Alpaca vs Polygon.io (now Massive)
Head-to-head comparison of two trading data providers. Updated 2026-05-24.
Overall winner: Polygon.io (now Massive) — wins 1 of 6 comparison axes.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Alpaca | Polygon.io (now Massive) |
|---|---|---|
| API Quality | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Doc Quality | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Free Tier | Yes | Yes |
| Affiliate Program | No | No |
| Data Latency | second | tick |
| SDK Languages | 4 languages | 5 languages ✓ |
| Asset Coverage | US Equities, US Options, Crypto | US Equities, US Options, Forex, Crypto, Global Indices |
| Historical Depth | 2016–present (minute bars); limited tick | 2003–present (equities) |
| Starting Price | $0/mo | $0/mo |
| Rate Limits | 200 req/min free; higher on paid plans | Free: 5/min; Starter: 15/min; Developer+: unlimited |
Alpaca: Best For
- Retail algo traders
- Python quants
- Paper trading bots
- US equity automation
Not Ideal For
- International markets
- Deep historical tick data
- Options analytics
Polygon.io (now Massive): Best For
- Algo traders
- Fintech app developers
- Options traders
- Crypto quants
Not Ideal For
- Tick-level HFT (DBZ format not available)
- Institutional order book depth
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