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Alpha Vantage vs Polygon.io (Massive.com)

Between Alpha Vantage and Polygon.io (now Massive.com since its 2025-10-30 rebrand), the wider platform rivalry spans equities, options, and crypto.

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At a glance

FeatureAlpha VantagePolygon.io (Massive.com)
Pricing
Free tier25 requests/day hard cap (~750/month)None, no free calls
Entry paid price$49.99/mo, 75 req/min$49/mo, unlimited streaming and requests
Top paid price$249.99/mo, 1,200 req/minNot stated in their public docs (single tier)
Quota modelRate-limit only, no monthly capFlat, unlimited
Gold and precious-metals coverage
Gold, silver futures settlement (GC/SI)Not documented; confirm with supportYes, confirmed on futures plan
Copper (HG)Listed on the commodities endpointYes, confirmed on futures plan
LBMA AM/PM fixNot addressed in their public docsNot shipped (shown as no on their own page)
Developer experience
WebSocket streamingNot offeredYes, unlimited, included
Asset breadth beyond gold/silverEquities, forex, crypto, economic indicators (CPI, Treasury yields, GDP), 12 commoditiesStocks, options, forex, crypto, indices, futures
MCP (Model Context Protocol)Not listedNot listed
Brand historyNot applicableRebranded from Polygon.io on 2025-10-30; both domains resolve to the same API

A wider rivalry, narrowed to gold

Alpha Vantage and Massive.com (formerly Polygon.io) compete broadly across equities, options, and forex. This page ignores that fight and stays inside gold, silver, and copper coverage, where the two look quite different: one runs a free tier with rate-limit pricing, the other skips free entirely for one flat unlimited plan.

Pricing model

Alpha Vantage's paid tiers meter by rate limit with no monthly cap, $49.99/mo at 75 requests/min scaling to $249.99/mo at 1,200 requests/min. Massive.com charges one flat $49/mo for unlimited streaming and API requests across its whole catalog, gold included. A developer who wants a single, predictable line item leans toward Massive.com; one who wants a free tier to prototype against leans toward Alpha Vantage.

Futures settlement is the clearest gap

Massive.com's documentation confirms gold, silver, and copper futures (GC, SI, HG) on its futures plan. Alpha Vantage's public documentation doesn't call out a futures settlement symbol distinct from spot for gold. If your product needs to resolve against a settlement price specifically, that single fact likely settles the comparison on its own.

Streaming and free access

Alpha Vantage's 25 requests/day free tier gives a working path to prototype without a card. Massive.com has no free tier but bundles unlimited WebSocket streaming into its single $49/mo plan, no separate credits to track. Which one wins depends on whether you value a free on-ramp or a flat, metering-free paid tier more.

Frequently asked questions

Is Polygon.io still the right name to search for?

Functionally yes, the underlying product has moved. Polygon.io rebranded to Massive.com on 2025-10-30, and both domains resolve to the same API, SDKs, and API keys. This page keeps the polygon-io slug for search purposes but every fact reflects the current Massive.com product.

Which one has a free tier for gold price data?

Alpha Vantage does, capped at 25 requests/day (roughly 750/month at continuous use). Massive.com (Polygon.io) has no free tier at all; its entry point is a single $49/mo plan covering unlimited streaming and API requests.

Does either confirm gold futures settlement rather than just spot?

Massive.com does, explicitly: gold, silver, and copper futures (GC, SI, HG) are confirmed on its futures plan. Alpha Vantage's public documentation doesn't call out a futures settlement symbol distinct from spot for gold; confirm directly with their support if settlement pricing is a requirement.

How do the two pricing models differ?

Alpha Vantage tiers by rate limit with no monthly cap, from $49.99/mo at 75 requests/min to $249.99/mo at 1,200 requests/min. Massive.com has one flat plan, $49/mo for unlimited streaming and requests across its whole catalog. If your usage is spiky or unpredictable, a flat unlimited plan removes the need to forecast a rate tier.

Which one offers WebSocket streaming?

Massive.com does, included in its $49/mo plan with no separate metering. Alpha Vantage's documentation shows no WebSocket streaming offering.

When should I look at goldprice.dev instead of either of these?

If your product needs equities, options, or broad forex coverage alongside a gold price, neither goldprice.dev nor this page is the right starting point, that's territory both platforms cover and goldprice.dev deliberately leaves to them. What goldprice.dev does instead is go deeper on the three metals it supports, including per-country physical dealer prices on Basic ($19/mo) that neither platform ships at any tier.

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