★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Tool comparison edition
Tool Comparison
SEC API (sec-api.io) vs SEC EDGAR - Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings)
Pick SEC API (sec-api.io) instead if
SEC API (sec-api.io)
Free • From $55/mo · Web · API
- You care about financials and management compensation, things SEC EDGAR - Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings) doesn't offer
Start here
SEC EDGAR - Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings)
Free · Web · API
- You care about corporate actions & special situations, news, and alerts, things SEC API (sec-api.io) 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
SEC API (sec-api.io) and SEC EDGAR - Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings) cover a lot of the same ground (5 shared categories, including APIs & data feeds, regulatory filings monitoring, and insider data), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. SEC EDGAR - Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings) simply does more: 10 categories to SEC API (sec-api.io)'s 7, including corporate actions & special situations, news, and alerts. SEC API (sec-api.io) counters by keeping things simpler.
What readers say
SEC API (sec-api.io)
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
SEC EDGAR - Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings)
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Key differences at a glance
- Asset coverage
- SEC EDGAR - Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings)Adds closed-end funds and bonds
- Broader coverage
- SEC EDGAR - Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings)10 vs 7 categories
- 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 $55/mo | Free |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | 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 | — | EDGAR RSS Feeds, data.sec.gov (Submissions & XBRL APIs) +1 more |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | — | — |
Categories covered | 7 | 10 |
Regions | North America | North America |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | Latency: Real-time | 5 signals: Latency: Real-time and End of Day, Granularity: EOD +3 more |
Security | — | Data residency: US and Status page |
| Try it | Visit SEC API (sec-api.io) | Visit SEC EDGAR - Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings) |
Where each one shines
What SEC API (sec-api.io) and SEC EDGAR - Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings) each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What SEC API (sec-api.io) and SEC EDGAR - Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings) each do best.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.
What SEC EDGAR - Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings) does best
- Search tools across official SEC filings by company, ticker, CIK, person, filing type, filing category, date range, state, incorporation location, and full-text terms.
- Full-Text Search for filings and exhibits since 2001 when you need source documents rather than vendor summaries.
- Latest Filings to monitor newly submitted filings, including ownership Forms 3, 4, and 5 filters.
- Company Search, Mutual Fund Search, Variable Insurance Product Search, and CIK Lookup for issuer and fund discovery.
- Subscriptions to RSS feeds for latest filings and filtered searches when a no-cost monitoring workflow is enough.
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for SEC API (sec-api.io) and SEC EDGAR - Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings), side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for SEC API (sec-api.io) and SEC EDGAR - Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings), side by side.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksETFsMutual FundsFunds | StocksETFsMutual FundsClosed-End FundsBondsHedge FundsPrivate FundsReal Estate+1 more |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Regions | North America | North America |
Coverage details | Countries: USIdentifiers: Ticker and CUSIP | Countries: US4 exchangesIdentifiers: Ticker |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | Real-time | Real-timeEnd of Day |
Data granularity | Not specified | EOD |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | RESTWebSocket | REST |
API auth & delivery | Auth: APIKeySDKs: Python | Auth: None600 req/min |
Integrations | Not specified | EDGAR RSS Feedsdata.sec.gov (Submissions & XBRL APIs)EDGAR Public Dissemination Service (PDS) |
Export formats | JSONPDF | JSONXMLPDF |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | Not specified | Data residency: USStatus page |
Vendor & support | Data2Value GmbHSupport: Email | U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)Country: USSupport: Email and Phone |
Curation ratings | Methodology 4/5Reliability 4/5UX 4/5 | Methodology 5/5Reliability 5/5UX 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“Free Tier”api calls: 100 | Free |
| Entry paid plan | $55/mo“Personal & Startups”query api rate limit: 20 requests/second/API key | — |
| Top plan | $239/mo“Business (Internal Use)”query api rate limit: 40 requests/second/API key | — |
| Custom / enterprise | Contact sales“Enterprise & Institutions” | — |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between SEC API (sec-api.io) and SEC EDGAR - Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings)?
SEC API (sec-api.io) leans toward APIs & data feeds, regulatory filings monitoring, and insider data, while SEC EDGAR - Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings) puts more weight on regulatory filings monitoring, IPO, and corporate actions & special situations. They overlap in 5 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do SEC API (sec-api.io) and SEC EDGAR - Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings) cost?
Good news: both SEC API (sec-api.io) and SEC EDGAR - Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings) have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Do SEC API (sec-api.io) and SEC EDGAR - Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings) have APIs?
Yes, both offer API access, so developers and quants can pull data programmatically or wire up their own integrations.
Should I choose SEC API (sec-api.io) or SEC EDGAR - Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings)?
It depends on what you're after. Pick SEC API (sec-api.io) if financials and management compensation matter to you; go with SEC EDGAR - Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings) if you'd rather have corporate actions & special situations and news. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do SEC API (sec-api.io) and SEC EDGAR - Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings) cover?
Both cover stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and funds. SEC EDGAR - Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings) adds closed-end funds, bonds, and hedge funds on top.
Do SEC API (sec-api.io) and SEC EDGAR - Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings) offer real-time data?
Yes, both serve real-time market data, so either works when timing matters.
Keep researching
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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.