Polygon.io (Massive) Alternatives (2026)
Polygon.io rebranded to Massive (massive.com) on October 30, 2025; api.polygon.io still resolves, accounts carried over, and the Stocks pricing ladder is unchanged. The rebrand is not the reason to switch: the real fit issue is product segmentation. The Stocks Advanced tier delivers real-time equities, but options chains and tick-level microstructure are separate, pricier products, and the free tier is delayed-only. When your work needs what those add-on tiers cost extra for, a different vendor is cheaper. Each alternative below addresses a specific product gap, with prices verified against official pages on 2026-05-26.
On This Page
A developer-first market-data API for US stocks, options, indices, forex, and crypto, rebranded from Polygon.io to Massive (massive.com) on October 30, 2025. The API, accounts, and integrations carried over; api.polygon.io still resolves alongside the new api.massive.com base. Stocks pricing is a flat monthly ladder: Starter $29/month and Developer $79/month (15-minute-delayed), with Advanced at $199/month for real-time and unlimited API calls. A free tier offers end-of-day data at 5 requests/minute. Options, indices, and currencies are sold as separate products on their own tiers.
The Alternatives
4 options worth a look
A licensed market-data provider delivering normalized real-time and historical data across 60-plus venues. It is the alternative you reach for when you need tick-level and Level 2 depth that Polygon's aggregated equities feed does not match.
Pros
- Pay-as-you-go historical data from roughly $0.50 per gigabyte, with $125 in signup credits to evaluate
- Venue-level L2 and L3 schemas suited to microstructure research, deeper than Polygon's aggregated feed
- Covers listed futures (CME) and OPRA options that Polygon sells only as separate, pricier products
Cons
- Metered billing scales aggressively for large or speculative backfills, unlike a flat monthly fee
- Live and bundled historical access moved to subscriptions: CME Standard $179/month, OPRA Standard $199/month
- No bundled brokerage; data only, so execution needs a separate vendor
Best for: Microstructure and tick-level research where Level 2 depth and venue schemas justify metered pricing
Market data bundled with a US brokerage and trading API, so one account streams quotes and places orders. The Basic plan is free; Algo Trader Plus adds full real-time SIP data and real-time OPRA options.
Pros
- Basic market data is free with any trading account, including paper accounts (IEX feed, 15-minute-delayed via API)
- Algo Trader Plus ($99/month) unlocks 100% US-exchange real-time data plus real-time options, cheaper than Polygon Advanced
- Tight integration with the brokerage API removes a second vendor when you also need execution
Cons
- Coverage centers on US equities, options, and crypto; no listed futures or indices product like Polygon
- Free tier is IEX-only (about 2 percent of consolidated volume), so backtests on it are partial
- You are tied to Alpaca's brokerage relationship to get the best data terms
Best for: Algo traders who want execution and data from one vendor and live in US equities and options
A research-grade provider focused on end-of-day prices, fundamentals, and news at budget prices. It is the alternative when you do not need real-time tick data and want a low fixed bill for long-horizon work.
Pros
- Cheap entry: a low-cost Power tier covers EOD prices, fundamentals, and news in one plan
- Strong fundamentals and news coverage relative to price, good for long-horizon equity research
- Simple flat pricing with no metered surprises
Cons
- No real-time tick streaming or Level 2 depth; intraday is limited versus Polygon Advanced
- No options or listed-futures coverage
- Not suited to execution-sensitive or microstructure strategies
Best for: Long-horizon equity research on EOD prices plus fundamentals where real-time is not required
A fundamentals-first API with 100-plus endpoints covering financial statements, ratios, DCF valuations, earnings transcripts, insider trades, and SEC filings, with intraday prices on higher tiers.
Pros
- Generous free tier (250 requests/day, EOD data) to prototype before paying
- Deep fundamentals: statements, ratios, transcripts, and SEC filings in one account
- Flat budget tiers: Starter $19/month, Premium $49/month, Ultimate $99/month
Cons
- Price-data depth and real-time coverage trail a dedicated market-data vendor like Polygon Advanced
- Lower tiers cap historical depth and intraday resolution
- No options chains or Level 2 microstructure data
Best for: Builders who need deep fundamentals and filings cheaply and treat price data as secondary
Decision Table
See the tradeoffs side by side
| Criterion | Polygon (Massive) | Databento | Alpaca | FMP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Flat monthly tiers | Pay-as-you-go $/GB + plans | Free + $99/mo upgrade | Free + flat tiers |
| Real-time entry | Advanced $199/mo | Subscription per venue | Algo Trader Plus $99/mo | Premium $49/mo (intraday) |
| Asset coverage | Stocks, options, FX, crypto, indices | Equities, futures, options | US equities, options, crypto | Stocks + fundamentals |
| Microstructure depth | Aggregated, lighter depth | Venue-level L2/L3 | Retail-scale | None (EOD/intraday bars) |
| Fundamentals | Limited | No | No | Deep (statements, filings) |
| Bundled execution | No | No | Yes (brokerage) | No |
Verdict
If you want a predictable flat bill for real-time US equities, Polygon.io (now Massive) on the $199/month Advanced tier is still the cleanest default, and the rebrand changes nothing operationally. Switch for fit, not the name: choose Databento when you need tick-level and Level 2 depth, Alpaca when you also want a brokerage and your world is US equities and options, Tiingo when long-horizon EOD prices plus fundamentals matter more than real-time, and Financial Modeling Prep when deep fundamentals and filings on a budget are the job and price data is secondary. Run your own volume through a data-vendor TCO model before deciding; the headline rate rarely matches your real bill.
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FAQ
Questions people ask next
The short answers readers usually want after the first pass.
Sources & References
- Polygon.io is Now Massive — Massive Blog (accessed 2026-05-26)
- Massive Pricing — Massive (accessed 2026-05-26)
- Databento Pricing — Databento (accessed 2026-05-26)
- Alpaca Market Data Plans — Alpaca (accessed 2026-05-26)
- Financial Modeling Prep Pricing Plans — Financial Modeling Prep (accessed 2026-05-26)
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