When we launched Narwhal, we did what most data APIs do. Three plans: Free, Basic at $59 a month and Pro at $149. It looked tidy on the pricing page. Then we watched how people used it, and it didn't fit.
In October the typical account made 34 calls. Thirty-four. Meanwhile a few accounts hit the 5,000 limit halfway through the month and simply stopped working. One group was paying for a box it barely opened. The other was locked out of a box it had outgrown.
The Free plan bothered us more. Prices were 15 minutes late and history stopped at 12 months. A student, someone building on a weekend and a company were all looking at different numbers. That's not what we want Narwhal to be.
So we threw the plans out.
What you get now
- $10 of free credits every month, on every account. No card, and it doesn't end.
- Live prices, rates and prediction odds for everyone, free credits included.
- The full history from each source for everyone.
- After the free credits, $2 per 1,000 calls for Economics, Markets, Trade, Calendars and News & Research. Companies is $10 per 1,000.
- Top up by card from $20 when you need more. Paid credit lasts 12 months after your last top up.
Why it's much better
- Everyone sees the same data. Nothing is held back for a higher plan.
- Everyone pays the same price per call, with up to 20% bonus credit on bigger top ups.
- You pay only for calls that work. Errors and rate limits are free.
- No surprise bills. When your credit runs out, calls pause with a 402 until you top up. We never charge more than your balance.
- The free part keeps coming. $10 lands every month for as long as your account is open.
For almost everyone, that means more data for the same or less money. Most accounts will never pay anything.
The one thing that's worse
If you make a lot of calls, the old plans were cheaper per call. Basic was $59 for 100,000 requests and Pro $149 for a million, against $2 per 1,000 now. Past about 35,000 calls a month, you'd have paid less on Basic. We'd rather say that than hide it. If that's you, email us. We do volume prices, contracts and invoices, and we'll find a number that works.
What happens to your account
- New here? You start with $10 of free credits. No card. Get a free API key
- Already with us? Your balance stays. The monthly $10 now keeps coming with no end date.
Thanks for building with Narwhal. Tell us what you think, we read every email.
Published .