Databento VS Finnhub
Head-to-head market data API comparison.
UPDATED 2026-05-27 · 7 axes scored
WINNER · DATABENTO · 3/7 AXES
Quick Decision
▶ PICK DATABENTO IF DATA-API
- Quant researchers
- HFT developers
- Backtesting engines
- Academic research
▶ PICK FINNHUB IF DATA-API
- Indie developers
- Screener apps
- Sentiment / news analytics
- Global equities
Side-by-Side Matrix
| METRIC | DATABENTO | FINNHUB |
|---|---|---|
| API Quality | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| Doc Quality | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| Data Latency | tick | second |
| SDK Languages | 6 languages | 5 languages |
| Free Tier | Yes | Yes |
| Affiliate Program | No | No |
| Asset Coverage Breadth | 5 classes | 5 classes |
| Asset Coverage | US Equities · US Futures · US Options · Crypto · FX | US Equities · Global Equities · Forex · Crypto · ETFs |
| Historical Depth | 2004–present (varies by dataset) | 30+ years (daily); 1 year intraday on free |
| Starting Price | From $0 | $0/mo |
| Rate Limits | No hard rate limits on historical; live feed by subscription tier | Free: 60/min; paid: 300/min |
Asset Class Coverage
Where the two providers overlap and where each has unique coverage.
| ASSET CLASS | DATABENTO | FINNHUB |
|---|---|---|
| Crypto | ✓ Covered | ✓ Covered |
| ETFs | — | ✓ Covered |
| FX | ✓ Covered | — |
| Forex | — | ✓ Covered |
| Global Equities | — | ✓ Covered |
| US Equities | ✓ Covered | ✓ Covered |
| US Futures | ✓ Covered | — |
| US Options | ✓ Covered | — |
| TOTAL CLASSES | 5 | 5 |
Only Databento
US Futures · US Options · FX
Only Finnhub
Global Equities · Forex · ETFs
Shared · 2
US Equities · Crypto
Pricing Tier Map
Full tier ladder side-by-side · names and prices as published by each provider · 4 vs 2 tiers.
DATABENTO · 4 TIERS FREE TIER
01
Usage-based From $0
Pay-as-you-go for historical data; no subscription
02
Standard $199/mo
Monthly subscription for individuals and small teams
03
Plus Per-contract
For investment firms and institutional service providers
04
Unlimited Per-contract
Complete historical access for institutional users
▲ Free Tier · $125 in free credits for new users (6-month expiry); usable on historical data
FINNHUB · 2 TIERS FREE TIER
01
Free $0/mo
60 calls/min, real-time US + global quotes
02
All-In-One $50/mo
300 calls/min, premium datasets, financials
▲ Free Tier · Free: 60 API calls/min, real-time quotes, WebSocket trades
Technical Stack Fit
SDK languages and data formats determine integration cost for your existing codebase.
| DIMENSION | DATABENTO | FINNHUB |
|---|---|---|
| API Types | REST · WebSocket · SDK | REST · WebSocket |
| SDK Languages | Python · Rust · C++ · Go · Java · C# | Python · JavaScript · Go · Ruby · PHP |
| Data Formats | DBZ (native) · CSV · JSON · Parquet | JSON |
| Rate Limits | No hard rate limits on historical; live feed by subscription tier | Free: 60/min; paid: 300/min |
| Latency Class | tick | second |
Fit Profile
DATABENTO · PROFILE DATA-API
Best For
- Quant researchers
- HFT developers
- Backtesting engines
- Academic research
Not Ideal For
- Retail traders needing cheap real-time quotes
- Non-technical users
Full Databento Review
FINNHUB · PROFILE DATA-API
Best For
- Indie developers
- Screener apps
- Sentiment / news analytics
- Global equities
Not Ideal For
- Tick data / HFT
- Deep intraday history free tier
- Futures
Full Finnhub Review
Adjacent Comparisons
Related matchups — same category first, then cross-category for context.
Databento vs Polygon.io (now Massive)Finnhub vs Polygon.io (now Massive)Databento vs AlpacaFinnhub vs AlpacaDatabento vs IEX Cloud (Discontinued)Finnhub vs IEX Cloud (Discontinued)Databento vs Alpha VantageFinnhub vs Alpha VantageDatabento vs Twelve DataFinnhub vs Twelve DataDatabento vs EODHD (EOD Historical Data)Finnhub vs EODHD (EOD Historical Data)Databento vs FinazonFinnhub vs FinazonDatabento vs OANDAFinnhub vs OANDA