The landscape changed when OpenSecrets killed their API in April 2025. Here's an honest comparison of what's actually available — features, data coverage, and pricing — so you can pick the right tool.
| Propaganda Factory API | OpenSecrets | Bloomberg | ProPublica APIs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public API status | ✓ Live (v1) | ✗ Discontinued Apr 2025 | ✓ (Terminal/API) | ~ Partial (some datasets) |
| Campaign finance | ✓ Aggregates | ✓ (website only now) | ✓ | ~ FEC itemizer (archived) |
| Lobbying disclosures | ✓ | ✓ (website) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Corporate violations | ✓ 45+ datasets | ✗ | ✗ | ~ Nonprofit Explorer only |
| OSHA / wage theft | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Private equity mapping | ✓ 41 firms | ✗ | ~ Via Capital IQ | ✗ |
| Patent data | ✓ Evergreening | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| AI-detected connections | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Free tier | ✓ 1,000 calls/mo | ✗ Dead API | ✗ | ✓ (limited) |
| Starting price | $0 | N/A | $25,000/yr | $0 (limited) |
| Data packs | $69–$99/mo per pack | — | — | — |
| Self-serve signup | ✓ Instant | ✗ | ✗ Sales call | ✓ |
| Webhooks | ✓ All Access+ | ✗ | ~ Enterprise | ✗ |
We're biased, obviously. But on the merits: it's the only live API purpose-built for money-in-politics plus corporate accountability data, with a free tier and self-serve signup. The AI connection layer (donation-to-contract timing, etc.) exists nowhere else.
OpenSecrets.org still has the best website for browsing money-in-politics data. But their API is gone and isn't coming back. If you need programmatic access, you need to look elsewhere. Migration guide →
If you're a hedge fund with $25K/seat to spend, Bloomberg's data is excellent. For journalists, researchers, activists, and indie developers, it's not a realistic option.
ProPublica's data tools (Nonprofit Explorer, etc.) are excellent and free. But they're individual tools, not a unified API — and they don't cover campaign finance or lobbying programmatically.