# USAspending API vs samgovapi.io For award analysis alone, the USAspending API is free, keyless and authoritative. SAM Gov API uses the same award data but joins it to SAM.gov registrations by UEI, so one call returns a company's awards with its registration status, NAICS and exclusion flag. USAspending.gov is the Treasury's official spending site. Prices, limits and page counts are as published by each vendor or measured from their public sitemaps on 2026-11-12.Checked on 2026-11-12.Official source: [USAspending API](https://api.usaspending.gov/docs/endpoints) | USAspending API (official) | Free | | --- | --- | | SAM Gov API | Free $0, Developer $49/mo, Pro $149/mo, Scale $499/mo | ## Should you use the USAspending API directly? For award analysis alone, the USAspending API is free, keyless and authoritative. SAM Gov API uses the same award data but joins it to SAM.gov registrations by UEI, so one call returns a company's awards with its registration status, NAICS and exclusion flag. ## Side by side | Option | Price (checked 12 Nov 2026) | API access | Public pages | Best for | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | USAspending API (official) | Free | No key; no published rate limit | USAspending.gov search and profiles | Award and spending analysis without entity registration data | | SAM Gov API | Free $0, Developer $49/mo, Pro $149/mo, Scale $499/mo | REST and MCP on every plan; 100 free credits a month | Free lookup tools plus NAICS, glossary and comparison reference pages | Developers, AI agents and small contractors who want the public data as an API | ## About USAspending API (official) USAspending.gov is the Treasury's official spending site. Its API needs no key and covers prime awards, subawards, recipient profiles and bulk award downloads, with contract data back to FY2001. Recipient profile IDs are hashes rather than UEIs, data lags the source systems by days, and DoD contract actions appear 90 days after signing. ## How we compared Prices, limits and page counts are as published by each vendor or measured from their public sitemaps on 2026-11-12. We do not use private quotes. Where a number is reported by a third party, it says so. Corrections: support@samgovapi.io. ## Related - [Comparisons](https://samgovapi.io/compare) - [Pricing](https://samgovapi.io/pricing) - [SAM.gov API](https://samgovapi.io/sam-gov-api)Updated 2026-11-12. Sources checked 2026-11-12.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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HTML version: https://samgovapi.io/compare/usaspending-api-vs-samgovapi . Markdown: https://samgovapi.io/compare/usaspending-api-vs-samgovapi.md

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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