★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Tool comparison edition
Tool Comparison
Capitol Trades vs Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)
Capitol Trades
Best for US government trades and blogs
Free
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)
Best for screeners and APIs & data feeds
Free • From $22/mo
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The verdict
The bottom line
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) simply does more: 19 categories to Capitol Trades's 4, including screeners, APIs & data feeds, and calendar. Capitol Trades counters by being completely free. On paper they're closely matched, so let pricing, platform fit, and the details below break the tie.
Key differences at a glance
- Real-time data
- Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)
- Broader coverage
- Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)19 vs 4 categories
- Desktop app
- Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)
- API access
- Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)
- Global coverage
- Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)
- Free plan
- Both
Choose
Capitol Trades if…
- You care about US government trades, blogs, and newsletters, things Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) doesn't offer
Choose
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) if…
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You want an API so you can script or automate things
- You care about screeners, APIs & data feeds, and calendar, things Capitol Trades doesn't offer
- You've outgrown the basics and want pro-level depth
Comparison snapshot
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Free | Free • From $22/mo |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | Free: history: Website data restricted to the past 3 years | 20 limits: Basic: api calls per day: 250, Basic: timeframe: End of Day +18 more |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Desktop app | No | Yes |
Mobile app | No | No |
API access | No | Yes |
Integrations | — | Excel Add-in, Google Sheets Add-on +3 more |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +2 more | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +6 more |
Categories covered | 4 | 19 |
Regions | North America | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | — | 4 signals: Latency: Streaming, Real-time, and End of Day, Granularity: Minute and EOD +2 more |
Capabilities | Universe builder | Universe builder and Yield curves |
Security | — | Status page |
| Try it | Visit Capitol Trades | Visit Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) |
Standout features
What Capitol Trades does best
- Tracks U.S. politicians’ disclosed trades (Senate/Congress) and presents them via Trades, Politicians, and Issuers explorers.
- Claims “new trades and analytics are published as close to real-time as possible”; also offers a Twitter feed for newly published trades.
- Trade explorer supports multi-dimensional filtering (e.g., chamber, party, committee, state, asset type, transaction type, trade size, sector, issuer country).
- Trade detail pages show traded date, published date, filed date and “Reporting Gap”, owner (e.g., self/spouse/joint), asset type, and trade size ranges; includes “View Original Filing” links back to disclosures.
- Covers multiple disclosed asset types including stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, stock options, crypto, bonds, and private equity funds (as labeled on trade pages).
What Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) does best
- Multi‑asset data coverage via a single API: equities, ETFs, mutual funds, indexes, forex, crypto, commodities, macroeconomic indicators, ESG and ownership datasets, organized into Market Data, Fundamental & Company Data, News & Calendar Data, Advanced Data, Ownership and Other Markets.
- Real‑time quotes plus intraday (1‑minute, 5‑minute, 30‑minute, 1‑hour) and end‑of‑day historical bars for stocks and other assets; Premium and Ultimate tiers add intraday chart endpoints, technical indicators and up to 30+ years of history, with Ultimate including 1‑minute intraday charting and full historical access.
- Fundamental statement APIs with audited, standardized and as‑reported income statements, balance sheets and cash‑flow statements (annual, quarterly and TTM), plus key metrics, ratios, financial scores, enterprise values and product/geographic segment revenue breakdowns.
- Built‑in valuation and advanced metrics including DCF models, owner earnings and other formula‑based indicators documented in the Financial Formulas section, with a Custom DCF Calculator and Advanced Market Metrics (e.g., sector performance, technical indicators) available on higher‑tier plans.
- Economics APIs for treasury yield curves, macro indicators such as CPI, GDP and unemployment, economic‑data release calendars and market risk‑premium estimates, designed for macro research, forecasting and risk modeling.
Data & access details
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksETFsMutual FundsOptionsCryptosBondsPrivate FundsOther | StocksETFsMutual FundsFundsCurrenciesCryptosCommoditiesOther |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediate | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Retail TradersPro RetailAnalystsStudents/Researchers | Retail TradersPro RetailInstitutional InvestorsQuants/DevelopersAnalystsAsset ManagersHedge FundsStudents/Researchers |
Regions | North America | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica |
Coverage details | Identifiers: Ticker | Identifiers: Ticker, CUSIP, ISIN, and CIK |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | Not specified | StreamingReal-timeEnd of Day |
Data granularity | Not specified | MinuteEOD |
Pricing sources | Not specified | Exchange |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | Not specified | RESTWebSocket |
API auth & delivery | Not specified | Auth: APIKeySDKs: Python, R, and GoDocs |
Integrations | Not specified | Excel Add-inGoogle Sheets Add-onPerplexity AIFinance ToolkitWisesheets |
Export formats | Not specified | CSVJSON |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | Not specified | Status page |
Capability signals | Universe builder | Universe builderYield curves |
Vendor & support | 2iQ Research GmbHCountry: GermanySupport: Email and Phone | Financial Modeling PrepSupport: Email and Chat |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
Pricing breakdown
Free
Lower starting price
Plans & pricing
- history: Website data restricted to the past 3 years
$22/mo
Starting price
Plans & pricing
- api calls per day: 250
- timeframe: End of Day
- +3 more
- api calls per minute: 300
- historical years: 5
- +3 more
- api calls per minute: 750
- historical years: 30
- +3 more
- api calls per minute: 3,000
- historical years: 30+
- +3 more
Coverage overlap
Shared categories
1Where the two tools cover the same ground.
Capitol Trades strengths
3What you only get with Capitol Trades.
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) strengths
18Community category leaders
Vote sentiment comparison
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between Capitol Trades and Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)?
Capitol Trades leans toward US government trades, news, and blogs, while Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) puts more weight on screeners, APIs & data feeds, and news. They overlap in 1 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do Capitol Trades and Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) cost?
Good news: both Capitol Trades and Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Which is better for beginners: Capitol Trades or Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)?
Honestly, neither is aimed at beginners. Expect a learning curve either way; that's the trade-off for the depth they offer.
Does Capitol Trades or Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) have an API?
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) has an API for programmatic access and custom integrations. Capitol Trades doesn't, so you're working through its interface.
Should I choose Capitol Trades or Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)?
It depends on what you're after. Pick Capitol Trades if US government trades and blogs matter to you; go with Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) if you'd rather have screeners and APIs & data feeds. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do Capitol Trades and Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) cover?
Both cover stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and cryptos. Capitol Trades also handles options, bonds, and private funds. Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) adds funds, currencies, and commodities on top.
Does Capitol Trades or Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) have real-time data?
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) offers real-time data, which matters if you trade actively. Capitol Trades runs on delayed or end-of-day data, which is perfectly fine for longer-term investors who don't live and die by the tick.
Which covers international markets: Capitol Trades or Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)?
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) has documented international coverage (North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, and more), so it's the safer bet if you hold non-US stocks. Capitol Trades is more region-specific, mainly North America.
Can I export data from Capitol Trades and Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)?
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) exports to CSV. Capitol Trades is stingier about getting data out.
Which has a better stock screener: Capitol Trades or Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)?
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; Capitol Trades doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
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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.