Alpaca VS Financial Modeling Prep
Head-to-head market data API comparison.
UPDATED 2026-05-27 · 7 axes scored
Quick Decision
▶ PICK ALPACA IF DATA-API
- Retail algo traders
- Python quants
- Paper trading bots
- US equity automation
▶ PICK FINANCIAL MODELING PREP IF DATA-API
- Fundamentals research
- Budget-conscious devs
- Multi-asset portfolio apps
- DCF / valuation tools
- 13F institutional tracking
Side-by-Side Matrix
| METRIC | ALPACA | FINANCIAL MODELING PREP |
|---|---|---|
| API Quality | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Doc Quality | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Data Latency | second | minute |
| SDK Languages | 4 languages | 2 languages |
| Free Tier | Yes | Yes |
| Affiliate Program | No | No |
| Asset Coverage Breadth | 3 classes | 9 classes |
| Asset Coverage | US Equities · US Options · Crypto | US Equities · Global Equities · ETFs · Mutual Funds · Global Indices · Forex · Crypto · Commodities · Macroeconomic |
| Historical Depth | 7+ years (minute bars); limited tick | 5 years (free/Starter) to 30+ years (Premium+); 1-min intraday on Ultimate |
| Starting Price | $0/mo | $0/mo |
| Rate Limits | Free: 200 req/min; Algo Trader Plus: up to 10,000 req/min | Free: 250/day; Starter: 300/min; Premium: 750/min; Ultimate: 3,000/min |
Asset Class Coverage
Where the two providers overlap and where each has unique coverage.
| ASSET CLASS | ALPACA | FINANCIAL MODELING PREP |
|---|---|---|
| Commodities | — | ✓ Covered |
| Crypto | ✓ Covered | ✓ Covered |
| ETFs | — | ✓ Covered |
| Forex | — | ✓ Covered |
| Global Equities | — | ✓ Covered |
| Global Indices | — | ✓ Covered |
| Macroeconomic | — | ✓ Covered |
| Mutual Funds | — | ✓ Covered |
| US Equities | ✓ Covered | ✓ Covered |
| US Options | ✓ Covered | — |
| TOTAL CLASSES | 3 | 9 |
Only Alpaca
US Options
Only Financial Modeling Prep
Global Equities · ETFs · Mutual Funds · Global Indices · Forex · Commodities · Macroeconomic
Shared · 2
US Equities · Crypto
Pricing Tier Map
Full tier ladder side-by-side · names and prices as published by each provider · 2 vs 4 tiers.
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)
FINANCIAL MODELING PREP · 4 TIERS FREE TIER
01
Free $0/mo
250 calls/day, EOD only, 5-year history
02
Starter $22/mo
300 calls/min, US coverage, 5-year history, annual fundamentals
03
Premium $59/mo
750 calls/min, UK+Canada added, 30-year history, intraday, technicals
04
Ultimate $149/mo
3,000 calls/min, global coverage, 1-min intraday, 13F, transcripts, 150GB
▲ Free Tier · 250 calls/day, EOD only, 5-year history, 150+ endpoints
Technical Stack Fit
SDK languages and data formats determine integration cost for your existing codebase.
| DIMENSION | ALPACA | FINANCIAL MODELING PREP |
|---|---|---|
| API Types | REST · WebSocket · SDK | REST · SDK |
| SDK Languages | Python · JavaScript · Go · C# | Python (community) · JavaScript (community) |
| Data Formats | JSON | JSON |
| Rate Limits | Free: 200 req/min; Algo Trader Plus: up to 10,000 req/min | Free: 250/day; Starter: 300/min; Premium: 750/min; Ultimate: 3,000/min |
| Latency Class | second | minute |
Fit Profile
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
FINANCIAL MODELING PREP · PROFILE DATA-API
Best For
- Fundamentals research
- Budget-conscious devs
- Multi-asset portfolio apps
- DCF / valuation tools
- 13F institutional tracking
Not Ideal For
- Real-time HFT
- Tick-level order book
- Sub-second latency requirements
Full Financial Modeling Prep Review
Adjacent Comparisons
Related matchups — same category first, then cross-category for context.
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