Alpha Vantage VS Databento
Head-to-head market data API comparison.
UPDATED 2026-05-27 · 7 axes scored
WINNER · DATABENTO · 3/7 AXES
Quick Decision
▶ PICK ALPHA VANTAGE IF DATA-API
- Beginners
- Homework / hobby projects
- Technical indicator data
- Fundamentals screening
▶ PICK DATABENTO IF DATA-API
- Quant researchers
- HFT developers
- Backtesting engines
- Academic research
Side-by-Side Matrix
| METRIC | ALPHA VANTAGE | DATABENTO |
|---|---|---|
| API Quality | 3/5 | 5/5 |
| Doc Quality | 3/5 | 5/5 |
| Data Latency | minute | tick |
| SDK Languages | 5 languages | 6 languages |
| Free Tier | Yes | Yes |
| Affiliate Program | No | No |
| Asset Coverage Breadth | 5 classes | 5 classes |
| Asset Coverage | US Equities · Global Equities · Forex · Crypto · Commodities | US Equities · US Futures · US Options · Crypto · FX |
| Historical Depth | 20+ years (daily); intraday 1-2 months on free | 2004–present (varies by dataset) |
| Starting Price | $0/mo | From $0 |
| Rate Limits | Free: 25/day; paid plans from 75/min up to 1200/min | No hard rate limits on historical; live feed by subscription tier |
Asset Class Coverage
Where the two providers overlap and where each has unique coverage.
| ASSET CLASS | ALPHA VANTAGE | DATABENTO |
|---|---|---|
| Commodities | ✓ Covered | — |
| Crypto | ✓ Covered | ✓ Covered |
| FX | — | ✓ Covered |
| Forex | ✓ Covered | — |
| Global Equities | ✓ Covered | — |
| US Equities | ✓ Covered | ✓ Covered |
| US Futures | — | ✓ Covered |
| US Options | — | ✓ Covered |
| TOTAL CLASSES | 5 | 5 |
Only Alpha Vantage
Global Equities · Forex · Commodities
Only Databento
US Futures · US Options · FX
Shared · 2
US Equities · Crypto
Pricing Tier Map
Full tier ladder side-by-side · names and prices as published by each provider · 6 vs 4 tiers.
ALPHA VANTAGE · 6 TIERS FREE TIER
01
Free $0/mo
25 req/day, no real-time
02
75 req/min $49.99/mo
75 requests/min, no daily limits
03
150 req/min $99.99/mo
150 requests/min, no daily limits
04
300 req/min $149.99/mo
300 requests/min, no daily limits
05
600 req/min $199.99/mo
600 requests/min, no daily limits
06
1200 req/min $249.99/mo
1200 requests/min, no daily limits
▲ Free Tier · Free: 25 API requests/day, no real-time
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
Technical Stack Fit
SDK languages and data formats determine integration cost for your existing codebase.
| DIMENSION | ALPHA VANTAGE | DATABENTO |
|---|---|---|
| API Types | REST | REST · WebSocket · SDK |
| SDK Languages | Python · JavaScript · Java · PHP · C# | Python · Rust · C++ · Go · Java · C# |
| Data Formats | JSON · CSV | DBZ (native) · CSV · JSON · Parquet |
| Rate Limits | Free: 25/day; paid plans from 75/min up to 1200/min | No hard rate limits on historical; live feed by subscription tier |
| Latency Class | minute | tick |
Fit Profile
ALPHA VANTAGE · PROFILE DATA-API
Best For
- Beginners
- Homework / hobby projects
- Technical indicator data
- Fundamentals screening
Not Ideal For
- Production trading systems
- Real-time needs on free tier
- Tick data
Full Alpha Vantage Review
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
Adjacent Comparisons
Related matchups — same category first, then cross-category for context.
Alpha Vantage vs Polygon.io (now Massive)Databento vs Polygon.io (now Massive)Alpha Vantage vs AlpacaDatabento vs AlpacaAlpha Vantage vs IEX Cloud (Discontinued)Databento vs IEX Cloud (Discontinued)Alpha Vantage vs FinnhubDatabento vs FinnhubAlpha Vantage vs Twelve DataDatabento vs Twelve DataAlpha Vantage vs EODHD (EOD Historical Data)Databento vs EODHD (EOD Historical Data)Alpha Vantage vs FinazonDatabento vs FinazonAlpha Vantage vs OANDADatabento vs OANDA