# Polygon.io

Full-tick US equities, options and forex from a direct exchange feed.

*https://stockmarketstack.com/tools/polygon-io · Market Data APIs*

## Facts

### At a glance

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Vendor | Polygon.io |
| Category | Market Data APIs |
| Job | realtime |
| Website | https://polygon.io |
| Pricing model | subscription |
| Free tier | true |
| Open source | false |
| Licence | none |
| Self-hosted | false |
| Tested hands-on | false |
| Last updated | 2026-09-13 |

### Pricing

| Tier | USD | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Basic | 0 | month |
| Starter | 29 | month |
| Developer | 79 | month |
| Advanced | 199 | month |

### Specifications

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| History depth | Up to 20 years of trades and quotes on Advanced; 2 years on Starter |
| Delivery | rest, websocket, flat_files |
| Data source | direct_exchange |
| Free tier limits | 5 requests/min, end-of-day data only, no WebSocket |
| Paid rate limits | Unlimited requests from Starter upwards |
| Entry paid tier, $/mo | 29 |
| Entry tier name | Stocks Starter |
| Official SDKs | python, javascript, go, php, kotlin |
| Redistribution | paid_addon |
| Bulk / flat-file download | true |
| Key without a card | true |

### Coverage

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Asset classes | stocks, etf, options, forex, crypto, indices |
| Markets | us |
| Works outside the US | false |
| Data latency | realtime |
| Platforms | web, library |
| AI features | none |

### Interfaces

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| API | true |
| Webhooks | false |
| Scripting | none |
| Python | true |
| Spreadsheet add-in | false |
| MCP server | false |
| Export | csv, json |

### Capabilities

Yes: news

No: charting, screening, scanning, backtesting, automation, live_trading, paper_trading, portfolio_tracking, broker_import, tax_reporting, alerts, options_analysis

## What it is

Polygon.io is a market data API for people writing code: REST endpoints for aggregates, trades
and quotes, a WebSocket for streaming, and flat-file downloads for anyone who would rather pull
a year of ticks into a bucket than paginate through it. Coverage is US-only — equities, options,
indices, forex and crypto — priced per asset class, so an options subscription does not come
with equities attached.

The distinguishing fact is the source: Polygon takes exchange feeds directly rather than
reselling somebody else's aggregation. That is what makes full tick history available at all,
and it is the reason the price per asset class is what it is.

## Pricing

Four tiers per asset class. Basic is free and end-of-day. Starter, at $29/month, is where
real-time and unlimited request rates begin; Developer and Advanced widen the history window
and add flat-file access rather than adding endpoints.

Budget by asset class, not by tier name: stocks and options are separate subscriptions.

## Data & coverage

US markets only. If you need European or Asian listings, this is the wrong provider and no tier
fixes it — see the [market data category](https://stockmarketstack.com/categories/market-data-apis) for ones that cover
them.

## Limitations

- No non-US coverage at any price.
- Redistribution needs a separate agreement, which catches people building consumer products.
- Fundamentals are thin compared with providers that specialise in them.

## Alternatives

Within the same category: providers that cover non-US markets, and cheaper aggregators for
anyone who does not need tick data.

Start at [Polygon.io](https://stockmarketstack.com/go/polygon-io) or compare it against the rest of the
[market data APIs](https://stockmarketstack.com/categories/market-data-apis).

## FAQ

### Does Polygon.io have a free tier?

Yes. The Basic plan costs nothing and returns end-of-day data at five requests per minute, with no WebSocket access. It is enough to prototype against the response shapes, not enough to build on.

### Can I redistribute Polygon.io data in my own product?

Not on a standard subscription. Redistribution is a separate commercial agreement — check before you design a product that shows the data to your own users.

### Is Polygon.io real-time or delayed?

Real-time on the paid equity and options plans, sourced from the exchange feeds directly rather than through a reseller. The free plan is end-of-day only.