> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.secapi.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# PAYG Cost Calculator

> See how much you'll save with SEC API's pay-as-you-go pricing vs sec-api.io's fixed monthly plans

SEC API is the only SEC data API with true pay-as-you-go pricing. No monthly minimum. Pay only for what you use.

## 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**  | **$55 + $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**      | **$239 + $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

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Starter grant (150 calls)" icon="gift">
    Evaluation, prototyping, and low-volume agent workflows. No card required.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Pay As You Go" icon="receipt">
    Best for agents and light users. No monthly commitment. Highest per-call rate but zero waste.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Personal ($55/mo)" icon="user">
    Best when you consistently exceed \~300 queries/month. 20% meter discount pays for itself.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## 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.

## Get Started

```bash theme={null}
# Create an account at secapi.ai/signup to get an API key
# Use an existing API key or create an account at secapi.ai/signup

curl "https://api.secapi.ai/v1/entities/resolve?ticker=AAPL" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"
```

Create an account at secapi.ai/signup to get an API key.