Tool Comparison
Databento vs Marketstack
- Paid from
- $199/mo, billed monthly
- Free plan
- No
- Platforms
- Web, API
Best if
- You want order book / level II and options.
- Paid from
- $9.99/mo, billed monthly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web, API
Best if
- You'd rather start free and only pay if you outgrow it
- You want a lower paid starting price: $9.99/mo, billed monthly instead of $199/mo, billed monthly
- You want ETF analysis and analyst ratings & price targets.
Pick Databento if
Databento
From $199/mo, billed monthly · Web · API
- You want order book / level II and options.
Pick Marketstack if
Marketstack
Free • From $9.99/mo, billed monthly · Web · API
- You'd rather start free and only pay if you outgrow it
- You want a lower paid starting price: $9.99/mo, billed monthly instead of $199/mo, billed monthly
- You want ETF analysis and analyst ratings & price targets.
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
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Our take
The bottom line
Databento and Marketstack cover a lot of the same ground (3 shared categories, APIs & data feeds, dividends, and splits), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. Databento includes order book / level II and options, and Marketstack includes ETF analysis and analyst ratings & price targets.
What readers say
Databento
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Marketstack
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Key differences at a glance
- Free plan
- Marketstack
- Cheaper paid plan
- Marketstack$9.99/mo, billed monthly vs $199/mo, billed monthly
What Databento does best
- Historical downloads and live streaming for supported equities, equity options, futures, spreads, and options on futures.
- Schemas ranging from trades and OHLCV bars to top-of-book, market-by-price, and full market-by-order data.
- HTTP and raw TCP APIs, plus official Python, C++, and Rust client libraries.
- CSV, JSON, and Databento Binary Encoding output, with flat-file and packet-capture delivery where offered.
- Security-master, symbology, corporate-action, and adjustment data for supported products and venues.
What Marketstack does best
- V2 REST/JSON endpoints with API-key authentication for market data and reference data workflows.
- Starting point: end-of-day prices, adjusted fields, splits, dividends, ticker metadata, exchange metadata, currencies, and timezones.
- Historical date ranges for EOD history, with deeper history available on paid tiers.
- Intraday bar intervals down to one minute where plan access and endpoint limits allow.
- Upgrade to Professional or higher for real-time-style updates, real-time stock price endpoints, and commodities endpoints.
Side by side
Pricing comparison
See for yourself
Side by side
Price, platforms, data, and market coverage.ShowHide
Side by side
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | From $199/mo, billed monthly | Free • From $9.99/mo, billed monthly |
Free tier | No | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | — | 12 limits: Free: requests per month: 100, Free: history: 1 year +10 more |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | No | No |
API access | Yes | Yes |
Broker sync | — | No |
Integrations | Python client, C++ client +1 more | — |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Intermediate, Advanced | Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Quants/Developers, Algo Traders +2 more | Quants/Developers, Analysts +2 more |
Categories covered | 5 | 5 |
Regions | North America, Europe | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | 3 signals: Latency: Streaming and Real-time, Granularity: Tick, Second, Minute, and EOD +1 more | 4 signals: Latency: End of Day and Real-time, Granularity: EOD and Minute +2 more |
Data partners | — | Tiingo |
Security | — | Status page and Encryption in transit |
| Try it | Visit Databento | Visit Marketstack |
Standout features
The best features of Databento and Marketstack.ShowHide
Standout features
What Databento does best
- Historical downloads and live streaming for supported equities, equity options, futures, spreads, and options on futures.
- Schemas ranging from trades and OHLCV bars to top-of-book, market-by-price, and full market-by-order data.
- HTTP and raw TCP APIs, plus official Python, C++, and Rust client libraries.
- CSV, JSON, and Databento Binary Encoding output, with flat-file and packet-capture delivery where offered.
- Security-master, symbology, corporate-action, and adjustment data for supported products and venues.
What Marketstack does best
- V2 REST/JSON endpoints with API-key authentication for market data and reference data workflows.
- Starting point: end-of-day prices, adjusted fields, splits, dividends, ticker metadata, exchange metadata, currencies, and timezones.
- Historical date ranges for EOD history, with deeper history available on paid tiers.
- Intraday bar intervals down to one minute where plan access and endpoint limits allow.
- Upgrade to Professional or higher for real-time-style updates, real-time stock price endpoints, and commodities endpoints.
All details
Every attribute we track for Databento and Marketstack.ShowHide
All details
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksETFsOptionsFutures | StocksETFsBondsCommoditiesOther |
Experience | IntermediateAdvanced | IntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Quants/DevelopersAlgo TradersInstitutional InvestorsHedge Funds | Quants/DevelopersAnalystsInstitutional InvestorsStudents/Researchers |
Regions | North AmericaEurope | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica |
Coverage details | Identifiers: Ticker | Identifiers: Ticker, CIK, ISIN, and CUSIP |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | StreamingReal-time | End of DayReal-time |
Data granularity | TickSecondMinuteEOD | EODMinute |
Data partners | Not specified | Tiingo |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | REST | REST |
API auth & delivery | Auth: APIKeySDKs: PythonDocs | Auth: APIKeyDocs |
Integrations | Python clientC++ clientRust client | Not specified |
Export formats | CSVJSON | Not specified |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | Not specified | Status pageEncryption in transit |
Vendor & support | Databento, Inc.Country: USSupport: Email and Chat | APILayerFounded 2018Support: Email |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
Pricing
Plans, billing, free trials, and monthly prices.ShowHide
Pricing
| Tier | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | — | Freerequests per month: 100 · history: 1 year · +1 more |
| Entry paid plan | $199/moBilled monthly“CME Standard” | $9.99/moBilled monthly“Basic”requests per month: 10,000 · overage per request usd: 0.004 · +2 more |
| Tier 2 | $1750/moBilled monthly“CME Plus” | $49.99/moBilled monthly“Professional”requests per month: 100,000 · overage per request usd: 0.002 · +1 more |
| Tier 3 | $4500/moBilled monthly“CME Unlimited” | $149.99/moBilled monthly“Business”requests per month: 500,000 · overage per request usd: 0.001 |
| Top plan | One-time“Usage-based historical” | — |
| Custom / enterprise | — | Contact sales“Enterprise” |
Alternatives
Free alternatives
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between Databento and Marketstack?
Databento leans toward APIs & data feeds, order book / level II, and options, while Marketstack puts more weight on APIs & data feeds, dividends, and splits. They overlap in 3 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
Is Databento or Marketstack free to use?
Marketstack has a free tier, so you can get started without paying anything. Databento is paid-only. If budget matters, start with Marketstack and see how far it takes you before opening your wallet.
Do Databento and Marketstack have APIs?
Yes, both offer API access, so developers and quants can pull data programmatically or wire up their own integrations.
Should I choose Databento or Marketstack?
It depends on what you're after. Pick Databento if order book / level II and options matter to you; go with Marketstack if you'd rather have ETF analysis and analyst ratings & price targets. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do Databento and Marketstack cover?
Both cover stocks and ETFs. Databento also handles options and futures. Marketstack adds bonds, commodities, and other on top.
Do Databento and Marketstack offer real-time data?
Yes, both serve real-time market data, so either works when timing matters.
Can I export data from Databento and Marketstack?
Databento exports to CSV. Marketstack 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.