# FactSet API Pricing and Alternatives (2026)

> What the FactSet API costs, and how it compares to Multiples, Bloomberg, LSEG and Capital IQ.

- Canonical: https://multiples.vc/compare/factset-api-alternatives
- Facts last verified: 2026-08-20
- Method: https://multiples.vc/compare/methodology (estimates labelled *; corrections: hi@multiples.vc)

## What is the FactSet API?

FactSet API provides programmatic access to institutional-grade global financial data, market prices, fundamentals, and portfolio analytics. It enables developers (and other builders) to pull multi-asset class information directly into their workflows, without relying strictly on traditional desktop terminals.

Alongside its core APIs sit bulk products. Standard DataFeed delivers files for warehouse loads, and Open:FactSet Marketplace sells 3rd party datasets through the same API offering.

FactSet is the strongest across public equities data: consensus estimates with full analyst revision history, company ownership, global fundamentals.

Pricing is not publicly listed and operates entirely on custom, enterprise-level contracts negotiated directly through FactSet sales. Access usually requires an underlying workstation subscription or a specific programmatic environment entitlement.

## Compare FactSet API cost and features vs alternatives

|  | FactSet | Multiples | Bloomberg | LSEG | Capital IQ | Intrinio |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| License cost | $30k-$100k+/yr* | from $1,499/mo | $32k/yr; API quoted* | $25k-$100k+/yr* | $30k-$100k+/yr* | From $150/mo |
| Type | REST | REST | SDK | REST · SOAP | REST · bulk file | REST |
| Geo coverage | Global | Global | Global | Global | Global | US-centric |
| Public companies | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Private companies | Partial (Add-on) | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | No |
| Cross asset coverage | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial (Equities, options) |
| Consensus estimates | Yes | Yes (Licensed from FactSet) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial (Not 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 | US fundamentals, options, basic ratios |
| Pre-computed ratios | Partial | Yes | No | No | Partial | Partial (Basic ratios) |
| Real-time prices | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Time to first call | Weeks+ | Minutes | Weeks+ | Weeks+ | Weeks+ | Same day |

_* = reported figure, FactSet does not officially publish API pricing. It also licenses data to other vendors (like Multiples). Prices are stated as they stand in August 2026._

## Overview of FactSet API alternatives

### Multiples

Investment-grade financial data API provider. Great API alternative to FactSet, as Multiples officially licenses public markets data from FactSet itself. Full public comps coverage (historical and consensus estimates data), and private transactions (M&A and VC). 130+ pre-calculated financial metrics, multiples and ratios, 500K+ transactions. Affordable pricing vs. FactSet starting at $1,499 a month.

**Pricing:** 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.

**Strengths:**
- Enterprise-grade API for both public comps and precedent transactions
- Highest quality data (licensed from FactSet and Morningstar)
- Affordable pricing vs. enterprise providers

**Limitations:**
- No FX, fixed income or news
- No real-time prices

**Best for:** The equity-valuation slice of an enterprise contract.

### Bloomberg

Bloomberg APIs deliver institutional access to real-time and historical market data across equities, fixed income, FX, commodities, and derivatives. It also allows for proprietary Bloomberg content (BVAL pricing, indices, news, ESG datasets). Much more real-time data focused vs. FactSet APIs that emphasize fundamentals, estimates, and portfolio analytics.

**Pricing:** $31,980/seat/yr single seat. $28,320 multi-seat (as of 2026). 2-year minimum contract. Data License priced separately.

**Strengths:**
- Streaming, reference breadth
- Bloomberg News and the IB chat network
- FIGI symbology

**Limitations:**
- May be a major overkill for simple use cases
- API feed quoted separately from the seat
- Very steep learning curve

**Best for:** Swapping one enterprise feed for its closest equivalent.

### LSEG Data & Analytics

LSEG APIs provide live and historical market prices, including detailed tick history. They also include Reuters news, long-term economic time series (Datastream), analyst estimates (I/B/E/S), company financials, reference pricing, and index data. FactSet APIs focus less on live market feeds and more on company fundamentals, estimates, fund data, research, and portfolio analytics.

**Pricing:** Custom quote. Reported $12k-$24k/seat/yr.

**Strengths:**
- I/B/E/S consensus estimates
- Great FX and fixed income depth
- Reuters news

**Limitations:**
- Every data set is a separate add-on
- RICs identifiers, moving over means might mean re-mapping
- Limited M&A or venture deal data

**Best for:** Estimates, FX, fixed income and news from one supplier.

### S&P Capital IQ

S&P Capital IQ APIs provide company financials, ownership and capital structure data, private comps coverage, and transaction and M&A information (as add-ons though). Cap IQ API also includes estimates, screening, and S&P credit ratings. FactSet APIs cover similar company and estimates data, but are stronger on fund holdings, portfolio analytics, and a broader set of modular research feeds.

**Pricing:** Custom quote. Reported $13k-$30k per seat per yr. Add-ons needed for M&A and VC data.

**Strengths:**
- Brand name across investment banking industry
- Deep public comps data, on par with FactSet and Multiples
- Decent private markets coverage

**Limitations:**
- No real-time data
- No FX or fixed income depth
- M&A/transactions feed is a separate module

**Best for:** Historical fundamentals for backtesting.

### Intrinio

Intrinio APIs offer US stock and options prices (real-time, delayed, and historical), financial statements, basic estimates, and institutional ownership. Coverage is strongest across the US and is designed for straightforward developer access. FactSet APIs cover a wider global universe and provide much higher quality data, consensus estimates, and enterprise-grade analytics.

**Pricing:** Individual: $150/mo (personal use only). Startup: $333/mo for 6 months, then $666/mo for 6 months, then $1,499/mo. Enterprise: from $1,250/mo, custom terms.

**Strengths:**
- High quality history of 15+ years of US fundamentals
- Real-time options and equities data
- Openly publishes pricing, free trial

**Limitations:**
- US-focused coverage
- Entry tier forbids redistribution or display
- Estimates are very limited vs. enterprise vendors or Multiples
- More expensive than FMP or Alpha Vantage

**Best for:** Fintech products that display licensed US market data to users.

## Which FactSet API alternative fits your use case?

| Platform | Best For | Institutional grade | Equity coverage | Deals coverage | Geo coverage | Real-time data | Ease of implementation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| FactSet | Investment banks, buy-side firms, asset managers, equity research | 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 |
| 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 |
| S&P Capital IQ Pro | Bulge bracket banks, hedge funds, large PE/VC firms | High | High | Medium | High | Medium | Low |
| Intrinio | Small-scale fintech products, developers, students | Low | High | Low | Low | High | High |

## Should you choose FactSet or look for an alternative?

**FactSet strengths:**
- Very strong fit for research, portfolio analytics to power custom dashboards through API
- Modular catalog: buy the datasets you need instead of one all-in terminal
- Developer-friendly, REST APIs plus Python, C#, and Java SDKs

**FactSet trade-offs:**
- Weaker than Bloomberg on ultra-low-latency market data, fixed income depth
- Subpar M&A and VC coverage compared to Multiples or PitchBook
- Enterprise-grade pricing, long procurement cycles, limited redistribution rights

## Why teams switch from the FactSet API

- **Priced per dataset (and per use case):** FactSet API access is quoted through sales and is usually tied to a workstation or enterprise contract. Datasets are priced differently depending on the use case. Reported engagements run from $30,000 to well past $100,000 a year.
- **Weaker real-time and trading coverage:** The FactSet API is built for research, fundamentals, estimates, and portfolio analytics. It is not a low-latency market-data or execution stack (like Bloomberg or LSEG).
- **Deal data is a separate purchase:** M&A and private markets coverage are add-on modules, so if you require both public and private markets data, you will need to pay double.
- **Harsh enterprise licensing limits:** Redistribution, derived data, and use outside licensed users are heavily restricted. Teams that need pay-as-you-go or product-embedded data might consider API providers like Multiples.

## FAQ

### How much does the FactSet API cost?

FactSet does not publish its API pricing. Programmatic access is quoted per dataset and per use case, and reported engagements run from $30,000 to well past $100,000 a year. Workstation seats are separately reported at $12,000-$40,000 per user per year.

### What kind of API is the FactSet API?

REST. FactSet publishes OpenAPI specifications for its Content APIs and generates client libraries for .NET, Java, Python and TypeScript.

### What is the FactSet Formula API?

It takes the same formula syntax used in the FactSet workstation and Excel plug-in, and returns the results over HTTP. It is the quickest route for someone who already knows the formula language and wants it outside the spreadsheet.

### Does the FactSet API include M&A or VC rounds data?

Not by default - it is a separate add-on module.

### Is there a cheaper alternative to the FactSet API?

Yes. Multiples API is the closest enterprise-grade alternative to FactSet API. It delivers 1:1 data quality, as it licenses data from FactSet directly. Multiples pricing starts at $1,499 a month.

## Keep comparing

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