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Best exchange rate APIs for developers (2026)

Eleven exchange rate APIs compared on update frequency, source labeling, MCP support, pricing, historical depth, currency coverage, and free-tier size. Published prices and limits were reviewed in October 2026; update intervals are provider claims, not measured benchmarks.

3 Oct 2026 · 10 min read

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How we evaluated exchange rate APIs

Seven criteria for shipping code against a live rate, not glancing at one.

  • Free-tier size: the published monthly call quota before you pay anything
  • Update frequency: how often the provider says rates change, once-daily to intraday, at each tier
  • Per-value source labeling: whether each rate says where it came from and how fresh it is
  • MCP support: whether an AI agent can query it through an official MCP server
  • Pricing to scale: what the first paid tier costs and how much quota or freshness it buys
  • Historical depth: how far back daily historical rates go
  • Currency coverage: how many currencies or codes the API actually prices

Numbers come from each provider's pricing and documentation pages, checked directly on October 3, 2026, not an independent, timed measurement of freshness. That needs a benchmark: exchangerate.dev publishes a protocol for one but hasn't published a result for any provider yet, including itself, that bar hasn't been met. See the FX data methodology and the reproducible freshness benchmark protocol.

exchangerate.dev operates this page and appears in the ranking. Facts are sourced the same way for every entry, including ours, and where a competitor is ahead on a given criterion, the entry below says so.

Reproduce the first-party request

The comparison includes exchangerate.dev so you can verify the response shape before choosing a provider. This anonymous request was run on September 8, 2026 and returned HTTP 200; source=live; market_session=open; EUR and GBP rates returned with data_updated_at and effective_at timestamps.

curl
curl -fsS "https://api.exchangerate.dev/v1/latest/USD?symbols=EUR,GBP"

It is a reproducible API check, not a provider freshness benchmark. The last full provider review was October 3, 2026. Provider prices and limits were reviewed on October 3, 2026. An unverified feature is not evidence that a provider lacks it; confirm requirements with the provider.

Exchange rate API ranking

1. exchangerate.dev

  • Free tier: 5,000 calls/mo, 144 currencies
  • Updates: all 144 currencies ~60s on trading days, 15 minutes late on Free; ECB daily fallback
  • Source labeling: source + market_session on every value
  • MCP: remote HTTP + stdio, every plan incl. free
  • Paid from: $19/mo for 100,000 calls
  • History: Free 30 days; Plus/Pro to 1999
  • Coverage: 144 currencies

All 144 currencies update about every 60 seconds on trading days; ECB fixes provide daily fallback. Every response carries source and market_session, so calling code can inspect freshness instead of assuming it. MCP ships on every plan including free; remote HTTP plus a keyed stdio bridge; with published setup instructions. The free tier is 5,000 calls/mo across 144 currencies, no card, with live rates 15 minutes late; the first paid tier is $19/mo for 100,000 calls with live rates and one year of daily history.

Sources: API reference.

2. Narwhal API

  • Free tier: Available
  • Updates: FX update interval not published
  • Source labeling: Sources and freshness documented by dataset
  • MCP: Hosted MCP; same key as REST
  • Paid from: See current pricing
  • History: Historical observations; start date not published
  • Coverage: 144 currencies; 10,296 pairs

Narwhal API combines FX, commodities, economics, release calendars, and prediction market odds under one key for REST and MCP. Its FX API covers 144 currencies and 10,296 pairs, with decimal-safe conversion and paginated historical observations. Dataset documentation explains sources, freshness, units, and limitations. Its documentation does not publish an FX update interval or a universal history start date. It suits applications that need economic context alongside exchange rates; exchangerate.dev focuses on FX and official rates.

Sources: FX API documentation.

3. AllRatesToday

  • Free tier: 300 lifetime calls per docs; API key required
  • Updates: ~60 seconds (live endpoint)
  • Source labeling: named publisher + rate_date on central-bank endpoints
  • MCP: yes, official (@allratestoday/mcp-server, stdio, 4 tools)
  • Paid from: €4.99/mo for 5,000 calls
  • History: historical endpoints; availability depends on series
  • Coverage: 160+ currencies

AllRatesToday documents roughly 60-second mid-market rates and an official four-tool MCP server. Its docs specify 300 lifetime free calls, while pricing calls the allowance monthly; confirm that discrepancy before relying on recurring free usage. Small is €4.99/month for 5,000 calls. It also documents central-bank endpoints with named publishers and publication dates. Historical access depends on the endpoint and plan; check series availability before using it for a backfill.

Sources: API documentation, Supporting documentation. Full comparison: AllRatesToday vs exchangerate.dev →

4. CurrencyFreaks

  • Free tier: 1,000 calls/mo, USD base only
  • Updates: daily (free); hourly from $9.99/mo
  • MCP: not verified in reviewed sources
  • Paid from: $9.99/mo required for a non-USD base
  • History: to 1984 for some currencies
  • Coverage: 1,000+ codes, including crypto and metals

CurrencyFreaks lists 1,000 free calls a month with daily updates and USD as the base currency. Starter is $9.99/month with hourly updates and other base currencies. Its documentation describes more than 1,000 codes, including crypto and metals, so that figure is not a fiat-currency count. History starts in 1984 for some currencies; the supported-currency list gives individual availability dates. Worth checking when catalog breadth matters more than a uniform history window.

Sources: pricing, Supporting documentation. Full comparison: CurrencyFreaks vs exchangerate.dev →

5. Open Exchange Rates

  • Free tier: 1,000 requests/mo, USD base only
  • Updates: hourly (free) to 5-minute ($97/mo)
  • MCP: not verified in reviewed sources
  • Paid from: $12/mo for 10,000 requests, hourly
  • History: daily history; check the required series
  • Coverage: 200+ currencies

Open Exchange Rates advertises over 200 currencies. Its free plan includes 1,000 requests a month, USD base only, and hourly updates. The monthly pricing page lists $12 for 10,000 requests with any base currency, and $97 for five-minute updates. Those are intraday updates, with a slower advertised cadence than a one-minute feed. It also provides historical rates; check the needed series and dates rather than assuming every currency has identical coverage.

Sources: pricing, Supporting documentation. Full comparison: Open Exchange Rates vs exchangerate.dev →

6. ExchangeRate-API

  • Free tier: 1,500 calls/mo, daily updates
  • Updates: daily (free) to 5-minute ($30/mo)
  • MCP: not verified in reviewed sources
  • Paid from: $10/mo for 30,000 calls, hourly
  • History: Paid; 1990 for a few codes
  • Coverage: 165 currencies

ExchangeRate-API's free plan has 1,500 calls/month, daily updates. Pro is $10/month for 30,000 calls and hourly updates; Business is $30/month for 125,000 calls and five-minute updates. It lists 165 currencies. Paid history starts 1 January 1990 for a few currencies, 1 January 2021 for all codes. Choose based on the delay your application tolerates. Its separate open-access endpoint is another option, subject to its own usage terms.

Sources: pricing, Supporting documentation. Full comparison: ExchangeRate-API vs exchangerate.dev →

7. XE

  • Free tier: none, free trial only
  • Updates: daily at entry price; real-time is a paid add-on
  • MCP: not verified in reviewed sources
  • Paid from: $799/yr (Lite: 10,000 req/mo, daily only)
  • History: to 1998
  • Coverage: 220+ currencies, metals, and crypto

XE's Currency Data API offers a free trial and annual subscriptions. Lite remains $799/year for 10,000 requests a month with daily rates. Minutely rates are an add-on: $400/year on Lite, $700 on Intermediate, and $1,500 on Prime, with minutely access included in custom Enterprise pricing. The advertised 220+ coverage includes currencies, metals, and crypto; history goes back to 1998. Published plans have self-serve selection links, while custom requirements lead to a sales conversation.

Sources: Currency Data API. Full comparison: XE vs exchangerate.dev →

8. Fixer

  • Free tier: 100 calls/mo, base currency restricted
  • Updates: hourly (free) to 60s ($99.99/mo)
  • MCP: not verified in reviewed sources
  • Paid from: $14.99/mo for 10,000 calls
  • History: to Jan 1999
  • Coverage: 170 currencies

Fixer's free plan allows 100 calls a month with hourly updates; changing the base currency requires a paid plan. Basic costs $14.99/month for 10,000 calls. Professional is $59.99 with ten-minute updates, and Professional Plus is $99.99 with 60-second updates. Its homepage lists 170 currencies and history back to January 1999. That makes it an option for broader coverage, though matching a one-minute cadence requires a higher-priced plan than its entry tier.

Sources: pricing, Supporting documentation. Full comparison: Fixer vs exchangerate.dev →

9. Currencylayer

  • Free tier: 100 calls/mo, base currency restricted
  • Updates: daily per free plan card; 60s at $99.99/mo
  • MCP: not verified in reviewed sources
  • Paid from: $14.99/mo for 10,000 calls
  • History: to 1999
  • Coverage: 168 currencies and precious metals

Currencylayer lists 100 free monthly calls and daily updates on its plan card, although the FAQ on the same page says hourly; confirm the free cadence if it matters. Paid plans list hourly updates at $14.99/month, ten-minute updates at $59.99, and 60-second updates at $99.99. The entry paid quota is 10,000 requests. Its advertised 168-code coverage includes precious metals, and historical rates go back to 1999. Compare the base-currency and endpoint entitlements before migrating.

Sources: pricing. Full comparison: Currencylayer vs exchangerate.dev →

10. ExchangeRatesAPI

  • Free tier: 100 requests/mo, base currency restricted
  • Updates: daily per free plan card; 60s at $99.99/mo
  • MCP: not verified in reviewed sources
  • Paid from: $14.99/mo for 10,000 requests
  • History: to 1999 on paid plans
  • Coverage: 168 currencies and precious metals

ExchangeRatesAPI lists 100 free requests a month with daily updates, although its pricing FAQ also says hourly for Free. Paid tiers list 10,000 hourly requests at $14.99/month, ten-minute updates at $59.99, and 60-second updates at $99.99. Its published coverage is 168 currencies and precious metals, with history back to 1999 on paid plans. Confirm the free update frequency and chosen base currency with the provider before relying on either in production.

Sources: pricing, Supporting documentation. Full comparison: ExchangeRatesAPI vs exchangerate.dev →

11. ExchangeRate.host

  • Free tier: 100 requests/mo, signup + key required
  • Updates: daily (free) to 60s ($99.99/mo)
  • MCP: not verified in reviewed sources
  • Paid from: $14.99/mo for 10,000 requests
  • History: end-of-day history; verify start date
  • Coverage: ~168 currencies

ExchangeRate.host requires an account and key for its 100-request monthly free plan, as several other providers here do. Its pricing page lists daily free updates, hourly updates at $14.99/month for 10,000 requests, ten-minute updates at $59.99, and 60-second updates at $99.99. The homepage advertises roughly 168 currencies. End-of-day describes its historical observations, not a restriction on all live data. Confirm the starting date and required endpoints for your particular historical series.

Sources: pricing, Supporting documentation. Full comparison: ExchangeRate.host vs exchangerate.dev →

No API wins every category. Open Exchange Rates, ExchangeRate-API, and XE cover more currency codes than our catalog, while CurrencyFreaks and XE have longer histories for some series. XE suits an enterprise wanting an annual contract. Pick by your project's pair coverage, data terms and integration needs. exchangerate.dev and Narwhal API are owned and operated by Nusantara Ventures, LLC.

This is a developer-API ranking. For a broader view that also covers consumer sites like XE and Wise, plus what developers say about these APIs on Reddit, see best sites and APIs to get live exchange rates. For a dimension-by-dimension breakdown instead of a ranked list, see the free exchange rate API comparison. To compare two third-party providers without putting exchangerate.dev on either side, use the provider-vs-provider comparison hub. For gold and metals prices alongside currency conversion, see goldprice.dev.

Last verified October 3, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best exchange rate API in 2026?

Depends what you're optimizing for. For pair-specific intraday observations arriving 15 minutes late, source and market_session labels, and MCP, our free tier covers 5,000 calls a month across 144 currencies. XE and Open Exchange Rates cover more currency codes; CurrencyFreaks and XE have longer histories for some series. Check each entry's source and review date before choosing.

Does any free exchange rate API update in real time?

Not in the executable or tick-feed sense: these are indicative rates. exchangerate.dev delivers all 144 currencies 15 minutes late on Free, from a feed updating roughly every 60 seconds on trading days; AllRatesToday documents a roughly 60-second live endpoint and a 300-call lifetime free allowance, despite different wording on its pricing page. CurrencyFreaks' free tier is daily. Other free plans here advertise hourly or daily updates; that says nothing about their paid tiers.

Which exchange rate APIs support MCP for AI agents?

We verified official MCP documentation for exchangerate.dev (MCP tools, keyed remote HTTP and stdio on every plan including Free) and AllRatesToday (@allratestoday/mcp-server, four tools, stdio). MCP support for the other entries was not verified in this review. Check their current integration documentation rather than treating an unchecked feature as unavailable.

How was this ranking put together, and how often is it updated?

Every fact here comes from each provider's pricing and documentation pages, checked directly on October 3, 2026. We update on a material change, new free-tier limit, MCP server, or pricing, the same standard as the /vs pages.

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exchangerate.dev offers keyless evaluation; a free key includes 5,000 calls a month across 144 currencies with no card. All 144 currencies update roughly every 60 seconds on trading days, every response carries source and market_session, and MCP ships on every plan.

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