Polygon Token Price APIs for Developers: 2025 API Comparison - DexPaprika, Moralis, CoinGecko & More

Mateusz Sroka

14 Nov 2025 (21 days ago)

12 min read

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Polygon developers need reliable APIs for ERC-20 token pricing. This guide compares five top providers: DexPaprika for 150k+ token coverage with near real-time pricing (free, no-key); Moralis for enterprise-grade multi-chain support; CoinGecko for broad market coverage; DEX Screener for real-time DEX prices; and Covalent for deep on-chain indexing.

Polygon Token Price APIs for Developers: 2025 API Comparison - DexPaprika, Moralis, CoinGecko & More

Polygon Token Price APIs for Developers: 2025 API Comparison

 

Introduction

Polygon has emerged as one of Ethereum's most successful layer-2 solutions, hosting thousands of DeFi applications and trading billions in daily volume. As a Polygon developer, you're likely building dashboards, trading bots, portfolio trackers, or analytics tools - all of which require accurate, real-time token pricing data. But which API should you use?

The challenge isn't a lack of options; it's choosing the right fit for your specific use case, budget, and technical requirements. Some developers need blazing-fast real-time updates. Others prioritize deep historical data for backtesting. Still others want to keep costs low while maintaining comprehensive token coverage.

This guide evaluates five top token price API providers for Polygon and helps you understand the tradeoffs between speed, cost, coverage, and ease of integration. We've tested each API, gathered their documentation, and compiled real-world benchmarks so you can make an informed decision in under 10 minutes.

 

Key takeaways

  • For budget-conscious developers:DexPaprika (150k+ tokens, no key, public API) is unbeatable value.
  • For enterprise apps:Moralis delivers block-by-block updates, Streams API, and multi-chain support starting at $49/month.
  • For global market context:CoinGecko combines Polygon token data with worldwide price comparisons (10k calls free/month).
  • For real-time DEX traders:DEX Screener is fast, free, and requires no setup - but only shows current prices.
  • For analytics depth:Covalent (GoldRush) provides complete historical indexing and on-chain transaction context (25k free credits/month).

 

Main evaluation: 5 Polygon token price APIs

Selection criteria

Before diving into each provider, here's what we evaluated:

  • Polygon-native support: Does the API explicitly support Polygon and its DEX ecosystems (Uniswap v3, QuickSwap, SushiSwap, etc.)?
  • Token coverage: How many tokens can you access? Broader coverage = easier token discovery for emerging projects.
  • Data freshness: Sub-second streaming, REST polling, or periodic batch updates? Your choice depends on your app's latency requirements.
  • Historical depth: Can you backtest strategies with OHLCV candlesticks? At what granularity (1m, 5m, 1h, 1d)?
  • Cost structure: Free tier limits, paid upgrade paths, and whether an API key is required upfront.
  • Integration burden: REST vs. WebSocket vs. GraphQL. Simpler = faster time-to-market.

 

1. DexPaprika - the free, comprehensive choice

DexPaprika is a specialized DEX data API offering near real-time token prices across 27+ networks, including Polygon. It indexes and tracks over 150,000 tokens on Polygon, providing price data aggregated directly from DEX liquidity pools (Uniswap v3, QuickSwap, SushiSwap, and more). This comprehensive token coverage makes it the go-to choice for discovering and monitoring any Polygon token instantly.

Standout features:

  • Coverage of 150k+ tokens on Polygon with near real-time price updates (REST polling)
  • Multi-interval stats in one call (5m, 15m, 30m, 1h, 6h, 24h price & volume data)
  • OHLCV candlesticks for any Polygon DEX pool (down to 1-minute intervals)
  • Batch queries (fetch prices for multiple tokens in one API call)
  • Pool-level analytics (liquidity, buy/sell counts, transaction volume)
  • Search endpoints to find tokens and pools by name or address

Pricing & access: Entirely free public API. No API key required - just call the endpoints directly. Generous rate limits for development and production use.

Best for: Startups, hobbyists, and teams building Polygon dashboards, trading bots, or portfolio trackers on a zero budget. If you need comprehensive token coverage (150k+) and near real-time prices without paying, this is your answer.

 

2. Moralis Price API - enterprise infrastructure

Moralis is a Web3 infrastructure provider offering enterprise-grade APIs for price, NFT, and transaction data. Their token price API covers all major EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine) compatible chains including Polygon with real-time and historical support. If you're building a production app with SLA (Service Level Agreement) requirements, Moralis is designed for you.

Enterprise capabilities:

  • Near real-time ERC-20 token prices on Polygon (DEX-aggregated, updated every block)
  • OHLCV candlestick data with custom intervals for backtesting
  • Batch queries (fetch prices for multiple tokens in one call)
  • Streams API for real-time WebSocket updates (sub-second latency)
  • Historical price lookups by block number or timestamp
  • SOC2 Type II certified; enterprise SLA available

Pricing & access: Free plan with ~40k compute units/day (limited use). Starter tier starts at $49/month (best for production apps). Pro tier at $199/month (annual) for higher throughput.

Best for: Production applications that need enterprise-grade reliability, multi-chain support, and direct developer support. Good choice if you're already using other Moralis services.

 

3. CoinGecko API - global market context

CoinGecko is one of the largest crypto data providers, covering over 65,000 Polygon tokens alongside global market data. Their API includes on-chain DEX data for Polygon through GeckoTerminal, allowing developers to fetch token prices by contract address and pool data. If you need Polygon token prices plus global market rankings and data, CoinGecko bridges that gap.

What CoinGecko brings:

  • Token price by contract address (Polygon-specific queries)
  • Global market rankings and 24h price changes across exchanges
  • Historical market charts (daily & hourly granularity)
  • DEX pool data with OHLCV candlesticks (via GeckoTerminal)
  • Token metadata (logos, descriptions, social links) for 20M+ tokens
  • Free tier: 10k calls/month (30 calls/minute)
  • Paid plans: 500+ calls/minute starting at $129/month

Pricing & access: Free tier with 10k calls/month. No API key required for free access, but registration recommended. Paid plans add higher rate limits and priority support.

Best for: Projects that need both Polygon-specific and global market context; apps already using CoinGecko's broader data; teams wanting to display Polygon token rankings alongside price feeds.

 

4. DEX Screener API - real-time simplicity

DEX Screener is a popular platform for tracking DEX trades and prices in real-time. They provide a straightforward API to tap into live data for tokens on Polygon, covering all major DEXes (Uniswap v3, QuickSwap, SushiSwap, etc.). If you want the simplest possible integration with real-time DEX prices, DEX Screener excels.

Simple & quick features:

  • Current pair data: price, volume, liquidity, FDV (Fully Diluted Valuation), and 24h price change
  • Pair search endpoint (by name or symbol)
  • Token pool listing (all pools for a given token on Polygon)
  • Real-time updates as new swaps occur on blockchain
  • Rate limits: 60-300 requests/minute (more than generous for most use cases)

Pricing & access: Free and no API key required. Rate limits are generous for moderate use. No official WebSocket stream available (recommend frequent polling for near-real-time updates).

Best for: Real-time, on-chain price monitoring and token discovery on Polygon DEXes. Developers who value simplicity and speed over historical depth. Perfect for building quick dashboards without complexity or cost.

 

5. Covalent (GoldRush) - comprehensive on-chain indexing

Covalent (now rebranded as GoldRush) maintains a complete index of the Polygon blockchain, including all ERC-20 tokens and their transaction data from genesis. It's powerful for developers who need rich contextual data, historical transaction analysis, or multi-chain consistency in a single API.

Deep indexing capabilities:

  • Token balances with fiat pricing included in a single query
  • Historical price time series (daily intervals) for any Polygon token
  • Effective market price from the most liquid source on Polygon
  • Rich contextual data (token metadata, transaction history, liquidity insights)
  • Uniform API schema across 100+ blockchains (perfect for multi-chain apps)

Pricing & access: Free tier gives 25,000 API credits/month with a rate limit of 4 calls/second. Premium tier starts at $50/month for 100k credits and 50 RPS (requests per second).

Best for: Analytics dashboards, portfolio history tracking, and developers needing historical depth combined with on-chain context. Ideal if you're building multi-chain apps and want consistency across networks.

 

Side-by-side comparison: coverage & data

ProviderPolygon CoverageReal-Time MethodHistorical & OHLCV
DexPaprikaAll - 150k+ tokensREST polling (~real-time)Yes - 1m to 24h intervals
MoralisAll ERC-20REST + Streams API (WebSocket)Yes - full OHLCV history
CoinGecko65k+ tokensREST (30-500 calls/min)Yes - daily/hourly + DEX pools
DEX ScreenerAll DEX pairsREST polling (60-300 req/min)No - 24h stats only
CovalentAll ERC-20REST (4 RPS free tier)Yes - historical daily prices
Data current as of November 2025.

 

Access, pricing & integration

ProviderAPI TypeAPI Key RequiredFree Tier
DexPaprikaREST (HTTPS)NoFree public API (unlimited)
MoralisREST + WebSocketYesFree tier limited; $49+/mo paid
CoinGeckoRESTOptional10k calls/month free
DEX ScreenerRESTNoFree (60-300 req/min)
CovalentRESTYes25k credits/month free
Data current as of November 2025.

 

Decision framework: choosing your API

  • Just starting out? Zero budget?DexPaprika or DEX Screener (both free, no keys, ready immediately)
  • Need charting or backtesting?DexPaprika, Moralis, or Covalent (full OHLCV support)
  • Building multi-chain? - DexPaprika,Moralis, CoinGecko, or Covalent (easy to expand beyond Polygon)
  • Need sub-second updates for trading?Moralis Streams API or Covalent Premium (WebSocket/real-time)
  • Need complete on-chain analytics?Covalent (GoldRush) (transaction history + context)

 

Get started: fetch Polygon token prices in 3 steps

Example: Get the real-time price of QuickSwap (QUICK token) on Polygon using DexPaprika's free API.

Step 1: Find the token address
QUICK token address on Polygon: 0xb5c064f955d8e7f38fe0460c556a72987494ee17
(Find addresses on PolygonScan or ask DexPaprika's search endpoint.)

Step 2: Build your API URL

GET https://api.dexpaprika.com/networks/polygon/tokens/0xb5c064f955d8e7f38fe0460c556a72987494ee17

 

Step 3: Call the API (no key needed)

curl https://api.dexpaprika.com/networks/polygon/tokens/0xb5c064f955d8e7f38fe0460c556a72987494ee17

 

Step 4: Parse the response (real data, live as of Nov 14, 2025)

{
  "id": "0xb5c064f955d8e7f38fe0460c556a72987494ee17",
  "name": "QuickSwap",
  "symbol": "QUICK",
  "chain": "polygon",
  "price_usd": 0.0159443624523742,
  "liquidity_usd": 956274.538300296,
  "pools": 31,
  "summary": {
    "24h": {
      "volume_usd": 390480.30,
      "buys": 1040,
      "sells": 1164,
      "txns": 2204,
      "last_price_usd_change": -1.86
    },
    "1h": {
      "volume_usd": 39036.44,
      "buys": 49,
      "sells": 56,
      "txns": 105,
      "last_price_usd_change": -0.82
    },
    "5m": {
      "volume_usd": 3672.06,
      "buys": 11,
      "sells": 12,
      "txns": 23,
      "last_price_usd_change": -0.48
    }
  },
  "last_updated": "2025-11-14T20:26:36.930Z"
}

 

That's it! You now have real-time prices, multi-interval volume, buy/sell counts (5m, 1h, 24h), pool count, and total liquidity. The response includes data at 1-minute, 5-minute, 1-hour, and 24-hour granularity. Update your dashboard every minute or subscribe to WebSocket streams for faster updates.

 

Summary

All five providers deliver reliable Polygon token pricing, but they excel in different scenarios:

  • DexPaprika remains unbeaten for free, comprehensive token coverage and ease of integration.
  • Moralis is your choice if you need enterprise reliability and multi-chain flexibility.
  • CoinGecko bridges Polygon-specific and global market data in one platform.
  • DEX Screener wins for simplicity and real-time DEX prices with zero friction.
  • Covalent (GoldRush) is unmatched for historical depth and on-chain analytics.

Your decision comes down to three factors: budget, real-time needs, and data depth. Start with DexPaprika for prototyping, then upgrade to Moralis or Covalent as your app matures.

 

Conclusion

Polygon's explosive growth as a leading layer-2 solution means there's no shortage of token data providers competing for your attention. The good news? This competition drives innovation and keeps costs low. Whether you're building your first DeFi prototype or scaling a production app serving thousands of users, at least one of these five APIs will fit your needs and budget.

The key is to start simple. Pick DexPaprika if cost is your primary concern. Pick Moralis if you need enterprise features. And don't be afraid to test multiple providers - most offer free tiers, and switching costs are minimal once you abstract the API layer in your code.

As Polygon continues to grow and compete with other layer-2 solutions, expect these API providers to evolve too. Watch for improvements in token coverage, faster update speeds, and richer contextual data. For now, the providers listed here represent the best of what's available in 2025.

 

Why you should care about Polygon token pricing APIs

Cost efficiency: Polygon transactions cost fractions of a penny, enabling applications that would be uneconomical on Ethereum mainnet. Accurate token pricing APIs unlock new DeFi use cases at Polygon's price point.

Speed of innovation: Polygon's DEX ecosystem is fast-moving. New tokens launch constantly. The best APIs index these tokens in minutes, not days. This speed difference matters if you're building discovery or early-warning tools.

Cross-chain monitoring: If you're managing portfolios or tracking arbitrage opportunities across multiple chains, a multi-chain API (Moralis, CoinGecko, Covalent) cuts your integration work in half.

Compliance & audit trails: For regulated DeFi applications, historical price snapshots and on-chain transaction context (provided by Covalent) are valuable for proving price discovery and execution quality.

Scaling without infrastructure: Don't spin up your own indexer. Use these APIs to ship fast while keeping operational overhead low.

 

Key takeaway: For most Polygon developers, DexPaprika's 150k+ token coverage, free pricing, and rich OHLCV data make it the best starting point - upgrade to Moralis or Covalent only when you need enterprise reliability or historical depth.

 

Frequently asked questions

Can I really get Polygon token prices without an API key?

Yes! DexPaprika and DEX Screener require no authentication at all. CoinGecko also offers keyless free tier access (though registration is recommended). Moralis and Covalent require keys but offer free tiers with signup.

How do these APIs calculate token prices on Polygon?

They query Polygon's DEX liquidity pools directly. A token's price is calculated from the swap rate in DEX pools (e.g., a QUICK/USDC pool tells you QUICK's price in USD). DexPaprika and DEX Screener use the primary liquidity pool; Moralis and CoinGecko may aggregate across multiple pools to reduce manipulation risk.

How fast do new Polygon tokens get indexed?

DexPaprika and DEX Screener pick up tokens as soon as they have trading activity (usually within 1–5 minutes of launch). Moralis and Covalent also add tokens quickly. CoinGecko may lag slightly (hours to days) for very new or niche Polygon tokens, as they manually review new listings.

Which API is best for backtesting trading strategies?

DexPaprika (1-minute OHLCV back to launch), Moralis (full historical depth), and Covalent (daily prices + on-chain context) all support backtesting. DexPaprika is the easiest for free; Moralis and Covalent offer deeper historical data if you're willing to pay. DEX Screener does not expose OHLCV via API.

Can I use these APIs in production, or are they just for prototyping?

All five can be used in production. DexPaprika and DEX Screener are battle-tested by thousands of Polygon apps and are reliable for production load if you respect rate limits. Moralis offers enterprise SLAs for mission-critical apps. Covalent has competitive uptime. CoinGecko is also production-ready for most use cases.

What happens if my chosen API goes down?

Abstract your API calls behind a service layer so you can switch providers without rewriting code. For critical apps, consider a multi-API fallback strategy: try DexPaprika first, fall back to DEX Screener or CoinGecko if it's unavailable. This redundancy costs minimal development time and greatly improves reliability.

 

References & sources

 

Data current as of November 2025. For the latest information, consult the official documentation of each provider (DexPaprika, Moralis, CoinGecko, DEX Screener, Covalent) and the Polygon Foundation.

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