Compare the options
Prices are monthly USD paid entry plans. Columns show free allowances, update frequency, history, and coverage; conversion access appears in each detail table. UniRateAPI counts requests per day. A paid entry plan does not necessarily include a conversion endpoint or the fastest updates.
| Provider | Price from | Free tier | Update frequency | History | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| exchangerate.dev | $19/month Basic; 100,000 requests | 5,000 requests/month; commercial use with a visible credit link | About 60 seconds for all 144 currencies on trading days, 15 minutes late on Free; ECB daily fallback | Free 30 days; Basic 1 year; Plus/Pro to 1999 where available | 144 currencies |
| Narwhal API | $59/month Basic; 100,000 requests | 5,000 requests/month; previous day close | Free: end of day (00:00 UTC); paid: live; interval not published | Stored observations by date range; start date not published | 144 currencies |
| ExchangeRate-API | $10/month Pro; 30,000 requests | 1,500 requests/month with a key; keyless open endpoint with attribution | Daily on Free; hourly Pro; 5 minutes Business | Paid plans only; over 30 years advertised on Pro | About 165 currencies |
| currencyapi | $9.99/month Small; 15,000 requests | 300 requests/month; personal use only | Daily on Free; hourly Small; 60 seconds Medium and up | Daily history back to 1999 | 171 fiat currencies, 16 crypto, 4 precious metals |
| UniRateAPI | $9/month Pro; 25,000 requests/day | 200 requests/day; 30 requests/minute; key required | 15 minutes | A Pro feature per its pricing page | Fiat and crypto currencies; count stated differently across its pages |
| Fixer | $14.99/month Basic; 10,000 requests | 100 requests/month; non-commercial; fixed base currency | Hourly on Free and Basic; 10 minutes Professional; 60 seconds Professional Plus | Back to January 1999 | 170 currencies |
| CurrencyFreaks | $9.99/month Starter; 15,000 requests | 1,000 requests/month; USD base only | Every 24 hours on Free; hourly Starter; 10 minutes Growth; 60 seconds Professional | Paid plans only | 1000+ currencies advertised, including crypto |
| Open Exchange Rates | $12/month Developer; 10,000 requests | Up to 1,000 requests/month; USD base only | Hourly on Free and Developer; 30 minutes Enterprise; 5 minutes Unlimited | End-of-day rates back to 1 January 1999 | Over 200 currencies |
The shortlist
exchangerate.dev
| Best fit | Single and batch indicative amount conversion |
|---|---|
| Price from | $19/month Basic; 100,000 requests |
| Free tier | 5,000 requests/month; commercial use with a visible credit link |
| Update frequency | About 60 seconds for all 144 currencies on trading days, 15 minutes late on Free; ECB daily fallback |
| History | Free 30 days; Basic 1 year; Plus/Pro to 1999 where available |
| Coverage | 144 currencies |
| Conversion | Single-amount and batch conversion endpoints |
| MCP | Yes, nine tools, every plan including Free |
exchangerate.dev suits an application converting individual amounts or batches across 144 currencies. Both conversion endpoints are available under Free rules; a batch containing N pairs counts as N calls. Basic costs $19 per month for 100,000 requests and live rates. Responses include source and market-session labels. The trade-off is that Free rates are 15 minutes late, with 30 days of daily history. All results remain indicative estimates, not executable or settlement prices. Free commercial displays need visible linked credit.
Narwhal API
| Best fit | Amount conversion with broader economic context |
|---|---|
| Price from | $59/month Basic; 100,000 requests |
| Free tier | 5,000 requests/month; previous day close |
| Update frequency | Free: end of day (00:00 UTC); paid: live; interval not published |
| History | Stored observations by date range; start date not published |
| Coverage | 144 currencies |
| Conversion | Decimal-safe conversion endpoint |
| MCP | Yes, hosted, same key and quota as REST |
Narwhal API suits a converter embedded in a broader data application. Its decimal-safe FX conversion endpoint returns the rate, timestamp, and market session, while one key also covers commodities, economics, and release calendars through REST and MCP. That scope is useful when the app needs context alongside the converted amount. The trade-off is that Free FX uses the previous day’s close. Live FX starts on Basic at $59 per month, and the FX page does not publish an update interval.
ExchangeRate-API
| Best fit | Free pair conversion for daily app estimates |
|---|---|
| Price from | $10/month Pro; 30,000 requests |
| Free tier | 1,500 requests/month with a key; keyless open endpoint with attribution |
| Update frequency | Daily on Free; hourly Pro; 5 minutes Business |
| History | Paid plans only; over 30 years advertised on Pro |
| Coverage | About 165 currencies |
| Conversion | Pair conversion with an optional amount, on Free |
| MCP | No MCP server found on its site |
ExchangeRate-API suits an app that wants a direct pair request with an optional amount. Conversion is included on Free, which provides 1,500 monthly requests and daily updates across about 165 currencies. Pro raises the allowance and updates hourly for $10 per month. The trade-off is that historical data requires payment, so a free latest-amount workflow does not establish access to past-date conversions. A separate keyless open endpoint supplies daily rates with attribution; distinguish that rate endpoint from the keyed conversion workflow.
Full comparison: ExchangeRate-API vs exchangerate.dev →currencyapi
| Best fit | Commercial conversion with fiat and other assets |
|---|---|
| Price from | $9.99/month Small; 15,000 requests |
| Free tier | 300 requests/month; personal use only |
| Update frequency | Daily on Free; hourly Small; 60 seconds Medium and up |
| History | Daily history back to 1999 |
| Coverage | 171 fiat currencies, 16 crypto, 4 precious metals |
| Conversion | Convert endpoint |
| MCP | Yes, official, 16 tools; calls count against the plan quota |
currencyapi suits an app comparing fiat currencies with crypto or precious metals. It documents a conversion endpoint and lists 171 fiat currencies, 16 cryptocurrencies, and four precious metals. Small permits commercial use for $9.99 per month with hourly updates. The trade-off is the plan boundary: Free is private use only, and sixty-second updates start at Medium. Its official MCP server has 16 tools and shares the plan quota, but the documentation does not state whether Free keys can use MCP.
Full comparison: currencyapi vs exchangerate.dev →UniRateAPI
| Best fit | Direct conversion with a daily request budget |
|---|---|
| Price from | $9/month Pro; 25,000 requests/day |
| Free tier | 200 requests/day; 30 requests/minute; key required |
| Update frequency | 15 minutes |
| History | A Pro feature per its pricing page |
| Coverage | Fiat and crypto currencies; count stated differently across its pages |
| Conversion | Convert endpoint |
| MCP | Not mentioned |
UniRateAPI suits a converter that benefits from a daily request allowance and a direct conversion endpoint. Free includes 200 requests per day with a key, while Pro costs $9 per month for 25,000 daily requests. The homepage states fifteen-minute updates and supports fiat and crypto currencies. The trade-off is that its pages give different currency totals, so verify the exact codes your app converts. History is a Pro feature per its pricing page. Terms forbid redistribution and describe data as not intended for trading or investing.
Full comparison: UniRateAPI vs exchangerate.dev →Fixer
| Best fit | Paid conversion with selectable base currencies |
|---|---|
| Price from | $14.99/month Basic; 10,000 requests |
| Free tier | 100 requests/month; non-commercial; fixed base currency |
| Update frequency | Hourly on Free and Basic; 10 minutes Professional; 60 seconds Professional Plus |
| History | Back to January 1999 |
| Coverage | 170 currencies |
| Conversion | Basic and up |
| MCP | No official MCP server found |
Fixer suits an app that needs amount conversion and selectable base currencies on a paid plan. Basic includes both for $14.99 per month with hourly updates, and the catalogue covers 170 currencies. Historical rates extend to January 1999. The trade-off is that Free does not include conversion and fixes the base currency, so it cannot establish the full paid conversion workflow. Faster updates also change the plan: Professional provides ten-minute updates, while sixty-second updates start at Professional Plus for $99.99 per month.
Full comparison: Fixer vs exchangerate.dev →CurrencyFreaks
| Best fit | Paid current and historical amount conversion |
|---|---|
| Price from | $9.99/month Starter; 15,000 requests |
| Free tier | 1,000 requests/month; USD base only |
| Update frequency | Every 24 hours on Free; hourly Starter; 10 minutes Growth; 60 seconds Professional |
| History | Paid plans only |
| Coverage | 1000+ currencies advertised, including crypto |
| Conversion | Paid plans only |
| MCP | Yes, open source, 7 tools; Free gets latest rates and the currency list |
CurrencyFreaks suits an app that needs both current and historical conversion on an entry paid plan. Starter includes those workflows at $9.99 per month, with hourly updates and all base currencies. Its open-source MCP server exposes conversion and historical tools on Starter and above. The trade-off is that Free offers daily USD-base rates rather than conversion or history. Its advertised catalogue includes crypto, so inspect your required fiat codes separately instead of treating the headline total as a count of national currencies.
Full comparison: CurrencyFreaks vs exchangerate.dev →Open Exchange Rates
| Best fit | Rate snapshots with separately listed conversion access |
|---|---|
| Price from | $12/month Developer; 10,000 requests |
| Free tier | Up to 1,000 requests/month; USD base only |
| Update frequency | Hourly on Free and Developer; 30 minutes Enterprise; 5 minutes Unlimited |
| History | End-of-day rates back to 1 January 1999 |
| Coverage | Over 200 currencies |
| Conversion | Convert endpoint documented; plan page lists conversion on Unlimited |
| MCP | No official MCP server found |
Open Exchange Rates suits an app that can calculate amounts from a shared rate snapshot and evaluate direct conversion separately. Developer provides hourly rates with any base for $12 per month, and coverage exceeds 200 currencies. The trade-off is endpoint access: its plan page lists currency conversion requests on Unlimited at $97 per month. The conversion endpoint exists in the documentation, but do not assume Developer includes it. Free fixes the base to USD and allows up to 1,000 requests per month.
Full comparison: Open Exchange Rates vs exchangerate.dev →Match the endpoint to your app
Check a representative conversion before choosing a subscription. The amount workflow, usage rights, and rate age matter together. A rate endpoint and a direct conversion endpoint are different integration choices.
| Amount workflow | Try a single amount and the largest batch your app needs. Check how each pair consumes quota and whether the chosen plan includes the actual endpoint you will call. |
|---|---|
| Base and coverage | Test both directions for required currencies. Confirm that base selection is available on your plan rather than assuming a supported currency can always be the base. |
| Freshness and date | Specify acceptable rate age and whether past-date amounts are required. Check those requests on the intended plan, including the oldest date the application needs. |
| Display and rounding | Retain the original amount, rate, timestamp, and rounding choice. Label indicative results as estimates and verify the commercial display terms for the chosen plan. |
How we chose
We compared direct conversion endpoints, their published plan access, freshness, base selection, currency coverage, and historical workflows. Sources were checked on 17 Oct 2026. This is a documented-feature comparison, not a benchmark of calculation accuracy or response speed. The order reflects fit for amount conversion in an application. exchangerate.dev publishes this comparison and appears under the same criteria. Where endpoint access is unclear, you will find what the plan page lists rather than an assumption of availability. exchangerate.dev and Narwhal API are owned and operated by Nusantara Ventures, LLC.
Sources checked . Prices and entitlements can change.
Related comparisons
- Best exchange rate APIs for developers: The broader comparison of developer exchange-rate services
- Best currency APIs (2026): Currency coverage and amount conversion in apps
- Best forex APIs (2026): Streaming, candles, history, and execution requirements
- Free exchange rate API comparison: A closer look at free-plan limits and trade-offs
- Best free exchange rate APIs (2026): Free quotas, freshness, keyless access, and commercial terms
- ExchangeRate-API alternatives (2026): Alternatives for daily rates, conversion, history, and MCP
- currencyapi alternatives (2026): Commercial terms, free access, update plans, and conversion
- Fixer alternatives (2026): Base selection, conversion access, and alternatives to Fixer
- Open Exchange Rates alternatives (2026): Free bases, amount endpoints, MCP, and billing periods