Side-by-Side Comparison
Light Usage (Agent running ~200 queries/month)
| sec-api.io | SEC API PAYG | SEC API Personal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $49/month (minimum) | $4.00 | $55/month |
| Per-query cost | ~$0.25 | $0.02 | $0.016 |
| Annual cost | $588 | $48 | $660 |
| Savings vs sec-api.io | — | 92% | -12% |
Medium Usage (Analyst running ~2,000 queries/month)
| sec-api.io | SEC API PAYG | SEC API Personal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $49/month | $40.00 | 25.60 |
| Per-query cost | ~$0.025 | $0.02 | $0.016 |
| Annual cost | $588 | $480 | $967 |
| Savings vs sec-api.io | — | 18% | -64% |
Heavy Usage (Team running ~10,000 queries/month)
| sec-api.io | SEC API PAYG | SEC API Team | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $199/month | $200 | 84.50 |
| Per-query cost | ~$0.02 | $0.02 | $0.013 |
| Annual cost | $2,388 | $2,400 | $3,882 |
| Best option | — | Comparable | Best per-query rate |
When to Choose Each Plan
Starter grant (150 calls)
Evaluation, prototyping, and low-volume agent workflows. No card required.
Pay As You Go
Best for agents and light users. No monthly commitment. Highest per-call rate but zero waste.
Personal ($55/mo)
Best when you consistently exceed ~300 queries/month. 20% meter discount pays for itself.
Per-Operation Pricing
| Operation | PAYG | Personal (20% off) | Team (35% off) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entity resolution | $0.01 | $0.008 | $0.0065 |
| Filing search | $0.02 | $0.016 | $0.013 |
| Section extraction | $0.05 | $0.04 | $0.033 |
| Intelligence query | $0.08 | $0.064 | $0.052 |
| Semantic search | $0.04 | $0.032 | $0.026 |
| Market data | $0.03 | $0.024 | $0.020 |
| Artifact generation | $0.10 | $0.08 | $0.065 |
| Webhook or stream delivery | $0.001 | $0.0008 | $0.00065 |
| Monitor email notification | $0.005 | $0.004 | $0.00325 |
What sec-api.io Doesn’t Offer
- No PAYG tier. Minimum $49/month even for 1 query.
- No no-card starter grant. 100 lifetime calls vs our 150-call, one-time, non-renewing grant.
- No per-call billing. Fixed monthly regardless of usage.
- No budget controls. No spending caps, no threshold alerts.
- No intelligence bundles. 8+ API calls to assemble what SEC API returns in 1.