Alpha Vantage
alphavantage.co
REST API for stocks, forex, crypto, commodities, economic data and 50+ indicators; free at 25 requests a day, with options and real-time data on premium.
What it is
Alpha Vantage is a REST API covering a wide range of data from one key: US stock time series with 25+ years of daily history, fundamentals and earnings estimates, news and sentiment, insider and congressional trades, forex, crypto, commodities, US economic indicators and more than 50 technical indicators. Responses come as JSON or CSV, there are guides for Python, Node, PHP and C#, and an MCP server connects it to AI assistants. The company says it is a NASDAQ-licensed US market data provider.
Most endpoints work on a free key, but the free limit is tight at 25 requests a day, and by default stock data is historical: the quote endpoint updates at the end of each trading day for free users. Premium plans remove the daily limit and are priced by requests per minute, from 75 at $49.99 a month to 1,200 at $249.99. All premium tiers unlock the premium endpoints, but index data needs the 150-per-minute plan or higher.
Several features traders look for are premium only: intraday and adjusted daily series, realtime bulk quotes, VWAP and MACD, and both options endpoints (a realtime US options chain and historical chains back to 2008 with Greeks and implied volatility). Realtime and 15-minute delayed US data also need an entitlement step after payment, and premium plans are for personal use; commercial use goes through sales.
Key features
- Stock time series
- Daily, weekly and monthly series with 25+ years of history; intraday at 1, 5, 15, 30 and 60 minutes is a premium endpoint.
- Options data
- Realtime US option chains and historical chains for any date since 2008 with Greeks and IV, plus put-call ratio signals; premium only.
- Technical indicators
- More than 50 precomputed indicators such as SMA, EMA, RSI, Bollinger Bands and ADX; VWAP and MACD are premium.
- Fundamentals and Alpha Intelligence
- Company overview, income statement, balance sheet, cash flow, earnings estimates, news sentiment, insider and congressional trades.
- Forex, crypto and commodities
- Exchange rates and series for currencies and digital assets, plus gold, silver, oil and agricultural prices.
- Economic indicators
- US series such as real GDP, Treasury yields, inflation and unemployment.
- Spreadsheets and MCP
- Spreadsheet add-ons and an MCP server so AI assistants can query the data.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 25 API requests per day; most endpoints, historical and end-of-day data |
| Premium 75 | $49.99/mo | 75 requests/min, no daily limit, premium endpoints |
| Premium 150 | $99.99/mo | 150 requests/min; also unlocks index data |
| Premium 300 | $149.99/mo | 300 requests/min |
| Premium 600 | $199.99/mo | 600 requests/min |
| Premium 1200 | $249.99/mo | 1,200 requests/min |
Annual plans are offered with two months off and are listed at $499, $999, $1,499, $1,999 and $2,499 for the same five tiers. Realtime and 15-minute delayed US data need an entitlement set up after payment through Alpha Vantage's Alpha X Terminal portal. Premium plans are for personal use; commercial use and higher request rates are by contact with sales.
Free option: A free API key with 25 requests a day for most endpoints: historical daily stock data, fundamentals, forex, crypto, commodities, economic indicators and most technical indicators. Intraday, options, index and realtime data are premium.
Checked October 8, 2026 on alphavantage.co. Prices change; confirm on the provider's site before you subscribe.
Strengths
- Very broad coverage from one key: stocks, options, forex, crypto, commodities, fundamentals and economics
- More than 50 precomputed technical indicators save writing your own
- Historical options chains back to 2008 with Greeks and implied volatility on premium
- Simple query-string requests with JSON or CSV output
Limitations
- The free plan is limited to 25 requests a day
- Intraday data, options, index data and realtime quotes all require a premium plan
- Free stock quotes update at the end of the trading day
- Realtime and delayed US data need an extra entitlement step and are licensed for personal use
Good fit for
- Hobbyists and students learning to work with market data
- Developers who want many asset classes and indicators from one API
- Options researchers who need historical chains with Greeks at a retail price
Look elsewhere if
- Apps that need many free requests a day
- Commercial products that need realtime data without a sales agreement
Compare
Alternatives to Alpha Vantage
Alpha Vantage questions
Is Alpha Vantage free?
Yes, a free key allows 25 requests a day and covers most endpoints. Premium plans start at $49.99 a month for 75 requests a minute with no daily limit.
Does Alpha Vantage have options data?
Yes, but only on premium plans: a realtime US options chain and historical chains back to 2008 with Greeks and implied volatility.
Is Alpha Vantage data real time?
Free data is historical, with quotes updated at the end of the trading day. Premium plans can request realtime or 15-minute delayed US data after setting up an entitlement.
What is the Alpha Vantage rate limit?
25 requests a day on the free plan. Premium plans allow 75 to 1,200 requests a minute depending on the tier, and higher limits are available from sales.
Can I use Alpha Vantage in Excel or with AI tools?
Alpha Vantage offers spreadsheet add-ons and an MCP server, and its documentation includes code guides for Python, Node, PHP and C#.
Written from Alpha Vantage's own website and documentation. All Trading Tools lists and compares tools; it does not recommend trades or give financial advice. Sources: alphavantage.co, alphavantage.co/premium, alphavantage.co/documentation.