Alpha Vantage vs Finnhub
Free API comparison
| Alpha Vantage | Finnhub | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Currency and finance | Currency and finance |
| API key | Needed, free | Needed, free |
| Pricing | Free with a free API key and a small daily request limit; premium plans for more requests. | Free plan with a free API key and a per-minute limit; paid plans for more data and markets. |
| From the browser | Yes (CORS) | Yes (CORS) |
| Formats | JSON, CSV | JSON |
| Interface | REST, HTTP-GET, MCP | REST, HTTP-GET |
| Provider | alphavantage.co | finnhub.io |
| Last checked | Working on October 31st, 2026 | Working on October 31st, 2026 |
| MCP server | Yes, official | No |
Which one to choose
Both need a free key. Alpha Vantage has a small daily limit and adds more than 50 technical indicators, economic data and CSV output, plus an official MCP server. Finnhub limits calls per minute and adds market news, analyst recommendations and a WebSocket for live trades. For charts and indicators, Alpha Vantage; for live quotes and news, Finnhub.
Each service's own page has its full description, a code example and what visitors report: Alpha Vantage, Finnhub.