5 Free APIs That Replace $500/Month SaaS Tools (With Python Code)

#python #api #beginners #tutorial

Last month I calculated how much I was spending on SaaS tools. The answer: $480/month. Then I found free APIs that do the same thing.

Here are 5 free APIs that replaced tools I was paying for — with working Python code.

1. Alpha Vantage → Replaces Stock Screeners ($50/mo)

Was paying for: TradingView Pro
Free alternative: Alpha Vantage API (25 requests/day)

import requests

API_KEY = "your_free_key"  # alphavantage.co

def stock_screener(symbols):
    for symbol in symbols:
        data = requests.get(
            "https://www.alphavantage.co/query",
            params={"function": "GLOBAL_QUOTE", "symbol": symbol, "apikey": API_KEY}
        ).json()["Global Quote"]
        price = float(data["05. price"])
        change = data["10. change percent"]
        print(f"{symbol}: ${price:.2f} ({change})")

stock_screener(["AAPL", "MSFT", "GOOGL", "NVDA"])

Full tutorial: Alpha Vantage Dashboard

2. CoinGecko → Replaces Crypto Trackers ($30/mo)

Was paying for: CoinMarketCap Pro
Free alternative: CoinGecko API (no API key needed!)

def crypto_prices():
    data = requests.get(
        "https://api.coingecko.com/api/v3/simple/price",
        params={"ids": "bitcoin,ethereum,solana", "vs_currencies": "usd", "include_24hr_change": "true"}
    ).json()
    for coin, info in data.items():
        change = info["usd_24h_change"]
        print(f"{coin.title()}: ${info['usd']:,.2f} ({change:+.1f}%)")

crypto_prices()

3. SEC EDGAR → Replaces Financial Research ($100/mo)

Was paying for: Morningstar, S&P Capital IQ
Free alternative: SEC EDGAR API (unlimited, just set User-Agent)

def get_filings(ticker):
    tickers = requests.get(
        "https://www.sec.gov/files/company_tickers.json",
        headers={"User-Agent": "MyApp contact@email.com"}
    ).json()
    cik = None
    for entry in tickers.values():
        if entry["ticker"] == ticker:
            cik = str(entry["cik_str"]).zfill(10)
            break
    filings = requests.get(
        f"https://data.sec.gov/submissions/CIK{cik}.json",
        headers={"User-Agent": "MyApp contact@email.com"}
    ).json()
    recent = filings["filings"]["recent"]
    for i in range(5):
        print(f"{recent['filingDate'][i]} | {recent['form'][i]}")

get_filings("AAPL")

4. FRED → Replaces Economic Data Services ($200/mo)

Was paying for: Bloomberg Terminal access
Free alternative: FRED API (800,000+ datasets)

FRED_KEY = "your_free_key"  # fred.stlouisfed.org

def get_indicator(series_id, name):
    data = requests.get(
        "https://api.stlouisfed.org/fred/series/observations",
        params={"series_id": series_id, "api_key": FRED_KEY, "file_type": "json", "sort_order": "desc", "limit": 3}
    ).json()
    print(f"\n{name}:")
    for obs in data["observations"]:
        print(f"  {obs['date']}: {obs['value']}")

get_indicator("CPIAUCSL", "CPI (Inflation)")
get_indicator("UNRATE", "Unemployment Rate")

5. NewsAPI → Replaces Media Monitoring ($100/mo)

Was paying for: Meltwater, Mention
Free alternative: NewsAPI (100 requests/day free)

def monitor_topic(query):
    data = requests.get(
        "https://newsapi.org/v2/everything",
        params={"q": query, "sortBy": "publishedAt", "pageSize": 5, "apiKey": "your_key"}
    ).json()
    for article in data["articles"]:
        print(f"  {article['source']['name']}: {article['title']}")

monitor_topic("artificial intelligence")

Total Savings: $480/month ($5,760/year)

Tool	Was Paying	Free API	Savings
Stock screener	$50/mo	Alpha Vantage	$50
Crypto tracker	$30/mo	CoinGecko	$30
Financial research	$100/mo	SEC EDGAR	$100
Economic data	$200/mo	FRED	$200
Media monitoring	$100/mo	NewsAPI	$100
Total	$480/mo	$0	$480/mo