sec-api.io)?
Alpha Vantage has documented international coverage (North America, Europe, and APAC), so it's the safer bet if you hold non-US stocks. SEC API (sec-api.io) is more region-specific, mainly North America.
Can I export data from Alpha Vantage and SEC API (sec-api.io)?
Alpha Vantage exports to CSV. SEC API (sec-api.io) is stingier about getting data out.
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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.