AllTick VS Alpaca
Head-to-head market data API comparison.
UPDATED 2026-05-24 · 7 axes scored
WINNER · ALPACA · 3/7 AXES
Quick Decision
▶ PICK ALLTICK IF DATA-API
- HK/CN market coverage
- Multi-asset breadth
- Demo learners (free 10 symbols)
- Crypto + forex combined
▶ PICK ALPACA IF DATA-API
- Retail algo traders
- Python quants
- Paper trading bots
- US equity automation
▼ Skip both if
- Deep historical backtesting
Side-by-Side Matrix
| METRIC | ALLTICK | ALPACA |
|---|---|---|
| API Quality | 3/5 | 4/5 |
| Doc Quality | 3/5 | 4/5 |
| Data Latency | second | second |
| SDK Languages | 3 languages | 4 languages |
| Free Tier | Yes | Yes |
| Affiliate Program | No | No |
| Asset Coverage Breadth | 7 classes | 3 classes |
| Asset Coverage | US Equities · HK Equities · CN Equities · Forex · Crypto · Commodities · Global Indices | US Equities · US Options · Crypto |
| Historical Depth | 1-5 years depending on tier | 7+ years (minute bars); limited tick |
| Starting Price | $0/mo | $0/mo |
| Rate Limits | Free: 10/min; Basic: 60/min; Premium: 600/min; Pro+: 1,200/min | Free: 200 req/min; Algo Trader Plus: up to 10,000 req/min |
Asset Class Coverage
Where the two providers overlap and where each has unique coverage.
| ASSET CLASS | ALLTICK | ALPACA |
|---|---|---|
| CN Equities | ✓ Covered | — |
| Commodities | ✓ Covered | — |
| Crypto | ✓ Covered | ✓ Covered |
| Forex | ✓ Covered | — |
| Global Indices | ✓ Covered | — |
| HK Equities | ✓ Covered | — |
| US Equities | ✓ Covered | ✓ Covered |
| US Options | — | ✓ Covered |
| TOTAL CLASSES | 7 | 3 |
Only AllTick
HK Equities · CN Equities · Forex · Commodities · Global Indices
Only Alpaca
US Options
Shared · 2
US Equities · Crypto
Pricing Tier Map
Full tier ladder side-by-side · names and prices as published by each provider · 5 vs 2 tiers.
ALLTICK · 5 TIERS FREE TIER
01
Free $0/mo
10 demo symbols (USD/JPY, gold, oil, BTC, TSLA, etc.), 10 calls/min
02
Basic $99/mo
100 symbols, 60 calls/min, WebSocket support
03
Premium $199/mo
200 symbols, 600 calls/min, 3-year history, 3 WebSockets
04
Professional $399/mo
3,000 symbols, 1,200 calls/min, 5-year history, 10 WebSockets
05
All US Stocks $799/mo
~11,000 US stocks, 1,200 calls/min, recent 500 candles
▲ Free Tier · 10 demo symbols, 10 API calls/min, 1 year history
ALPACA · 2 TIERS FREE TIER
01
Free $0/mo
Real-time IEX data + paper trading
02
Algo Trader Plus $99/mo
SIP real-time data + unlimited API calls
▲ Free Tier · Free tier: real-time IEX feed, unlimited historical (15-min delay on SIP)
Technical Stack Fit
SDK languages and data formats determine integration cost for your existing codebase.
| DIMENSION | ALLTICK | ALPACA |
|---|---|---|
| API Types | REST · WebSocket | REST · WebSocket · SDK |
| SDK Languages | Python · JavaScript · C# | Python · JavaScript · Go · C# |
| Data Formats | JSON | JSON |
| Rate Limits | Free: 10/min; Basic: 60/min; Premium: 600/min; Pro+: 1,200/min | Free: 200 req/min; Algo Trader Plus: up to 10,000 req/min |
| Latency Class | second | second |
Fit Profile
ALLTICK · PROFILE DATA-API
Best For
- HK/CN market coverage
- Multi-asset breadth
- Demo learners (free 10 symbols)
- Crypto + forex combined
Not Ideal For
- Pure US equity HFT
- Tick-level order book
- Deep historical backtesting
Full AllTick Review
ALPACA · PROFILE DATA-API
Best For
- Retail algo traders
- Python quants
- Paper trading bots
- US equity automation
Not Ideal For
- International markets
- Deep historical tick data
- Options analytics
Full Alpaca Review
Adjacent Comparisons
Related matchups — same category first, then cross-category for context.
AllTick vs DatabentoAlpaca vs DatabentoAllTick vs Polygon.io (now Massive)Alpaca vs Polygon.io (now Massive)AllTick vs IEX Cloud (Discontinued)Alpaca vs IEX Cloud (Discontinued)AllTick vs FinnhubAlpaca vs FinnhubAllTick vs Alpha VantageAlpaca vs Alpha VantageAllTick vs Twelve DataAlpaca vs Twelve DataAllTick vs EODHD (EOD Historical Data)Alpaca vs EODHD (EOD Historical Data)AllTick vs FinazonAlpaca vs Finazon