★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Tool comparison edition
Tool Comparison
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) vs SEC API (sec-api.io)
Start here
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)
Free • From $22/mo · Web · Desktop · API
- You want the cheaper way in: plans start at $22/mo instead of $55/mo
- You care about screeners, news, and calendar, things SEC API (sec-api.io) doesn't offer
Pick SEC API (sec-api.io) instead if
SEC API (sec-api.io)
Free • From $55/mo · Web · API
- You care about regulatory filings monitoring and management compensation, things Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) 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
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and SEC API (sec-api.io) cover a lot of the same ground (5 shared categories, including APIs & data feeds, IPO, and financials), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) simply does more: 19 categories to SEC API (sec-api.io)'s 7, including screeners, news, and calendar. SEC API (sec-api.io) counters by keeping things simpler.
What readers say
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
SEC API (sec-api.io)
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
Key differences at a glance
- Cheaper paid plan
- Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)$22/mo vs $55/mo
- Broader coverage
- Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)19 vs 7 categories
- Desktop app
- Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)
- Global coverage
- Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)
- Asset coverage
- Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)Adds currencies and cryptos
- 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 • From $22/mo | Free • From $55/mo |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | 20 limits: Basic: api calls per day: 250, Basic: timeframe: End of Day +18 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 |
Desktop app | Yes | No |
Mobile app | No | No |
API access | Yes | Yes |
Broker sync | — | No |
Integrations | Excel Add-in, Google Sheets Add-on +3 more | — |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +6 more | — |
Categories covered | 19 | 7 |
Regions | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa | North America |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | 4 signals: Latency: Streaming, Real-time, and End of Day, Granularity: Minute and EOD +2 more | Latency: Real-time |
Capabilities | Universe builder and Yield curves | — |
Security | Status page | — |
| Try it | Visit Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) | Visit SEC API (sec-api.io) |
Where each one shines
What Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and SEC API (sec-api.io) each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and SEC API (sec-api.io) each do best.What Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) does best
- One API for market data, fundamentals, news, calendars, macro indicators, ESG, ownership, analyst data, transcripts, funds, crypto, forex, and commodities.
- Tools for building with REST endpoints, WebSocket streaming for real-time stocks, crypto, and FX, an API playground, documentation, changelog, cycle-time pages, and a public status page.
- Access to real-time quotes plus intraday and end-of-day historical bars, with higher tiers adding longer history, technical indicators, 1-minute intraday charting, and bulk delivery.
- Access to standardized and as-reported financial statements, key metrics, ratios, financial scores, enterprise values, segment revenue, DCF models, and other valuation metrics.
- Calendar and corporate-action endpoints for earnings, IPO prospectuses, dividends, splits, economic releases, and related event research.
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 Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and SEC API (sec-api.io), side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and SEC API (sec-api.io), side by side.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksETFsMutual FundsFundsCurrenciesCryptosCommoditiesOther | StocksETFsMutual FundsFunds |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Retail TradersPro RetailInstitutional InvestorsQuants/DevelopersAnalystsAsset ManagersHedge FundsStudents/Researchers | Not specified |
Regions | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica | North America |
Coverage details | Identifiers: Ticker, CUSIP, ISIN, and CIK | Countries: USIdentifiers: Ticker and CUSIP |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | StreamingReal-timeEnd of Day | Real-time |
Data granularity | MinuteEOD | Not specified |
Pricing sources | Exchange | Not specified |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | RESTWebSocket | RESTWebSocket |
API auth & delivery | Auth: APIKeySDKs: Python, R, and GoDocs | Auth: APIKeySDKs: Python |
Integrations | Excel Add-inGoogle Sheets Add-onPerplexity AIFinance ToolkitWisesheets | Not specified |
Export formats | CSVJSON | JSONPDF |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | Status page | Not specified |
Capability signals | Universe builderYield curves | Not specified |
Vendor & support | Financial Modeling PrepSupport: Email and Chat | 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 | Free“Basic”api calls per day: 250 · timeframe: End of Day · +3 more | Free“Free Tier”api calls: 100 |
| Entry paid plan | $22/mo“Starter”api calls per minute: 300 · historical years: 5 · +3 more | $55/mo“Personal & Startups”query api rate limit: 20 requests/second/API key |
| Tier 2 | $59/mo“Premium”api calls per minute: 750 · historical years: 30 · +3 more | $239/mo“Business (Internal Use)”query api rate limit: 40 requests/second/API key |
| Top plan | $149/mo“Ultimate”api calls per minute: 3,000 · historical years: 30+ · +3 more | — |
| Custom / enterprise | — | Contact sales“Enterprise & Institutions” |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and SEC API (sec-api.io)?
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) leans toward screeners, APIs & data feeds, and news, while SEC API (sec-api.io) puts more weight on APIs & data feeds, regulatory filings monitoring, and insider data. They overlap in 5 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and SEC API (sec-api.io) cost?
Good news: both Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) 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 Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) 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 Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) or SEC API (sec-api.io)?
It depends on what you're after. Pick Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) if screeners and news matter to you; go with SEC API (sec-api.io) if you'd rather have regulatory filings monitoring and management compensation. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and SEC API (sec-api.io) cover?
Both cover stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and funds. Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) also handles currencies, cryptos, and commodities.
Do Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) 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: Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) or SEC API (sec-api.io)?
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. SEC API (sec-api.io) is more region-specific, mainly North America.
Can I export data from Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and SEC API (sec-api.io)?
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) exports to CSV. SEC API (sec-api.io) is stingier about getting data out.
Which has a better stock screener: Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) or SEC API (sec-api.io)?
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; SEC API (sec-api.io) doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
Keep researching
More comparisons to check
Other tools you might like
Keep Exploring
Feedback
Spot stale pricing, missing features, or a comparison that feels off? Send feedback on the verdict, table, alternatives, or recommendation.
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.