OMNI Datastream vs sec-api.io: Benchmarked
We ran head-to-head benchmarks comparing OMNI Datastream against sec-api.io across the core SEC data operations that matter most to developers and AI agents. The results: OMNI is 3.9x to 6.4x faster with 34-38% smaller response payloads.Methodology
- Both APIs tested from the same machine, same network location
- Each operation run 5+ times with p50, p95, p99 latency reported
- Payload size measured as response body bytes
- Token estimate = ceil(payload_bytes / 4)
- All tests use authenticated API keys on production endpoints
- Reproduction scripts available in our benchmarks repository
Results
Latency Comparison
| Operation | OMNI p50 | sec-api.io p50 | Speedup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entity Resolution | 62ms | 231ms | 3.7x faster |
| Filing Search | 64ms | 281ms | 4.4x faster |
| Section Extraction | 64ms | 348ms | 5.4x faster |
| XBRL-to-JSON | 61ms | 392ms | 6.4x faster |
Token Efficiency
| Operation | OMNI tokens | sec-api.io tokens | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entity resolve | 68 | 103 | 34% fewer |
| Filing search | 125 | 198 | 37% fewer |
| Section extract | 450 | 720 | 38% fewer |
| XBRL parsing | 310 | 485 | 36% fewer |
Why Token Efficiency Matters
When AI agents query SEC data, every byte of the API response consumes tokens. Smaller responses mean:- Lower cost — fewer tokens = lower API bills
- Faster reasoning — less context for the model to process
- More room — more data fits in the context window
| Approach | API calls | Tokens consumed |
|---|---|---|
| sec-api.io (assemble manually) | 8-12 calls | ~3,000 tokens |
| OMNI intelligence bundle | 1 call | ~800 tokens |
Pricing Comparison
| sec-api.io | OMNI Datastream | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 100 calls (lifetime) | 250 calls/month (renewable) |
| Minimum paid | $49/month | Pay-as-you-go ($0.02/call) |
| Personal | $49/month | $55/month (20% meter discount) |
| Business | $199/month | $239/month (35% meter discount) |
- sec-api.io: $49/month (minimum tier)
- OMNI PAYG: $4.00/month (92% savings)
What OMNI Offers That sec-api.io Doesn’t
- Semantic search — AI-powered filing search using Voyage embeddings + Pinecone
- Intelligence bundles — Pre-computed company, security, and earnings briefings
- MCP integration — Native agent protocol support for Claude, Cursor, and other AI tools
- CLI tool —
npm install -g @omni-datastream/clifor terminal workflows - Filing diff — Compare two filing versions to see what changed
- Saved monitors — Webhook alerts when new filings match your criteria
- Budget controls — Spending caps with 75/90/95% threshold alerts
- 4 SDKs — JavaScript, Python, Go, and Rust (sec-api.io has 2)
- 8 pre-built skills — Installable workflows for Claude Code, Codex, Cowork