What is the difference between the CapIQ API and Xpressfeed?

The CapIQ API is a REST/JSON service you call on demand. Xpressfeed is bulk delivery: zipped data packages posted to a secure location that you pull over FTP (or the Xpressfeed web service), and load into your own database.

What is point-in-time data and why does it cost more?

It records what each financial figure was on a given past date, before later restatements. Capital IQ’s archive is the industry benchmark for this feature.

Is there a cheaper alternative to Capital IQ API?

Closest affordable alternative of equally high quality is Multiples (from $1,499 a month). It licenses data from FactSet and Morningstar, includes point-in-time data, and covers public comps (with consensus estimates), M&A and VC transactions.

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Compare Capital IQ API pricing and alternatives

Q: How much does the Capital IQ API cost?

S&P does not publish pricing for Capital IQ API. Programmatic access (through Xpressfeed or the native API) is quoted per dataset and use case, reported from $30,000 a year into six figures. Capital IQ Pro workstation seats are separately reported at $13,000-$30,000 per user per year.

Last verified: Aug 20, 2026

S&P sells Capital IQ data two ways: the CapIQ API for on-demand requests, and Xpressfeed for bulk files you load into your own database.Both are quoted per dataset and use case, reported from $30,000 a year into six figures (sky is the limit).This page compares Capital IQ API with five alternatives for fundamentals, multiples and transaction data.

Try Multiples - S&P Capital IQ Pro alternative See more S&P Capital IQ Pro alternatives

What is the Capital IQ API?

The S&P Capital IQ API provides programmatic REST and JSON access to extensive global financial data, including company fundamentals, transaction data, credit ratings, and full consensus estimates. It allows institutions to integrate deep market intelligence directly into internal apps, models, and custom data workflows.

Xpressfeed is the bulk feed delivery option (and the one large finance teams usually buy). It delivers data directly into client databases. It acts as an integrated data warehouse, supplying files via FTP or web services.

Key features of Cap IQ API: RESTful endpoints, Python SDK support, LLM-ready data structure, cloud marketplace integration via Snowflake or Databricks, and point-in-time historical depth covering 99% of global market cap.

Compare Capital IQ API cost and features vs alternatives

	Capital IQ	Multiples	FactSet	Bloomberg	LSEG	FMP
License cost	$30k-$100k+/yr*	from $1,499/mo	$30k-$100k+/yr*	$32k/yr; API quoted*	$25k-$100k+/yr*	From $22/mo
Type	REST · bulk file	REST	REST	SDK	REST · SOAP	REST · WebSocket
Geo coverage	Global	Global	Global	Global	Global	US-centric
Public companies	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Private companies	Yes	Yes	PartialAdd-on	Yes	Partial	No
Cross asset coverage	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Consensus estimates	Yes	YesLicensed from FactSet	Yes	Yes	Yes	PartialNot institutional-grade
Metrics coverage	Fundamentals, estimates, prices, news	Basic fundamentals, estimates, prices, valuation ratios	Fundamentals, estimates, prices, news	Fundamentals, estimates, prices, news	Fundamentals, estimates, prices, news	Fundamentals, prices, basic ratios, transcripts
Pre-computed ratios	Partial	Yes	Partial	No	No	PartialBasic ratios
Real-time prices	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Time to first call	Weeks+	Minutes	Weeks+	Weeks+	Weeks+	Minutes

* = reported figure, S&P does not publish API pricing Published prices and reported ranges are stated as they stand in August 2026.

Overview of Capital IQ API alternatives

Product	Overview	Pricing	Strengths	Limitations
Multiples	Enterprise-grade financial data API provider. Licenses public markets data from FactSet and Morningstar. Complete coverage across public companies (historical and consensus estimates data), and private transactions (500K+ M&A deals and VC rounds). Affordable pricing vs. Capital IQ starting at $1,499 a month.	Pro: $239/mo (billed annually) or $299 (monthly) Pro Max: $399/mo (billed annually) or $499 (monthly) API: from $1,499/mo Free 3-day trial	Enterprise-grade API for both public comps and precedent transactions Highest quality data (licensed from FactSet and Morningstar) Affordable pricing vs. enterprise providers	No FX, fixed income or news No real-time prices
FactSet	The FactSet API delivers programmatic access to institutional market data, excelling in buyside portfolio management, analytics, and consensus estimates. It is equally high quality as S&P, but Capital IQ API stands as the industry standard for sell-side investment banking, corporate transaction screening, and deep company financial data.	Custom quote Reported $12k-$40k per seat per year, depending on add-on packages	Deepest estimates and revision history One of the best coverage of the major platforms Gold standard for buy-side research	Limited data on FX and fixed income Limited private markets coverage
Bloomberg	Bloomberg API (BLPAPI) is an industry standard for fast-moving trading applications. It provides high-frequency, real-time market data, streaming, and execution tools across global asset classes. In contrast, the S&P Capital IQ API focuses heavily on deep fundamental company financials, historical corporate actions, extensive M&A data. While Bloomberg's API is built to support latency-sensitive workflows, the Capital IQ API works better at feeding quantitative models, valuation engines, and corporate development tools.	$31,980/seat/yr single seat $28,320 multi-seat (as of 2026) 2-year minimum contract Data License priced separately	Streaming, reference breadth Bloomberg News and the IB chat network FIGI symbology	May be a major overkill for simple use cases API feed quoted separately from the seat Very steep learning curve
LSEG Data & Analytics	LSEG (Refinitiv) APIs give licensed access to market data, fundamentals, estimates, research, and news. S&P Capital IQ’s REST API is also enterprise-licensed but strongest on standardized financials, restatements, credit, ownership, private companies, and deals. Both providers overlap on public company fundamentals but Refinitiv is typically used more for real-time and cross-asset markets. Choose Capital IQ more for 'filing-linked' company and transaction analysis.	Custom quote Reported $12k-$24k/seat/yr	I/B/E/S consensus estimates Great FX and fixed income depth Reuters news	Every data set is a separate add-on RICs identifiers, moving over means might mean re-mapping Limited M&A or venture deal data
Financial Modeling Prep	FMP provides dev-friendly REST API that delivers all basic stock data. Compared to Capital IQ API, it is not an institutional-quality product. Cap IQ (and similar competitors like FactSet and Multiples) serve as enterprise-grade, high-quality data providers offering deeply normalized global market data and extensive deal data. While FMP is highly accessible and cost-effective, Capital IQ caters to 'serious' clients - major investment banks and corporations requiring strict data provenance.	Free Basic tier (250 calls/day) Starter $22/mo, Premium $59/mo, Ultimate $149/mo, billed annually	Decent data on US equities, FX and crypto Simple REST API, easy integration	US-centric until the top tier Limited consensus estimates, subpar quality vs. enterprise vendors Not suitable for users requiring institutional-grade data or analyst coverage

Which Capital IQ API alternative fits your use case?

Platform	Best For	Institutional grade	Equity coverage	Deals coverage	Geo coverage	Real-time data	Ease of implementation
S&P Capital IQ Pro	Bulge bracket banks, hedge funds, large PE/VC firms	High	High	Medium	High	Medium	Low
Multiples	M&A advisors, VC and PE funds, corp dev teams and CFOs	High	High	High	High	Low	High
FactSet	Investment banks, buy-side firms, asset managers, equity research	High	High	Medium	High	Medium	Low
Bloomberg Terminal	Trading desks, investment banks, hedge funds	High	High	Medium	High	High	Low
LSEG Data & Analytics	Investment banks, trading firms, treasury and macro teams	High	High	Medium	High	High	Low
Financial Modeling Prep	Developers, students, firms building internal tools	Low	High	Low	Medium	Medium	High

Should you choose S&P Capital IQ Pro or look for an alternative?

S&P Capital IQ Pro strengths

The deepest consensus estimates of the major platforms, on par with Multiples and FactSet, plus full revision history

Strong public comps fundamentals, estimates, ownership, and as-reported vs. standardized financials

Published OpenAPI specs, with SDKs generated for .NET, Java, Python and TypeScript

S&P Capital IQ Pro trade-offs

Not built for real-time trading, execution, or ultra-low-latency prices (choose Bloomberg for that)

M&A and private-market data are separate add-ons

Redistribution and derived-use rights are very restricted

Why teams switch from Capital IQ API

Priced per dataset and use case

Cap IQ strength is in company financials, estimates, ownership, deals, and credit data. It does not match Bloomberg or LSEG on real-time prices, bonds, or FX.

Uneven private company coverage

US and UK names with filings or disclosed deals are strong. Smaller private firms outside those markets are often incomplete, so some teams add PitchBook, local registries, or another API.

Transaction data cost extra

M&A / VC data is a separate module from public comps, so API costs can double if you need both.

Prohibitive cost for small teams

Capital IQ API is sold on enterprise contracts, typically in the mid-five figures, with multi-year terms. This might be too expensive for smaller teams, or companies at earlier stages of product development.