# Databento vs ThetaData (2026) | TradingAgentStack

> Databento vs ThetaData: assets, live vs paper, order approval and safety controls, pricing and rate limits, each with a source. Last checked 2026-11-09.

Canonical: https://tradingagentstack.com/compare/databento-vs-thetadata/

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# Databento vs ThetaData

By [Ahsen (@satovinci)](https://tradingagentstack.com/about/)

Side-by-side facts with sources, last checked 2026-11-09.

**Verdict:** Databento: historical data is usage-based. ThetaData: free tier, no card. Safety score: Databento 90%, ThetaData 90%. They differ on assets, pricing, rate limits; the table below shows each fact with its source.

| Field | [Databento](https://tradingagentstack.com/tool/databento/) | [ThetaData](https://tradingagentstack.com/tool/thetadata/) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Category | Market data APIs | Market data APIs |
| Assets | US equities, US futures, US options, crypto, FX | stocks, options, indices, interest rates |
| Live vs paper | data only | data only |
| Order approval / safety | n/a | n/a |
| Pricing / free tier | historical data is usage-based; live data needs a subscription plan (Standard from $199/mo, Plus or Unlimited); $125 new-user credit expires after 6 months and can also pay a first month of a plan | free tier, no card; options plans (individual use) $40, $80, $160/mo (Value, Standard, Pro); separate stocks, indices and rates plans |
| Rate limits | no hard limits on historical | concurrent-request caps by plan (options: 2 / 4 / 8) |
| Official / community | official | official |
| Last checked | 2026-11-09 | 2026-11-09 |
| Source | [databento.com](https://databento.com/legal/databento-user-agreement/fees) | [www.thetadata.net](https://www.thetadata.net/subscribe) |
| Website | [Visit Databento](https://tradingagentstack.com/go/databento/?from=/compare/databento-vs-thetadata/) | [Visit ThetaData](https://tradingagentstack.com/go/thetadata/?from=/compare/databento-vs-thetadata/) |

Both are listed under [Market data APIs](https://tradingagentstack.com/category/data-api/), where every tool in the category is shown with the same sourced facts.

Tool pages: [Databento](https://tradingagentstack.com/tool/databento/) · [ThetaData](https://tradingagentstack.com/tool/thetadata/). Categories: [Market data APIs](https://tradingagentstack.com/category/data-api/)

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- [All comparisons](https://tradingagentstack.com/compare/)

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