# Which historical odds API is best for backtesting?

> Independent. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Novig.

Canonical: https://novigapi.com/answers/historical-odds-api
Updated: 2026-11-15

For long sportsbook history, The Odds API's paid plans go back to June 2020 at 5-minute snapshots, TheRundown's Max plan has unlimited history and ParlayAPI's Scale plan 87,600 hours, checked 15 Nov 2026. For Novig exchange history, novigapi.com has daily data from August 2026 and intraday ticks since 12 Nov 2026. (Source: [The Odds API: plans](https://the-odds-api.com/#get-access))

A backtest is only as honest as its timestamps: you need the price at the moment you would have bet, not the day's close. Snapshot interval matters as much as depth.

## How the options compare

Historical odds, checked 15 Nov 2026

| Source | History | Paid plans |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Odds API | Paid plans: featured markets from Jun 2020 at 5-minute snapshots, props from May 2023 | $30 (20K credits) to $249 (15M credits) a month |
| TheRundown | 7 days (Starter) to unlimited (Max) | Starter $49 (60 s delay, 7-day history) to Max $2,499 (unlimited history) a month |
| ParlayAPI | 48 hours (Free) to 87,600 hours (Scale) of lookback | $5 (20K credits) to $200 (50M credits) a month |
| OddsJam | Full historical odds database advertised | Not published; contact sales |
| SharpAPI | Enterprise only | Hobby $79 (5 books), Pro $229 (15 books, +EV), Sharp $399 (25 books) a month |
| novigapi.com | Daily from 4 Aug 2026 (Novig's CSVs with names joined); intraday ticks since 12 Nov 2026 | Developer $49, Production $149, Scale $499 a month; $9 for 1,000 credits that never expire |
| Novig daily CSVs | Trades from 3 Aug 2026, markets from 4 Aug 2026 | Free |


## Where novigapi.com falls short

> Our history is short: Novig started publishing data in August 2026 and our intraday snapshots began 12 Nov 2026. For multi-season sportsbook backtests, buy The Odds API or TheRundown history.

## Try it

```bash
curl -s "https://novigapi.com/api/v1/line-history?market_id=01a1c89a-ada1-7142-b723-8e1221fbcb16&since=2026-11-14T00:00:00Z&limit=500" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NOVIGAPI_KEY"
```

Read the [endpoint reference](https://novigapi.com/docs/endpoints), compare [plans and credits](https://novigapi.com/pricing), or send a request from the [playground](https://novigapi.com/playground).

## Questions

### Is historical odds data free anywhere?

Novig's own trade files are free from 3 Aug 2026. Sportsbook history is a paid feature at every feed checked here.

## Sources

- [The Odds API: plans](https://the-odds-api.com/#get-access)
- [TheRundown: API pricing](https://therundown.io/pricing/api)
- [ParlayAPI: pricing](https://parlay-api.com/pricing)
- [OddsJam: Odds API](https://oddsjam.com/odds-api)
- [SharpAPI: pricing](https://sharpapi.io/pricing)
- [Novig docs: Exchange Data](https://docs.novig.com/public-data/overview.md)
- [novigapi.com endpoint reference](https://novigapi.com/docs/endpoints)

---

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