VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Sunday, October 5, 2025

View Open Payments (CMS)View OTC Markets Back to Home

Head-to-head

Open Payments (CMS) vs OTC Markets comparison

Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.

Quick takeaways

Open Payments (CMS) adds Data Visualizations coverage that OTC Markets skips.

OTC Markets includes Order Book / Level II, News, Ticker Changes, Splits, Dividends, and Screeners categories that Open Payments (CMS) omits.

Open Payments (CMS) highlights: Three core datasets each year: General Payments, Research Payments, and Ownership/Investment Interests., Web search/explorer with filtering and charts; program year downloads available from the portal., and Open Data API (ODA) for programmatic access with filtering, querying, and aggregation (SoQL‑style)..

OTC Markets is known for: Real‑Time Level 1+ (inside bid/offer + trades) and Level 2+ (full quote book with market participant IDs) data products; Delayed Level 1+ on a 15‑minute basis; End‑of‑Day snapshots., Level 2 quote montage specification (fields: MPID, price, QAP, size, time‑of‑update) and display requirements., and Reference & pricing files (security master with optional CUSIP), plus End‑of‑Day pricing files; secure SFTP delivery supported..

Open Payments (CMS)

openpaymentsdata.cms.gov

U.S. federal open‑data program (Affordable Care Act ‘Sunshine Act’) that publishes financial relationships between drug/device manufacturers (and GPOs) and healthcare providers (physicians, NPPs since PY2021, and teaching hospitals). CMS publishes the prior program year’s full datasets on or before June 30 each year and issues a January refresh. Data are accessible via the web search tool, bulk downloads, and a REST Open Data API (filter, query, aggregate).

Platforms

Web

API

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

Three core datasets each year: General Payments, Research Payments, and Ownership/Investment Interests.
Web search/explorer with filtering and charts; program year downloads available from the portal.
Open Data API (ODA) for programmatic access with filtering, querying, and aggregation (SoQL‑style).
Publication cadence: initial annual publication on/around June 30 for the prior year, plus a January data refresh.
Pre‑publication workflow: 45‑day recipient review & dispute (Apr 1–May 15) + 15‑day correction window (May 16–May 30).

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OTC Markets

otcmarkets.com

Primary operator and market data source for U.S. OTC equities via OTC Link ATS/ECN/NQB (SEC‑regulated ATSs). Commercial data products include Real‑Time Level 1+ (inside quote & trades), Level 2+ (full quote book with MPIDs), 15‑minute delayed Level 1+, End‑of‑Day, reference/security master, and compliance datasets (Blue Sky, Promotion/CE, Compliance Analytics). Delivery options include real‑time multicast feeds, SFTP/FTP files, and a REST Disclosure API. Website provides delayed quotes, corporate actions, screeners and issuer news (DNS).

Platforms

Web

API

Pricing

Free

Subscription

Quick highlights

Real‑Time Level 1+ (inside bid/offer + trades) and Level 2+ (full quote book with market participant IDs) data products; Delayed Level 1+ on a 15‑minute basis; End‑of‑Day snapshots.
Level 2 quote montage specification (fields: MPID, price, QAP, size, time‑of‑update) and display requirements.
Reference & pricing files (security master with optional CUSIP), plus End‑of‑Day pricing files; secure SFTP delivery supported.
Disclosure API (REST, JSON/CSV/XML) with app‑key auth; filter by symbol/CUSIP/company; document retrieval; plan‑level rate‑limit guidance.
Compliance & regulatory data: Blue Sky Data (state eligibility monitoring), Promotion Data file (Caveat Emptor/tier/share data), and Compliance Analytics (multi‑factor risk scoring).

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Overlap

Shared focus areas

3 overlaps

Mutual strengths include Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, and Regulatory Filings Monitoring.

Where they differ

Open Payments (CMS)

Distinct strengths include:

Data Visualizations

Three core datasets each year: General Payments, Research Payments, and Ownership/Investment Interests.
Web search/explorer with filtering and charts; program year downloads available from the portal.
Open Data API (ODA) for programmatic access with filtering, querying, and aggregation (SoQL‑style).
Publication cadence: initial annual publication on/around June 30 for the prior year, plus a January data refresh.

OTC Markets

Distinct strengths include:

Order Book / Level II

Real‑Time Level 1+ (inside bid/offer + trades) and Level 2+ (full quote book with market participant IDs) data products; Delayed Level 1+ on a 15‑minute basis; End‑of‑Day snapshots.
Level 2 quote montage specification (fields: MPID, price, QAP, size, time‑of‑update) and display requirements.
Reference & pricing files (security master with optional CUSIP), plus End‑of‑Day pricing files; secure SFTP delivery supported.
Disclosure API (REST, JSON/CSV/XML) with app‑key auth; filter by symbol/CUSIP/company; document retrieval; plan‑level rate‑limit guidance.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

Attribute	Open Payments (CMS)	OTC Markets
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets	Shared: Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, Regulatory Filings Monitoring Unique: Data Visualizations	Shared: Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, Regulatory Filings Monitoring Unique: Order Book / Level II, News, Ticker Changes, Splits, Dividends, Screeners
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes	Other	Stocks, Bonds
Experience levels Who each product is built for	Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced	Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Platforms Where you can access the product	Web, API	Web, API
Pricing High-level pricing models	Free	Free, Subscription
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor	Unique Three core datasets each year: General Payments, Research Payments, and Ownership/Investment Interests. Web search/explorer with filtering and charts; program year downloads available from the portal. Open Data API (ODA) for programmatic access with filtering, querying, and aggregation (SoQL‑style). Publication cadence: initial annual publication on/around June 30 for the prior year, plus a January data refresh. Pre‑publication workflow: 45‑day recipient review & dispute (Apr 1–May 15) + 15‑day correction window (May 16–May 30). Supplemental/lookup tables (e.g., Covered Recipient Profile Supplement; distinct physician profile) to aid joins.	Unique Real‑Time Level 1+ (inside bid/offer + trades) and Level 2+ (full quote book with market participant IDs) data products; Delayed Level 1+ on a 15‑minute basis; End‑of‑Day snapshots. Level 2 quote montage specification (fields: MPID, price, QAP, size, time‑of‑update) and display requirements. Reference & pricing files (security master with optional CUSIP), plus End‑of‑Day pricing files; secure SFTP delivery supported. Disclosure API (REST, JSON/CSV/XML) with app‑key auth; filter by symbol/CUSIP/company; document retrieval; plan‑level rate‑limit guidance. Compliance & regulatory data: Blue Sky Data (state eligibility monitoring), Promotion Data file (Caveat Emptor/tier/share data), and Compliance Analytics (multi‑factor risk scoring). Coverage of OTC Link ATS via MIC 'OTCM'; OTC Link ATS/ECN/NQB each operate as SEC‑regulated ATSs.
Tested Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat	Not yet	Not yet
Editor pick Featured inside curated shortlists	Standard listing	Standard listing

Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do Open Payments (CMS) and OTC Markets both support?

Both platforms cover Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, and Regulatory Filings Monitoring workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Do Open Payments (CMS) and OTC Markets require subscriptions?

Both Open Payments (CMS) and OTC Markets keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

How can you access Open Payments (CMS) and OTC Markets?

Both Open Payments (CMS) and OTC Markets prioritize web or desktop access. Investors wanting a mobile-first workflow may need to rely on responsive web views.

What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?

Open Payments (CMS) differentiates itself with Three core datasets each year: General Payments, Research Payments, and Ownership/Investment Interests., Web search/explorer with filtering and charts; program year downloads available from the portal., and Open Data API (ODA) for programmatic access with filtering, querying, and aggregation (SoQL‑style)., whereas OTC Markets stands out for Real‑Time Level 1+ (inside bid/offer + trades) and Level 2+ (full quote book with market participant IDs) data products; Delayed Level 1+ on a 15‑minute basis; End‑of‑Day snapshots., Level 2 quote montage specification (fields: MPID, price, QAP, size, time‑of‑update) and display requirements., and Reference & pricing files (security master with optional CUSIP), plus End‑of‑Day pricing files; secure SFTP delivery supported..

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