# What data stack do GovCon software startups use? Most start with three free sources and one paid API. Load USAspending awards and the SAM.gov entity extract into your own database, call the SAM.gov APIs live for go or no-go checks, and buy an API for whatever you do not want to run yourself: GovCon API for deep history at $19 to $39, or samgovapi.io for keyless agent access and entity filters.Checked on 2026-11-15.Official source: [open.gsa.gov API catalog](https://open.gsa.gov/api/) | Awards | USAspending (free, FY2001) | | --- | --- | | Entities | SAM.gov extract or API | | Bids | Nightly CSV or API | | Live checks | SAM.gov | ## The answer in detail A ranking by job. Award history: USAspending first (free, FY2001), GovCon API second (FY2025+). Current entities: SAM.gov extract if you have a data engineer, an API over it if not. Open bids: SAM.gov's nightly opportunities CSV or an API. Live checks before award: SAM.gov, always. Labor rates: CALC+.AI features change the shape. An assistant that answers users' questions needs low-latency lookups and an MCP server, and it will burn a 10-a-day SAM.gov key in one conversation. That is the case for a loaded-copy API behind the agent.Budget for a seed-stage product: $0 to $50 a month in data, plus storage. Here that is the free plan or Developer at $49; GovCon API at $19 to $39. ## How the options compare | Option | Price | Access and limits | Coverage and history | Best for | Checked | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [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 | | [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 | | [SAM.gov entity extracts (official files)](https://open.gsa.gov/api/sam-entity-extracts-api/) | Free | Monthly full file plus daily deltas; public version needs a free key to download | Every registration in the public extract; you load and query it yourself | Data teams that want to host the whole file | 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 | | [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 - 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. - GovCon API is cheaper: $19 a month for its Developer plan and $39 for Pro, against $49 and $149 here. ## Try it One call shows what each dataset holds and how fresh it is. ``` import os, requests r = requests.get( "https://samgovapi.io/api/v1/datasets/status", params={}, 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 Should I host the data myself?If data is your product, yes. If it supports another product, an API saves weeks of loader work.Do I need FOUO data?Rarely. Public data covers search, matching and research; FOUO needs an approved system account. ## Related - [Comparisons](https://samgovapi.io/compare) - [Pricing](https://samgovapi.io/pricing) - [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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