TickAtlas vs Polygon.io — Which Market Data API Is Right for You?
Polygon.io is a leading US equities data platform, but forex and crypto traders need something different. TickAtlas is a specialist: 42 pre-calculated indicators, AI market analysis, and full market data tools built specifically for currency and crypto markets.
Quick Verdict
For forex and crypto, TickAtlas wins hands down. 42 pre-calculated indicators vs Polygon's SMA/EMA only, an AI market bias endpoint, market screener, and half the cost for the data forex traders actually need. For US equities, Polygon.io is the stronger choice.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | TickAtlas | Polygon.io |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time forex/crypto prices | Forex add-on required | |
| US equities data | ||
| OHLCV candle data | ||
| Tick-level data | ||
| Real broker data source | ||
| Pre-calculated indicators | 42 indicators | SMA & EMA only |
| Multi-indicator single call | ||
| Multi-timeframe analysis | 7 timeframes | Custom aggregates |
| AI market bias / summary | ||
| Trading signals | ||
| Market screener (scan all symbols) | ||
| Economic calendar | ||
| Currency heatmap & correlation | ||
| Spread monitoring | ||
| Company financials & filings | ||
| Response latency | <100ms | <100ms |
| WebSocket streaming | Coming soon | |
| Crypto payments (100+ coins) | ||
| Prepaid credits with bonus | 5–20% bonus |
Pricing Comparison
TickAtlas
- Free Trial14 days, 1,000 req/day
- Starter$29/mo — 10K req/day
- Pro$79/mo — 100K req/day
- Enterprise$349/mo — 1M req/day
- Includes42 indicators + AI + screener
Polygon.io
- Free5 calls/min, delayed data
- Stocks Starter$29/mo — equities only
- Stocks Developer$79/mo — real-time equities
- Forex add-on+$79/mo per add-on
- IncludesRaw data, SMA/EMA only
Code Comparison: Get RSI for EUR/USD
With TickAtlas, you get the computed RSI in one call. With Polygon, you must fetch raw OHLCV data and calculate RSI yourself — they only offer SMA and EMA as built-in indicators.
TickAtlas
curl -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY" \
"https://tickatlas.com/v1/indicators?symbol=EURUSD&timeframe=H1&indicators=rsi"
# Returns pre-calculated RSI value
# instantly. No computation needed.Polygon.io
# Step 1: Fetch raw OHLCV bars
curl "https://api.polygon.io/v2/aggs/ticker/C:EURUSD/range/1/hour/2024-01-01/2024-01-31?apiKey=YOUR_KEY"
# Step 2: Calculate RSI yourself
# using pandas-ta, TA-Lib, or custom code.
# Polygon has no RSI endpoint.Why Developers Switch from Polygon.io
Forex Is an Afterthought
Polygon.io was built for US equities. Forex requires a paid add-on, and the data comes without any pre-calculated indicators. Developers building forex bots switch to TickAtlas for a purpose-built solution.
No Indicators, No AI
Polygon provides raw data and expects you to calculate indicators. TickAtlas delivers 42 pre-calculated indicators and an AI market bias assessment. That eliminates an entire compute layer from your architecture.
Cost for Forex Use Cases
Polygon's forex add-on costs $79/month for raw data alone. TickAtlas's $29/month Starter plan includes indicators, AI analysis, screener, calendar, and heatmap — a fraction of the cost for a more complete forex toolkit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Polygon.io good for forex and crypto?
Polygon.io is primarily a US equities data platform. Forex data requires a separate add-on starting at $79/month, and the forex coverage is raw OHLCV without pre-calculated indicators. TickAtlas is purpose-built for forex and crypto with 42 pre-calculated indicators, AI analysis, and real broker data from institutional-grade sources.
Does Polygon.io have technical indicators?
Polygon offers only SMA and EMA as technical indicator endpoints. All other indicators (RSI, MACD, Bollinger Bands, etc.) must be calculated client-side from raw data. TickAtlas provides 42 pre-calculated indicators ready to use, saving significant development time and compute costs.
Which API is cheaper for forex data?
For forex-specific use cases, TickAtlas starts at $29/month with full indicator access. Polygon's forex add-on starts at $79/month for raw data only — you still need to calculate indicators yourself. TickAtlas also accepts crypto payments and offers prepaid credit bonuses.
When should I choose Polygon.io instead?
Polygon.io is the better choice if you need US equities data, options chains, company financials, SEC filings, or real-time stock prices. It excels in the US equity market. For forex and crypto with pre-calculated technical analysis, TickAtlas is the specialist.
Does TickAtlas have WebSocket streaming?
WebSocket streaming is on our roadmap and coming soon. Currently, TickAtlas offers sub-100ms REST responses with 2-second TTL caching, which is sufficient for most trading bot intervals (M1 and above). Polygon.io does offer WebSocket streaming for real-time ticks.
Try TickAtlas Free for 14 Days
No credit card required. Get 1,000 API requests per day, access all 42 indicators, and see the AI market summary in action.