★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Tool comparison edition
Tool Comparison
Fiscal.ai vs SEC API (sec-api.io)
Pick Fiscal.ai if
Fiscal.ai
Free • From $39/mo · Web · API
- You want the cheaper way in: plans start at $39/mo instead of $55/mo
- You care about stock ideas, screeners, and stock comparison, things SEC API (sec-api.io) doesn't offer
- You're a long-term investor who cares more about fundamentals than headlines
Pick SEC API (sec-api.io) if
SEC API (sec-api.io)
Free • From $55/mo · Web · API
- You care about regulatory filings monitoring, management compensation, and IPO, things Fiscal.ai 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
Fiscal.ai and SEC API (sec-api.io) cover a lot of the same ground (4 shared categories, including institutional ownership, financials, and insider data), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. Fiscal.ai simply does more: 29 categories to SEC API (sec-api.io)'s 7, including stock ideas, screeners, and stock comparison. SEC API (sec-api.io) counters by keeping things simpler.
What readers say
Fiscal.ai
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
- Fiscal.ai$39/mo vs $55/mo
- Free trial
- Fiscal.ai7 days
- Broader coverage
- Fiscal.ai29 vs 7 categories
- Global coverage
- Fiscal.ai
- 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 $39/mo | Free • From $55/mo |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | 7 days | — |
Plan limits | 37 limits: Terminal - Free: financials history (annual): 10, Terminal - Free: financials history (quarterly): 6 +35 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 |
Mobile app | No | No |
API access | Yes | Yes |
Broker sync | No | No |
Integrations | MCP, Claude Connector +7 more | — |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +11 more | — |
Categories covered | 29 | 7 |
Regions | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa | North America |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | 3 signals: Latency: Real-time, 15-min Delayed, and End of Day, Granularity: EOD +1 more | Latency: Real-time |
Data partners | 5 partners: Fiscal.ai Data Feed, S&P Global Market Intelligence +3 more | — |
Capabilities | 6 signals: Custom formulas, Universe builder +4 more | — |
Security | SOC2 and Status page | — |
| Try it | Visit Fiscal.ai | Visit SEC API (sec-api.io) |
Where each one shines
What Fiscal.ai and SEC API (sec-api.io) each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What Fiscal.ai and SEC API (sec-api.io) each do best.What Fiscal.ai does best
- Research coverage for global stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and funds through dashboards, watchlists, portfolio views, visualizations, fundamentals, estimates, transcripts, filings, news, and event data.
- AI Copilot, AI summaries, and AI-generated reports to speed up earnings review, filing review, peer comparison, financial analysis, and company research.
- Analysis of fundamentals, ratios, standardized financials, as-reported data, adjusted metrics, segment data, KPIs, analyst estimates, revisions, ratings, and price targets.
- Packaged Fiscal Skills in MCP clients for financial pulls, three-statement models, segment and KPI work, comp sets, valuation, industry reports, ownership activity, filing discovery, quality scores, and earnings reactions.
- Trace research back to source filings, transcripts, slides, company news, investor-relations material, and source-to-filing images or PDFs where supported.
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 Fiscal.ai and SEC API (sec-api.io), side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for Fiscal.ai and SEC API (sec-api.io), side by side.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksETFsMutual FundsFunds | StocksETFsMutual FundsFunds |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Retail TradersPro RetailInstitutional InvestorsAnalystsQuants/DevelopersLong-term InvestorsValue InvestorsGrowth Investors+5 more | Not specified |
Regions | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica | North America |
Coverage details | Identifiers: Ticker, CUSIP, ISIN, and FIGI | Countries: USIdentifiers: Ticker and CUSIP |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | Real-time15-min DelayedEnd of Day | Real-time |
Data granularity | EOD | Not specified |
Data partners | Fiscal.ai Data FeedS&P Global Market IntelligenceMorningstarYChartsPerplexity | Not specified |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | REST | RESTWebSocket |
API auth & delivery | Auth: APIKeyWebhooks50 req/minDocs | Auth: APIKeySDKs: Python |
Import methods | Manual | Not specified |
Integrations | MCPClaude ConnectorChatGPTCodex CLICursorVS Code CopilotGemini CLIPerplexity+1 more | Not specified |
Export formats | CSVImagePDF | JSONPDF |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | SOC2Status page | Not specified |
Capability signals | Custom formulasUniverse builderPerformance attributionPortfolio attributionCitation pinningAI summaries: Filings, Transcripts, and News | Not specified |
Vendor & support | Stratosphere Technology Inc.Country: CanadaFounded 2021Support: Email | Data2Value GmbHSupport: Email |
Curation ratings | Methodology 5/5Reliability 4/5UX 5/5 | 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“Terminal - Free”financials history (annual): 10 · financials history (quarterly): 6 · +8 more | Free“Free Tier”api calls: 100 |
| Entry paid plan | $39/mo“Terminal - Pro (Monthly)”financials history (annual): 15 · financials history (quarterly): 20 · +10 more | $55/mo“Personal & Startups”query api rate limit: 20 requests/second/API key |
| Top plan | $199/mo“Terminal - Enterprise (Monthly)”financials history (annual): 20+ · financials history (quarterly): 40+ · +10 more | $239/mo“Business (Internal Use)”query api rate limit: 40 requests/second/API key |
| Custom / enterprise | Contact sales“API - Paid” | Contact sales“Enterprise & Institutions” |
| Free trial | 7 days | — |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between Fiscal.ai and SEC API (sec-api.io)?
Fiscal.ai leans toward stock ideas, screeners, and stock comparison, while SEC API (sec-api.io) puts more weight on APIs & data feeds, regulatory filings monitoring, and insider data. They overlap in 4 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do Fiscal.ai and SEC API (sec-api.io) cost?
Good news: both Fiscal.ai 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 Fiscal.ai 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 Fiscal.ai or SEC API (sec-api.io)?
It depends on what you're after. Pick Fiscal.ai if stock ideas and screeners 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.
Do Fiscal.ai 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: Fiscal.ai or SEC API (sec-api.io)?
Fiscal.ai 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 Fiscal.ai and SEC API (sec-api.io)?
Fiscal.ai exports to CSV. SEC API (sec-api.io) is stingier about getting data out.
Which has a better stock screener: Fiscal.ai or SEC API (sec-api.io)?
Fiscal.ai has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; SEC API (sec-api.io) doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
Can I track my portfolio with Fiscal.ai or SEC API (sec-api.io)?
Fiscal.ai handles portfolio tracking. SEC API (sec-api.io) is really a research tool; you'd track your portfolio elsewhere.
Feedback
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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.