Crypto and market-data API pricing — CoinGecko and more — free tiers and how to get keys.
All four give you a working free key in minutes, but the limits differ a lot: CoinGecko's free demo tier is generous for crypto-only use, Alpha Vantage's free key covers stocks/FX/crypto on one endpoint but is capped at ~25 requests/day, Finnhub trades scope for a higher per-minute free rate, and Polygon's free tier is end-of-day/delayed data only — real-time requires a paid plan.
| Provider | Free tier | Cheapest paid plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| CoinGecko | 10k credits/mo, 100 calls/min | $35/mo (100k credits) | Crypto prices & market caps |
| Alpha Vantage | ~25 req/day | ~$50/mo (75 req/min) | Stocks + FX + crypto on one key |
| Finnhub | ~60 calls/min (personal use) | ~$50/mo (Starter) | Real-time US stock quotes & news |
| Polygon.io | 5 calls/min, EOD/15-min delayed | ~$29/mo (unlimited, delayed) | Tick-level data, websockets |
CoinGecko's Demo plan is the most generous for crypto — 10,000 credits/month and 100 calls/min, free forever, no card required. For stocks and FX, Alpha Vantage gives an instant free key but caps you at roughly 25 requests/day; Finnhub allows about 60 calls/min free but only for personal use with US real-time data.
Alpha Vantage covers more asset classes on one key — stocks, FX and crypto plus technical indicators — but its free tier is limited to about 25 requests per day. Finnhub's free tier allows roughly 60 calls per minute, far higher throughput, but is restricted to personal use and US real-time quotes; redistribution or commercial use requires a paid plan.
Polygon.io's Starter plan (~$29/mo) is the lowest-cost paid tier among these four and includes unlimited calls with 15-minute delayed data — cheaper than Alpha Vantage's ~$50/mo Premium 75 or Finnhub's ~$50/mo Starter. For crypto specifically, CoinGecko's $35/mo Basic plan (100k credits/mo) is the cheapest paid step up from its free tier.
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