# What is the cheapest federal procurement data API for a small GovCon software startup? The cheapest are the free official APIs: SAM.gov (10 to 1,000 calls a day) and USAspending (no key). Among paid APIs, GovCon API is cheapest at $19 a month with FY2025+ history. samgovapi.io has a permanent free plan (100 credits a month) and paid plans from $49; HigherGov starts at $500 a year and GovTribe at $1,900 per seat.Checked on 2026-11-15.Source: [govconapi.com pricing](https://govconapi.com/pricing) | GovCon API | $19 and $39 a month | | --- | --- | | samgovapi.io | Free, then $49, $149, $499 a month | | HigherGov | From $500 a year | | GovTribe | From $1,200 to $1,900 per seat a year | ## The answer in detail For an early prototype, start free: USAspending for awards, SAM.gov's extract for entities, the nightly opportunities CSV for bids. The cost is engineering time for loaders, storage and refresh jobs, typically a few weeks before the product shows anything.Paid APIs pay off when that time matters more than the subscription. Compare on what you will call most: entity lookups, bid searches or award history. A flat request quota (GovCon API, 1,000 an hour) suits many small calls; credits weighted by rows suit fewer, larger searches.Here, searches cost 1 credit per 100 rows and lookups 1 credit, Developer includes 10,000 credits for $49 a month, and 1,000-credit top-ups cost $9 and never expire. ## How the options compare | Option | Price | Access and limits | Coverage and history | Best for | Checked | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [SAM.gov APIs (official)](https://open.gsa.gov/api/entity-api/) | Free | 10 requests a day with no SAM.gov role, 1,000 with a role or a non-federal system account; keys expire every 90 days | The live, authoritative record: entities, opportunities, exclusions, contract awards, hierarchy, subawards | Anyone who needs the official record itself, at low volume | 2026-11-12 | | [USAspending API (official)](https://api.usaspending.gov/docs/endpoints) | Free, no key | No key and no published daily cap | Prime awards and subawards back to FY2001; no SAM.gov registration status or expiry | Award and spending history | 2026-11-12 | | [GovCon API (govconapi.com)](https://govconapi.com/pricing) | Developer $19/mo, Pro $39/mo; 14-day trial | 1,000 requests an hour (50 a minute burst); trial 50 a day | 12,265,150 contracts and 758,552 opportunities from FY2025; 904,090 entities, monthly | Developers who want the lowest entry price and FY2025+ history | 2026-11-15 | | [HigherGov](https://www.highergov.com/pricing/) | Starter $500/yr, Standard $2,500/yr, Enterprise custom | API on paid plans; 10,000 records a month as its API page stated on 12 Nov 2026 | Opportunities, awards, awardees, IDVs and forecasts in a search UI with exports | Small BD teams who want a polished search UI | 2026-11-15 | | [GovTribe](https://govtribe.com/pricing) | $1,900 per seat a year ($1,200 at 6+ seats); Pro $2,100 | AI and MCP included with 5,000 credits per seat (10,000 on Pro); no self-serve REST API on its pricing page | Vendors, awards, opportunities, grants and IDVs in a seat-based workspace | Capture teams that work inside one shared workspace | 2026-11-15 | | [samgovapi.io](https://samgovapi.io/pricing) | Free (100 credits a month, no card); Developer $49/mo, Pro $149/mo, Scale $499/mo | 20 to 180 requests a minute by plan, no daily cap; REST, MCP and keyless MCP search | 881,370 entities (1 Nov 2026 extract), 74,420 notices, 169,191 exclusions, 114,954 awards since 1 Oct 2026 | Developers and AI agents who want entities, bids and exclusions joined in one API | 2026-11-15 | ## Where samgovapi.io is the weaker choice - GovCon API is cheaper: $19 a month for its Developer plan and $39 for Pro, against $49 and $149 here. - Award history is short: 114,954 prime awards with action dates from 1 Oct 2026 to 10 Nov 2026 (fiscal year 2027 so far). USAspending goes back to FY2001 and GovCon API serves 12.27 million contracts from FY2025. ## Try it Check what a query costs: every response states credits_charged and remaining_credits. ``` import os, requests r = requests.get( "https://samgovapi.io/api/v1/opportunities", params={"naics": "541511", "open": True, "limit": 100}, headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['SAMGOVAPI_API_KEY']}"}, timeout=30, ) body = r.json() print(body["meta"]["as_of"], body["meta"]["credits_charged"]) print(body["data"]) ``` ## Questions Is there a free tier that does not expire?Yes, the free plan here (100 credits a month). GovCon API's free option is a 14-day trial.Are there annual discounts?Yes, annual billing here is about two months free. ## Related - [Pricing](https://samgovapi.io/pricing) - [GovCon API alternative](https://samgovapi.io/compare/govconapi-alternative) - [API docs](https://samgovapi.io/docs) - [Pricing](https://samgovapi.io/pricing) - [Answers](https://samgovapi.io/answers)Updated 2026-11-15. Sources checked 2026-11-15.Independent. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by GSA, SAM.gov or any U.S. government agency. Registering in SAM.gov is free at sam.gov.

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