Best 4 Option Chain APIs for Real-Time Options Trading

July 13, 2023
Data Expert Lucy
Lucy Kelly Research Analyst at Datarade

Accurate and up-to-date option chain data is crucial for traders and investors navigating the financial market.

With numerous APIs available, finding the best option chain API can be a daunting task.

This article aims to provide a concise overview of the top option chain APIs, highlighting their key features and benefits.

Whether you are a seasoned professional or a beginner in the world of options trading, this guide will help you make an informed decision and choose the API that best suits your needs.

What are Option Chain APIs?

Option chain APIs are application programming interfaces that provide access to option chain data. An option chain is a listing of all available options contracts for a particular underlying asset, such as a stock or an index.

These APIs allow developers to retrieve information about various options contracts, including their strike prices, expiration dates, bid and ask prices, volume, open interest, and other relevant data. Option chain APIs are commonly used by financial institutions, trading platforms, and individual traders to analyze and monitor options markets, build trading strategies, and make informed investment decisions.

Main Use Cases of Option Chain APIs

  1. Real-time Market Data: Option chain APIs provide real-time market data for options contracts, including bid/ask prices, volume, open interest, and Greeks. This data can be used by traders and investors to make informed decisions about buying or selling options.

  2. Options Strategy Analysis: Option chain APIs enable users to analyze various options strategies by providing detailed information about strike prices, expiration dates, and implied volatility. Traders can evaluate the potential risk and reward of different strategies before executing trades.

  3. Risk Management: Option chain APIs offer risk management capabilities by providing data on delta, gamma, theta, and other Greeks. Traders can assess the potential impact of price changes, time decay, and volatility on their options positions, helping them manage risk effectively.

  4. Portfolio Optimization: Option chain APIs allow users to analyze their options portfolio by providing comprehensive data on all options contracts held. Traders can evaluate the overall risk exposure, diversification, and potential returns of their portfolio, enabling them to make informed decisions about adjustments or rebalancing.

  5. Algorithmic Trading: Option chain APIs can be utilized in algorithmic trading systems to automate options trading strategies. By accessing real-time option chain data, algorithms can identify trading opportunities, execute trades, and manage positions based on predefined rules and parameters.

Please note that the actual capabilities and features of option chain APIs may vary depending on the specific provider or platform.

Best Option Chain APIs - Our Top Picks

API Name Intrinio Twelve Data Tradefeeds
General Features      
Extensive Coverage Yes Yes Yes
Easy Integration Yes Yes Yes
Real-time Updates Yes No Yes
Flexible Filtering Yes No Yes
Pricing      
Transparent Pricing Yes Yes Yes
Flexible Pricing Options Yes Yes Yes
Historical Data No No Yes
Overall Review and Conclusion      
Comprehensive and Reliable Yes Yes Yes
User-friendly Yes Yes Yes
Suitable for Individual Traders Yes Yes Yes
Suitable for Institutional Clients Yes Yes Yes
Recommended Choice Yes Yes Yes

The Best 4 Option Chain APIs for Real-Time Options Trading

Intrinio offers one of the best Option Chain APIs in the market, providing comprehensive and reliable options data for financial market analysis. With a wide range of features, competitive pricing, and excellent overall performance, Intrinio’s Option Chain API stands out as a top choice for developers and financial professionals.

General Features

Intrinio’s Option Chain API boasts an impressive set of features that cater to the needs of both novice and experienced users. Here are some notable features:

  1. Extensive Coverage: Intrinio’s API covers a vast array of options data, including real-time and historical options prices, implied volatility, Greeks, and more. This comprehensive coverage ensures that users have access to all the necessary data for in-depth analysis and decision-making.

  2. Easy Integration: The API is designed to be developer-friendly, with straightforward documentation and well-organized endpoints. Integration into existing applications or platforms is seamless, allowing users to quickly access and utilize the options data.

  3. Real-time Updates: Intrinio’s Option Chain API provides real-time updates, ensuring that users have access to the most up-to-date options data. This feature is crucial for time-sensitive trading strategies and accurate market analysis.

  4. Flexible Filtering: Users can easily filter options data based on various criteria, such as expiration date, strike price, and underlying security. This flexibility enables users to focus on specific options contracts that align with their investment strategies.

Intrinio’s Option Chain API is undoubtedly one of the best options available for accessing comprehensive and reliable options data. The API’s extensive coverage, easy integration, real-time updates, and flexible filtering options make it a powerful tool for financial market analysis.
The competitive pricing plans and free trial period further enhance the appeal of Intrinio’s Option Chain API, allowing users to experience its capabilities without a significant upfront investment.

With a comprehensive set of general features, flexible pricing options, and a robust overall performance, Twelve Data’s option API is a top choice for users seeking option chain data.

General Features

  • Wide Coverage: Twelve Data’s option chain API provides extensive coverage of stock options, enabling users to access data from various exchanges globally.
  • Easy Integration: The API offers SDKs and libraries for popular programming languages, making it easy for developers to integrate the option chain data into their applications.
  • Unified Platform: Twelve Data provides a single platform that unifies APIs, WebSocket connections, and SDKs for all financial data, simplifying the development process.

Pricing

Twelve Data offers a flexible pricing structure that allows users to pay for the specific data they need without any hidden or implicit fees. Detailed pricing information can be obtained by signing in to their platform or contacting their sales team directly.

Twelve Data’s option chain API stands out as a powerful and reliable solution for accessing option chain data. With its wide coverage, easy integration options, and transparent pricing, it caters to the needs of both individual traders and financial institutions. The platform’s technology-first approach and exceptional service ensure that users receive high-quality and up-to-date data to drive their success.

Tradefeeds offers one of the best option chain APIs in the market, providing a comprehensive set of features that cater to the needs of both individual traders and institutional clients. Here are some of the notable general features:

  1. Real-time Data: Tradefeeds delivers option chain data in real-time, ensuring that users have access to the most up-to-date information for making informed trading decisions.

  2. Extensive Coverage: The platform covers a wide range of markets, including equities, indices, futures, and ETFs. This broad coverage allows users to access option chain data for a diverse set of assets.

  3. Flexible Integration: Tradefeeds offers a user-friendly API that allows for seamless integration with various trading platforms, applications, and systems. This flexibility enables users to easily incorporate option chain data into their existing workflows.

  4. Customizable Parameters: The API provides users with the ability to customize their option chain queries based on specific criteria such as expiration date, strike price, and option type. This level of customization ensures that users can retrieve the exact data they need.

  5. Historical Data: Tradefeeds also offers historical option chain data, allowing users to analyze past trends and patterns. This feature is particularly useful for backtesting trading strategies and conducting in-depth market research.

Pricing

Tradefeeds offers competitive pricing plans that cater to the diverse needs of traders and institutions. The pricing structure is transparent and flexible, with options for both monthly subscriptions and pay-as-you-go models. The cost is based on the level of data access required, ensuring that users only pay for the specific features they need.

In conclusion, Tradefeeds stands out as a top choice for accessing option chain APIs. With its real-time data, extensive coverage, flexible integration, customizable parameters, and historical data offerings, the platform provides a comprehensive solution for traders and institutions alike.

The pricing options offered by Tradefeeds are transparent and flexible, allowing users to choose the most suitable plan based on their requirements. The platform’s commitment to delivering high-quality data and its user-friendly API make it a reliable and efficient choice for accessing option chain information.

Finnworlds’ options chain API boasts a set of features that cater to the needs of both individual traders and institutional investors.

General Features

Here are some of the standout features of their API:

  1. Real-time Data: Finnworlds’ options chain API provides real-time data, ensuring that users have access to the most up-to-date information. This is crucial for making informed trading decisions and staying ahead of market movements.

  2. Extensive Coverage: The API covers a wide range of options chains, including equities, indices, ETFs, and futures. This broad coverage allows users to analyze and trade options across various asset classes, providing flexibility and diversification opportunities.

  3. Advanced Filtering: Finnworlds’ API offers advanced filtering capabilities, allowing users to narrow down options chains based on specific criteria such as strike price, expiration date, and option type. This feature enables traders to focus on the options that meet their specific trading strategies and risk tolerance.

  4. Historical Data: In addition to real-time data, Finnworlds provides access to historical options chain data. This feature is particularly useful for backtesting trading strategies, conducting research, and analyzing market trends over time.

  5. User-Friendly Documentation: Finnworlds offers comprehensive and user-friendly documentation, making it easy for developers to integrate the API into their trading platforms or applications. The documentation includes detailed explanations, code examples, and API endpoints, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free integration process.

Pricing

Finnworlds offers flexible pricing plans that cater to the needs of different users. They provide both free and paid subscription options, allowing users to choose the plan that best suits their requirements. The pricing plans are transparent and affordable, making Finnworlds’ options chain API accessible to both individual traders and larger institutions.

The free subscription plan provides limited access to the API, allowing users to test its capabilities and explore its features. For users who require more extensive access and higher data limits, Finnworlds offers paid subscription plans at competitive prices. The pricing is based on the level of access and data usage, ensuring that users only pay for what they need.

Finnworlds’ options chain API stands out as one of the best in the market due to its comprehensive features, real-time data, and user-friendly documentation.