How to use Data-Vendor TCO Calculator
Given a universe-size bucket, bar resolution, live-data requirement, and asset-class filters, the tool computes annual cost across six vendors and ranks them cheapest-first, dimming tiers that do not meet your requirements.
What It Does
Use the calculator with intent
Given a universe-size bucket, bar resolution, live-data requirement, and asset-class filters, the tool computes annual cost across six vendors and ranks them cheapest-first, dimming tiers that do not meet your requirements.
Engineers and PMs sizing a data subscription before signing the contract — especially when one vendor's flat-rate looks cheaper until usage breaks the tier boundary.
Interpreting Results
Headline number is the annual cost for the cheapest tier that fits your declared requirements. Dimmed rows do not qualify given your current filters. Databento's figure is a modeled estimate; all flat-tier vendor figures reflect published list prices at the lastChecked date.
Input Steps
Field by field
- 1
Set universe size
Pick the universe-size bucket that matches your symbol count: Small (≤50), Medium (~500), Large (~2,000), or All US equities (~10,000). The tool uses coarse buckets, not a free-form number.
- 2
Set resolution and live flag
Select bar resolution (daily, 1-minute, 1-second, tick, or L2) and whether you need real-time data. Vendors without the selected resolution or without a live tier are dimmed.
- 3
Apply asset-class filters
Toggle Options or Futures if required. No vendor currently carries both in a single tier — enabling both returns no qualifying results.
- 4
Read the ranked table
Fitting vendors are sorted cheapest-first. Databento shows a modeled estimate calibrated to typical retail spend (see methodology), not a metered invoice — treat it as a rough planning figure.
- 5
Check assumptions
Verify the vendor's pricing page before committing. Each vendor row shows a lastChecked date; pricing reflects that snapshot and is refreshed when a vendor announces a material change.
Common Scenarios
Use realistic starting points
US equities, daily bars, full coverage
Universe size
Large (~2,000)
Resolution
daily
Real-time
no
Alpaca free and Tiingo Starter cluster near $0–$120/yr. Polygon and Databento land higher but include intraday access on their base tiers.
Equities intraday — rank flip between Databento and Polygon
Universe size
Small (≤50) vs Medium (~500)
Resolution
1-minute
Real-time
no
At the Small bucket Databento (~$25/mo) undercuts Polygon Starter ($29/mo). At Medium the rank flips — Databento's modeled spend (~$125/mo) exceeds Polygon's flat $29. Change the universe bucket to see the crossover.
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FAQ
Questions people ask next
The short answers readers usually want after the first pass.
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