edgarkit

EdgarKit vs SEC-API.io

Both are JSON APIs on top of SEC EDGAR. SEC-API.io is older and more feature-broad. EdgarKit is newer, faster on Form 4, and cheaper. Here is the honest comparison so you can pick the right one for your use case.

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Bottom line

Pick SEC-API.io if you need the widest breadth of coverage: full-text search across 10-Ks, XBRL financials, mutual fund data, EDGAR filer analytics, and 30+ endpoints covering edge cases like proxy filings and ATS-N reports.

Pick EdgarKit if you need real-time Form 4 (insider transactions) at sub-minute latency, a simpler pricing model, and the specific patterns EdgarKit surfaces (cluster buys, scheduled accumulation, cross-role signals).

Both are valid choices. This page is not a hit piece. Both APIs solve the underlying problem of "SEC EDGAR is a pain to parse yourself."

Feature comparison

| Feature | EdgarKit | SEC-API.io | |---------|----------|------------| | Form 4 real-time latency | 30 to 45 seconds | 30 seconds to 5 minutes | | Form 4 parsed transaction fields | Yes, all fields typed | Yes, all fields typed | | Cluster buy detection | Built-in via /company pages | Not built-in | | 10-K full-text search | No | Yes | | XBRL financials endpoints | No | Yes | | 13F filings | Yes | Yes | | 8-K filings | Yes | Yes | | Webhooks | Yes | Yes | | Free tier | 10,000 requests/mo | 100 requests/day | | Cheapest paid tier | $19/mo | $99/mo | | Enterprise tier | Custom | Custom | | Historical coverage | 2004 to present | 1994 to present |

Pricing side-by-side

Free tier:

  • EdgarKit: 10,000 requests per month, all endpoints
  • SEC-API.io: 100 requests per day (~3,000 per month), limited endpoints

Starter tier:

  • EdgarKit Basic: $19/month, 100,000 requests
  • SEC-API.io: $99/month, ~30,000 requests

Pro tier:

  • EdgarKit Pro: $79/month, 1,000,000 requests
  • SEC-API.io Growth: $299/month, ~150,000 requests

If your workload is Form 4 heavy or you are building a startup and cost matters, EdgarKit is roughly 5x cheaper per request. If you need the breadth of SEC-API.io's XBRL financials and full-text search, the higher price is fair for the wider scope.

Latency comparison

Both APIs advertise real-time. In practice:

  • Form 4 filings: EdgarKit is consistently 30 to 45 seconds behind SEC acceptance. SEC-API.io ranges from 30 seconds to 5 minutes depending on the day and time.
  • 8-K filings: Both are within 60 seconds of acceptance during business hours.
  • 10-K filings: Both are within 5 minutes. The full parsing (financials, MD&A) takes longer, closer to 10 minutes.
  • 13F filings: Both are within 60 seconds for the raw filing. Both take longer for the fully-parsed holdings table with CUSIP-to-ticker resolution.

If your use case is insider trade alerting and every second counts, run the latency test yourself. Do not trust either vendor's marketing page.

API design comparison

EdgarKit endpoint shape:

GET /v1/filings?form_type=4&ticker=AAPL&limit=50
GET /v1/insiders/transactions?ticker=AAPL&days=30
GET /v1/companies/aapl/insiders

Simple, predictable. Every list endpoint takes limit, offset, and consistent filter parameters.

SEC-API.io endpoint shape:

POST /filing-search
POST /full-text-search
GET /insider-trading
GET /form-13f
GET /company-name/{cik}

More endpoints (30+), each with its own query DSL. More powerful for edge cases but requires more time to learn.

If you are writing a quick script, EdgarKit is faster to integrate. If you are building a comprehensive research product that touches every filing type, SEC-API.io's endpoint diversity is worth the learning curve.

Data quality comparison

Both parse EDGAR XML correctly. Both handle amendment filings (4/A) with proper linkage. Both resolve CUSIP to ticker for 13F holdings.

Where they differ:

EdgarKit strengths:

  • Insider transaction footnotes parsed and exposed as separate fields
  • 10b5-1 flag exposed on Form 4 transactions when present
  • Aggregated cluster-buy detection surfaced on /company pages
  • Distinct-reporter counting for cross-role cluster signals

SEC-API.io strengths:

  • XBRL financial statements parsed into structured tables (income statement, balance sheet, cash flow)
  • Full-text search across every 10-K and 10-Q ever filed
  • Mutual fund N-PORT parsing
  • 8-A registration statements

If you need parsed financial statements, SEC-API.io is the answer. If you need aggregated insider signals, EdgarKit is the answer.

When to pick each

Pick SEC-API.io if you are building:

  • A fundamental research platform (parsed financials)
  • A full-text search product over SEC filings
  • A mutual fund analytics tool
  • Anything touching 30+ filing types

Pick EdgarKit if you are building:

  • An insider trade alerting bot
  • A Form 4 pattern detector
  • A cheap solution for a startup MVP
  • A cluster-buy or scheduled-accumulation screener

Try both

EdgarKit free tier: edgarkit.com/#signup, 10k requests/mo, no card.

SEC-API.io free tier: sec-api.io signup, 100 requests/day.

Test each against your specific use case. Neither vendor is going to disappear on you. The right choice is the one that fits your workload and your budget.