Best Free Finance APIs for Stock & Crypto Market Data in 2025: A Detailed Comparison
If you're building a Notion investment tracker, a crypto portfolio, or an automated trading tool, choosing the right finance API is crucial. But with so many options—Marketstack, Alpha Vantage, Financial Modeling Prep (FMP), and Yahoo Finance API (via RapidAPI)—which one is the best?
In this article, we compare the best free finance APIs for stock market data, real-time prices, forex, crypto, and fundamental analysis so you can pick the right one for your project.
What is a Finance API?
A finance API allows developers to access stock prices, crypto market data, forex rates, and financial reports through a simple request. These APIs are used for:
- ✅ Investment tracking (e.g., Notion dashboards)
- ✅ Algorithmic trading & backtesting
- ✅ Crypto & forex market data
- ✅ Fundamental stock analysis
Comparison: Marketstack vs. Alpha Vantage vs. Financial Modeling Prep vs. Yahoo Finance API
Let’s compare these free finance APIs based on data coverage, real-time access, pricing, and ease of use.
In this comparison, I have used these finance APIs:
1. Data Coverage & Features
| Feature | Marketstack | Alpha Vantage | Financial Modeling Prep | Yahoo Finance API |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Market Data | ✅ 70 exchanges | ✅ US & global stocks | ✅ 15 exchanges | ✅ Global stock data |
| Real-time Data | ❌ Delayed only (except premium) | ✅ Available (premium) | ✅ Available (premium) | ✅ Available (free & paid) |
| Historical Data | ✅ Up to 30 years | ✅ Long-term data | ✅ 5 years free account (30+ premium) | ✅ Comprehensive historical data |
| Forex & Crypto | ❌ No forex or crypto | ✅ Includes forex & crypto | ✅ Includes forex & crypto | ✅ Includes forex & crypto |
| Batch Requests | ✅ Supported | ❌ Not supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
Exchange Market Support Comparison
| Stock Exchange | Marketstack | Alpha Vantage | Financial Modeling Prep | Yahoo Finance API |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NYSE (New York, US) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| NASDAQ (US) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| London Stock Exchange (LSE, UK) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Euronext (Europe) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX, Canada) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| India NSE & BSE | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE, China) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE, China) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE, Japan) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Australia (ASX) | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Cryptocurrency Markets | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Forex (Currency Pairs) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
2. Free Plans & Pricing
| Plan Type | Marketstack | Alpha Vantage | Financial Modeling Prep | Yahoo Finance API |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Tier | ✅ 100 requests/month | ✅ 25 requests/day | ✅ 250 requests/day | ✅ 500 requests/month |
| Paid Plans | ✅ From $8.99/month | ✅ From $49.99/month | ✅ From $19/month | ✅ From $10/month |
3. Which API is Best for Your Project?
| Use Case | Best API |
|---|---|
| Building a Notion investment tracker (us and eu market) | ✅ Financial Modeling Prep |
| Building a Notion investment tracker (global market) | ✅ Yahoo Finance API (via RapidAPI) |
| Live stock price updates | ✅ Alpha Vantage (real-time & indicators) |
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Conclusion: Which Finance API Should You Choose?
- For fundamental stock analysis → Use Financial Modeling Prep
- For historical stock data → Use Marketstack
- For real-time stock prices & forex → Use Alpha Vantage
🚀 Are you building a finance tool? Check out Note API Connector to connect APIs with Notion easily.
Feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a comment or reaching out directly at [email protected] . Let's make managing your investments in Notion even better—together. 🚀
Frequently asked questions
A Finance API (Application Programming Interface) is a tool that allows developers to integrate financial data, such as stock market prices, currency exchange rates, and banking services, into their applications.
Free finance APIs provide limited access to financial data and services, often with rate limits or restricted features. They typically require an API key for authentication.
Some beginner-friendly finance APIs include Financial Modeling Prep, Alpha Vantage, Marketstack, and CoinGecko API for cryptocurrency data.
To get started, you typically need to sign up on the API provider’s website, obtain an API key, and make requests using HTTP methods like GET to retrieve financial data.