Alpaca VS Tiingo
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 TIINGO IF DATA-API
- Indie devs
- News-driven systems
- Long-history backtesting (50+ yr)
- Multi-asset (equity + crypto + forex)
- Python users (mature SDK)
Side-by-Side Matrix
| METRIC | ALPACA | TIINGO |
|---|---|---|
| API Quality | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Doc Quality | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Data Latency | second | tick |
| SDK Languages | 4 languages | 2 languages |
| Free Tier | Yes | Yes |
| Affiliate Program | No | No |
| Asset Coverage Breadth | 3 classes | 7 classes |
| Asset Coverage | US Equities · US Options · Crypto | US Equities · ETFs · Mutual Funds · Crypto · Forex · News · Chinese Equities |
| Historical Depth | 7+ years (minute bars); limited tick | 50+ years (US equities, mutual funds) |
| Starting Price | $0/mo | $0/mo |
| Rate Limits | Free: 200 req/min; Algo Trader Plus: up to 10,000 req/min | Free: 50 req/hour, 1,000 req/day, 500 unique symbols/month; Power: unlimited unique symbols |
Asset Class Coverage
Where the two providers overlap and where each has unique coverage.
| ASSET CLASS | ALPACA | TIINGO |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese Equities | — | ✓ Covered |
| Crypto | ✓ Covered | ✓ Covered |
| ETFs | — | ✓ Covered |
| Forex | — | ✓ Covered |
| Mutual Funds | — | ✓ Covered |
| News | — | ✓ Covered |
| US Equities | ✓ Covered | ✓ Covered |
| US Options | ✓ Covered | — |
| TOTAL CLASSES | 3 | 7 |
Only Alpaca
US Options
Only Tiingo
ETFs · Mutual Funds · Forex · News · Chinese Equities
Shared · 2
US Equities · Crypto
Pricing Tier Map
Full tier ladder side-by-side · names and prices as published by each provider · 2 vs 3 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)
TIINGO · 3 TIERS FREE TIER
01
Free $0/mo
50 req/hour, 1,000 req/day, 500 unique symbols/month
02
Power $10/mo
Unlimited unique symbol API calls, unlimited saved screens, 15 custom indicators
03
Commercial Custom
Commercial license + commercial-use rights
▲ Free Tier · Free starter — 50 req/hour, 1,000 req/day, 500 unique symbols/month, EOD data
Technical Stack Fit
SDK languages and data formats determine integration cost for your existing codebase.
| DIMENSION | ALPACA | TIINGO |
|---|---|---|
| API Types | REST · WebSocket · SDK | REST · WebSocket · SDK |
| SDK Languages | Python · JavaScript · Go · C# | Python · JavaScript |
| Data Formats | JSON | JSON · CSV |
| Rate Limits | Free: 200 req/min; Algo Trader Plus: up to 10,000 req/min | Free: 50 req/hour, 1,000 req/day, 500 unique symbols/month; Power: unlimited unique symbols |
| Latency Class | second | tick |
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
TIINGO · PROFILE DATA-API
Best For
- Indie devs
- News-driven systems
- Long-history backtesting (50+ yr)
- Multi-asset (equity + crypto + forex)
- Python users (mature SDK)
Not Ideal For
- Tick-level options HFT
- L2 order book
- Sub-millisecond latency
Full Tiingo Review
Adjacent Comparisons
Related matchups — same category first, then cross-category for context.
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