Twelve Data vs Polygon: Which Financial Data API?
Twelve Data is the broad, multi-asset generalist with a friendly free tier, while Polygon is the low-latency, US-equities-and-options specialist favored for institutional-grade feeds. StockAPIS normalizes both into one schema so you can switch or blend providers without rewriting your pipeline.
At a glance
| Feature | Twelve Data | Polygon |
|---|---|---|
| Asset classes | Stocks, FX, crypto, ETFs, indices | US stocks, options, FX, crypto |
| Real-time | WebSocket (tiered) | Low-latency WebSocket + flat files |
| US equities depth | Good | Excellent (SIP-grade) |
| Free tier | Generous, rate-limited | Limited free, paid scales |
| Historical depth | Broad intraday + daily | Deep tick + aggregate history |
| Best for | Multi-asset breadth | US market microstructure |
When to use which
- Choose Twelve Data for the widest asset-class coverage across global markets with an approachable free tier for prototyping.
- Choose Polygon when you need low-latency US equities and options data, tick-level history and SIP-grade feeds for serious trading systems.
- Use both — Twelve Data for global breadth, Polygon for US-market depth — and let StockAPIS reconcile them into one schema.
Data coverage
Both expose OHLCV time series, quotes and reference data. Polygon goes deeper on US tick data and options; Twelve Data spreads wider across asset classes. StockAPIS maps both onto identical candle, quote and symbol fields.
Latency and history
For microstructure and backtests on US markets, Polygon’s tick history is hard to beat. For global daily/intraday coverage, Twelve Data is simpler. StockAPIS lets you choose per-asset without two integrations.
Which should you use?
For global multi-asset breadth, lead with Twelve Data. For US-market depth and latency, lead with Polygon. Most teams use both — StockAPIS unifies them. See the Twelve Data and Polygon platform pages, or the API getting-started guide.