BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON

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Checked September 24, 2026

Tool Comparison

Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) vs SEC API (sec-api.io)

Paid from
$22/mo
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web, Desktop, API

Best if

  • You want the cheaper way in: plans start at $22/mo instead of $55/mo
  • You want screeners, news, and calendar.
Paid from
$55/mo
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web, API

Best if

  • You want regulatory filings monitoring and management compensation.
Most versatile pick

Start here

Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) logo

Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)

site.financialmodelingprep.comTested

Free • From $264/yr · Web · Desktop · API

  • You want the cheaper way in: plans start at $22/mo instead of $55/mo
  • You want screeners, news, and calendar.

Pick SEC API (sec-api.io) instead if

SEC API (sec-api.io) logo

SEC API (sec-api.io)

sec-api.ioTested

Free • From $55/mo · Web · API

  • You want regulatory filings monitoring and management compensation.

Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.

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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.

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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 the full side-by-side table
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) logo

What Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) does best

  1. Use one API for market data, fundamentals, news, calendars, macro indicators, ESG, ownership, analyst data, transcripts, funds, crypto, foreign exchange, and commodities.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Access to standardized and as-reported financial statements, key metrics, ratios, financial scores, enterprise values, segment revenue, DCF models, and other valuation metrics.
  5. Calendar and corporate-action endpoints for earnings, IPO prospectuses, dividends, splits, economic releases, and related event research.
SEC API (sec-api.io) logo

What SEC API (sec-api.io) does best

  1. Search tools across SEC filings through query and full-text APIs covering all EDGAR form types and historical filings back to 1993.
  2. Real-time WebSocket filing streams when new SEC filings need to trigger alerts, workflows, or downstream processing quickly.
  3. Convert XBRL filings to standardized JSON financial statements for income statement, balance sheet, cash flow, and US GAAP line-item workflows.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

Side by side

Pricing & plans
Starting price
Free • From $264/yr
Free • From $55/mo
Free tier
Yes
Yes
Free trial
—
—
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
—
Coverage & data
Asset types
StocksETFsMutual FundsFundsCurrenciesCryptosCommoditiesOther
StocksETFsMutual FundsFunds
Target audience
Retail TradersPro RetailInstitutional InvestorsQuants/DevelopersAnalystsAsset ManagersHedge FundsStudents/Researchers
Not specified
Data freshness
StreamingReal-timeEnd of Day
Real-time
Data granularity
MinuteEOD
Not specified
Export formats
CSVJSON
JSONPDF

Pricing comparison

Free plan
Free“Basic”
Free“Free Tier”
Entry paid plan
$264/yr≈ $22/mo“Starter”
$55/mo“Personal & Startups”
Tier 2
$708/yr≈ $59/mo“Premium”
$239/mo“Business (Internal Use)”
Top plan
$1788/yr≈ $149/mo“Ultimate”
—
Custom / enterprise
Contact sales“Enterprise”
Contact sales“Enterprise & Institutions”

See for yourself

Side by side

Price, platforms, data, and market coverage.
Show
Side-by-side comparison of Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and SEC API (sec-api.io)
Attribute
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) logo
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)
SEC API (sec-api.io) logo
SEC API (sec-api.io)
Pricing & plans
Starting price
Free • From $264/yrFree • From $55/mo
Free tier
YesYes
Free trial
——
Plan limits
23 limits: Basic: api calls per day: 250, Basic: timeframe: End of Day +21 more9 limits: Free Tier: api calls: 100, Personal & Startups: query api rate limit: 20 requests/second/API key +7 more
Platforms & access
Web app
YesYes
Desktop app
YesNo
Mobile app
NoNo
API access
YesYes
Broker sync
—No
Integrations
Excel Add-in, Google Sheets Add-on +3 more—
Audience & fit
Experience level
Beginner, Intermediate, AdvancedBeginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Best for
Retail Traders, Pro Retail +6 more—
Categories covered
197
Regions
North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, AfricaNorth America
Data & capabilities
Data quality
4 signals: Latency: Streaming, Real-time, and End of Day, Granularity: Minute and EOD +2 moreLatency: Real-time
Capabilities
Universe builder and Yield curves—
Security
SOC2 and Status page—
Try itVisit Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)Visit SEC API (sec-api.io)

Standout features

The best features of Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and SEC API (sec-api.io).
Show
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) logo

What Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) does best

  1. Use one API for market data, fundamentals, news, calendars, macro indicators, ESG, ownership, analyst data, transcripts, funds, crypto, foreign exchange, and commodities.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Access to standardized and as-reported financial statements, key metrics, ratios, financial scores, enterprise values, segment revenue, DCF models, and other valuation metrics.
  5. Calendar and corporate-action endpoints for earnings, IPO prospectuses, dividends, splits, economic releases, and related event research.
SEC API (sec-api.io) logo

What SEC API (sec-api.io) does best

  1. Search tools across SEC filings through query and full-text APIs covering all EDGAR form types and historical filings back to 1993.
  2. Real-time WebSocket filing streams when new SEC filings need to trigger alerts, workflows, or downstream processing quickly.
  3. Convert XBRL filings to standardized JSON financial statements for income statement, balance sheet, cash flow, and US GAAP line-item workflows.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

All details

Every attribute we track for Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and SEC API (sec-api.io).
Show
Attribute
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) logo
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)
SEC API (sec-api.io) logo
SEC API (sec-api.io)
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 and TS
Integrations
Excel Add-inGoogle Sheets Add-onPerplexity AIFinance ToolkitWisesheets
Not specified
Export formats
CSVJSON
JSONPDF
Plans & trust
Security & compliance
SOC2Status 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.

Pricing

Plans, billing, free trials, and monthly prices.
Show
Plan-by-plan pricing comparison of Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and SEC API (sec-api.io)
Tier
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) logo
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)Cheaper start
SEC API (sec-api.io) logo
SEC API (sec-api.io)
Free plan
Free“Basic”api calls per day: 250 · timeframe: End of Day · +3 more
Free“Free Tier”api calls: 100
Entry paid plan
$264/yr≈ $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 · included download gbper month: 50 · +2 more
Tier 2
$708/yr≈ $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 · included download gbper month: 100 · +2 more
Top plan
$1788/yr≈ $149/mo“Ultimate”api calls per minute: 3,000 · historical years: 30+ · +3 more
—
Custom / enterprise
Contact sales“Enterprise”api calls per minute: 3,000+ · bandwidth30 day: 1TB+ · +1 more
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.

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