About Market Data API

Gain seamless access to a wealth of data with Alpaca Market Data API, offering real-time and historical equities & crypto information spanning over 7+ years.

Overview

The Market Data API v2 offers seamless access to market data through both HTTP and WebSocket protocols. With a focus on historical and real-time data, developers can efficiently integrate these APIs into their applications.

To simplify the integration process, we provide user-friendly SDKs in Python, Go, NodeJS, and C#. These SDKs offer comprehensive functionalities, making it easier for developers to work with the Market Data APIs & Web Sockets.

To start using the APIs, developers have two convenient options: they can either access it through the public workspace on Postman or directly from our GitHub repository.

By leveraging Alpaca Market Data API v2 and its associated SDKs, developers can seamlessly incorporate historical and real-time market data into their applications, enabling them to build powerful and data-driven financial products.

Subscription Plans

The Market Data API v2 offers Market Data access under three distinct plans: Free, Algo Trader Plus, and Broker Professional.

The Free plan serves as the default option for both Paper and Live trading accounts, ensuring all users can access essential data with zero cost.

In addition to the Free plan, we also provide two premium options: Algo Trader Plus and Broker Professional. These plans cater to the needs of traders and brokers who require advanced data features and increased data usage allowances.

Equities

FreeAlgo Trader PlusBroker Professional
PricingFree$99/month$99/mo/device
Securities coverageUS Stocks & ETFsUS Stocks & ETFsUS Stocks & ETFs
Real-time market coverageIEXAll US Stock ExchangesAll US Stock Exchanges
Websocket subscriptions30 symbolsUnlimitedUnlimited
Historical data timeframe7+ years7+ years7+ years
Historical data delay*15 minutesno delayno delay
Historical API calls200/min10,000/min10,000/min

Our data sources are directly fed by the CTA (Consolidated Tape Association), which is administered by NYSE (New York Stock Exchange), and the UTP (Unlisted Trading Privileges) stream, which is administered by Nasdaq. The synergy of these two sources ensures comprehensive market coverage, encompassing 100% of market volume.

Options

FreeAlgo Trader Plus
Securities coverageUS Options SecuritiesUS Options Securities
Real-time market coverageIndicative Pricing FeedOPRA Feed
Websocket subscriptions200 quotes1000 quotes
Historical data delay*15 minutesno delay
Historical API calls200/min10,000/min

Our options data sources are directly fed by OPRA (Options Price Reporting Authority).

Free vs Algo Trader Plus

  1. Users on the Free Market Data plan have access to the IEX (Investors Exchange LLC) stream, but with some limitations. Historical equities data is available without restrictions, there is a 15-minute delay in the data.
  2. This also means that users on the Free Market Data plan may not be able to access the most recent SIP (Securities Information Processor) data or use certain latest endpoints that rely exclusively on SIP data.
  3. Moreover, users on the Free Market Data plan can access Alpaca's Indicative Pricing Feed for free. Historical options data is available with a 15-minute delay.

Broker Professional

We offer custom pricing and tailored solutions for Broker API partners seeking to leverage our comprehensive market data. Our goal is to meet the specific needs and requirements of our valued partners, ensuring they have access to the data and tools necessary to enhance their services and provide exceptional value to their customers.

For detailed information about our pricing options and the benefits of becoming a Broker API partner, kindly reach out to our sales team.

Exchanges

Alpaca supports a range of stock exchanges, each identified by a unique tape ID, which is returned in all market data requests. To help you easily map the tape code to the corresponding exchange, here is the list:

Exchange CodeExchange Name
ANYSE American (AMEX)
BNASDAQ OMX BX
CNational Stock Exchange
DFINRA ADF
EMarket Independent
HMIAX
IInternational Securities Exchange
JCboe EDGA
KCboe EDGX
LLong Term Stock Exchange
MChicago Stock Exchange
NNew York Stock Exchange
PNYSE Arca
QNASDAQ OMX
SNASDAQ Small Cap
TNASDAQ Int
UMembers Exchange
VIEX
WCBOE
XNASDAQ OMX PSX
YCboe BYX
ZCboe BZX

Conditions

Every feed or stock exchange utilizes its unique set of codes to identify trade and quote conditions. Consequently, the same condition may vary in code representation depending on the data's originator.

Trade conditions

CTS

Below is a table containing codes that indicate specific trade conditions applicable under the CTA (Consolidated Tape Association) Plan:

For further details on this topic, please refer to page 64 of the Consolidated Tape System (CTS) Specification.

CodeValue
SpaceRegular Sale
BAverage Price Trade
CCash Trade (Same Day Clearing)
EAutomatic Execution
FInter-market Sweep Order
HPrice Variation Trade
IOdd Lot Trade
KRule 127 (NYSE only) or Rule 155 (NYSE MKT only)
LSold Last (Late Reporting)
MMarket Center Official Close
NNext Day Trade (Next Day Clearing)
OMarket Center Opening Trade
PPrior Reference Price
QMarket Center Official Open
RSeller
TExtended Hours Trade
UExtended Hours Sold (Out Of Sequence)
VContingent Trade
XCross Trade
ZSold (Out Of Sequence)
4Derivatively Priced
5Market Center Reopening Trade
6Market Center Closing Trade
7Qualified Contingent Trade
8Reserved
9Corrected Consolidated Close Price as per Listing Market

UTDF

Below is a table containing condition codes from the UTP (Unlisted Trading Privileges) Plan:

For further details on this topic, please refer to page 43 of the UTP Specification.

CodeValue
@Regular Sale
AAcquisition
BBunched Trade
CCash Sale
DDistribution
EPlaceholder
FIntermarket Sweep
GBunched Sold Trade
HPrice Variation Trade
IOdd Lot Trade`
KRule 155 Trade (AMEX)
LSold Last
MMarket Center Official Close
NNext Day
OOpening Prints
PPrior Reference Price
QMarket Center Official Open
RSeller
SSplit Trade
TForm T
UExtended trading hours (Sold Out of Sequence)
VContingent Trade
WAverage Price Trade
XCross Trade
YYellow Flag Regular Trade
ZSold (Out Of Sequence)
1Stopped Stock (Regular Trade)
4Derivatively Priced
5Re-Opening Prints
6Closing Prints
7Qualified Contingent Trade (QCT)
8Placeholder For 611 Exempt
9Corrected Consolidated Close (per listing market)

Quote conditions

CQS

Below is a table containing codes that indicate specific conditions applicable to a quote under the CTA (Consolidated Tape Association) Plan:

For further details on this topic, please refer to Appendix G of the CQS Specification.

CodeValue
ASlow Quote Offer Side
BSlow Quote Bid Side
ESlow Quote LRP Bid Side
FSlow Quote LRP Offer Side
HSlow Quote Bid And Offer Side
OOpening Quote
RRegular Market Maker Open
WSlow Quote Set Slow List
CClosing Quote
LMarket Maker Quotes Closed
USlow Quote LRP Bid And Offer
NNon Firm Quote
4On Demand Intra Day Auction

UQDF

Below is a table containing codes that represent specific conditions applicable to quotes under the UTP (Unlisted Trading Privileges) Plan:

For further details on this topic, please refer to the UQDF Specification.

CodeValue
AManual Ask Automated Bid
BManual Bid Automated Ask
FFast Trading
HManual Bid And Ask
IOrder Imbalance
LClosed Quote
NNon Firm Quote
OOpening Quote Automated
RRegular Two Sided Open
UManual Bid And Ask Non Firm
YNo Offer No Bid One Sided Open
XOrder Influx
ZNo Open No Resume
4On Demand Intra Day Auction