★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Tool comparison edition
Tool Comparison
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) vs SEC.gov (EDGAR)
Pick Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) if
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)
Free • From $22/mo · Web · Desktop · API
- You care about screeners, news, and calendar, things SEC.gov (EDGAR) doesn't offer
Pick SEC.gov (EDGAR) if
SEC.gov (EDGAR)
Free · Web · API
- You care about official sources, regulatory filings monitoring, and improved filings, 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.gov (EDGAR) cover a lot of the same ground (4 shared categories, including APIs & data feeds, IPO, and institutional ownership), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) simply does more: 19 categories to SEC.gov (EDGAR)'s 9, including screeners, news, and calendar. SEC.gov (EDGAR) counters by being completely free.
What readers say
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
SEC.gov (EDGAR)
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
Key differences at a glance
- Global coverage
- Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)
- Broader coverage
- Financial Modeling Prep (FMP)19 vs 9 categories
- Desktop app
- 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 |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | 20 limits: Basic: api calls per day: 250, Basic: timeframe: End of Day +18 more | Free: automated access policy: Automated access is monitored; the current max request rate is 10 req... |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Desktop app | Yes | No |
Mobile app | No | No |
API access | Yes | Yes |
Integrations | Excel Add-in, Google Sheets Add-on +3 more | data.sec.gov public APIs, EDGAR RSS Feeds +2 more |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +6 more | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +4 more |
Categories covered | 19 | 9 |
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 and Timezone: America/New_York |
Capabilities | Universe builder and Yield curves | — |
Security | Status page | — |
| Try it | Visit Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) | Visit SEC.gov (EDGAR) |
Where each one shines
What Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and SEC.gov (EDGAR) each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and SEC.gov (EDGAR) 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.gov (EDGAR) does best
- Search tools across and open official EDGAR filings for U.S. public companies, funds, insiders, institutional managers, IPOs, registration statements, proxy materials, and current reports.
- Company Search, Full Text Search, Latest Filings, Mutual Fund Search, CIK lookup, SIC lookup, EDGAR RSS feeds, and filing assistance tools from one official source.
- Search tools across full filing text since 2001, including exhibits and attachments, with filters for ticker, company, CIK, reporter name, form type, filing date, location, and incorporation jurisdiction.
- Monitoring latest filings in near real time and use RSS feeds or search pages as the practical free alert layer for public users.
- Data.sec.gov public APIs for company submission histories and XBRL-derived companyconcept, companyfacts, and frames data are available without an API key.
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and SEC.gov (EDGAR), side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and SEC.gov (EDGAR), 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 | Retail TradersPro RetailInstitutional InvestorsAnalystsQuants/DevelopersStudents/Researchers |
Regions | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica | North America |
Coverage details | Identifiers: Ticker, CUSIP, ISIN, and CIK | Countries: USIdentifiers: CIK and Ticker |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | StreamingReal-timeEnd of Day | Real-time |
Data granularity | MinuteEOD | Not specified |
Pricing sources | Exchange | Not specified |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | RESTWebSocket | REST |
API auth & delivery | Auth: APIKeySDKs: Python, R, and GoDocs | Auth: NoneDocs |
Integrations | Excel Add-inGoogle Sheets Add-onPerplexity AIFinance ToolkitWisesheets | data.sec.gov public APIsEDGAR RSS FeedsEDGAR Public Dissemination Service (PDS)EDGAR API Development Toolkit for filers |
Export formats | CSVJSON | JSONXMLPDF |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | Status page | Not specified |
Capability signals | Universe builderYield curves | Not specified |
Vendor & support | Financial Modeling PrepSupport: Email and Chat | U.S. Securities and Exchange CommissionCountry: United StatesSupport: Email |
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 | Freeautomated access policy: Automated access is monitored; the current max request rate is 10 req... |
| Entry paid plan | $22/mo“Starter”api calls per minute: 300 · historical years: 5 · +3 more | — |
| Tier 2 | $59/mo“Premium”api calls per minute: 750 · historical years: 30 · +3 more | — |
| Top plan | $149/mo“Ultimate”api calls per minute: 3,000 · historical years: 30+ · +3 more | — |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and SEC.gov (EDGAR)?
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) leans toward screeners, APIs & data feeds, and news, while SEC.gov (EDGAR) puts more weight on official sources, regulatory filings monitoring, and improved filings. They overlap in 4 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and SEC.gov (EDGAR) cost?
Good news: both Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and SEC.gov (EDGAR) 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.gov (EDGAR) 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.gov (EDGAR)?
It depends on what you're after. Pick Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) if screeners and news matter to you; go with SEC.gov (EDGAR) if you'd rather have official sources and regulatory filings monitoring. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and SEC.gov (EDGAR) 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.gov (EDGAR) 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.gov (EDGAR)?
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.gov (EDGAR) is more region-specific, mainly North America.
Can I export data from Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and SEC.gov (EDGAR)?
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) exports to CSV. SEC.gov (EDGAR) is stingier about getting data out.
Which has a better stock screener: Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) or SEC.gov (EDGAR)?
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; SEC.gov (EDGAR) 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.