exchangerate.devCurrencylayer vs ExchangeRate-API
Compare Currencylayer and ExchangeRate-API for currency and forex data, free-tier limits, update frequency, and pricing.
Checked 24 July 2026
At a glance
| Feature | Currencylayer | ExchangeRate-API | exchangerate.dev |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 100 API calls/month, daily updates. | 1,500 requests/month, updates once per day. | 5,000 calls/mo |
| Cheapest paid plan | Basic plan, $14.99/month, for 10,000 calls/month with hourly updates. | Pro plan, $10/month ($100/year with the annual discount), for 30,000 requests/month with updates every 60 minutes. | Basic, $19/month |
| Update frequency | Daily on Free; hourly on Basic; every 10 minutes on Enterprise ($59.99/mo); every 60 seconds on Enterprise+ ($99.99/mo). | Once daily on Free; every 60 minutes on Pro ($10/mo); every 5 minutes on Business ($30/mo). | 144 currencies ~60s; Free 15m late |
| Data source | Financial data partners and central bank reference rates, per currencylayer's own documentation. | Aggregated published sources, per ExchangeRate-API's own documentation. | |
| Per-value source + market_session | |||
| MCP server for AI agents |
Currencylayer and ExchangeRate-API facts are from their own product and pricing pages.
Frequently asked questions
Is Currencylayer or ExchangeRate-API free to start?
Currencylayer: 100 API calls/month, daily updates. ExchangeRate-API: 1,500 requests/month, updates once per day.
Which updates more often, Currencylayer or ExchangeRate-API?
Currencylayer updates daily on Free; hourly on Basic; every 10 minutes on Enterprise ($59.99/mo); every 60 seconds on Enterprise+ ($99.99/mo). ExchangeRate-API updates once daily on Free; every 60 minutes on Pro ($10/mo); every 5 minutes on Business ($30/mo). Compare the specific plan you'd actually pay for, not just the headline tier, both vendors gate faster updates behind higher plans.
Does Currencylayer or ExchangeRate-API support MCP for AI agents?
Neither currently does. No MCP (Model Context Protocol) integration is listed on currencylayer's product pages. No MCP integration is listed on ExchangeRate-API's site.
Which is cheaper once you outgrow the free tier?
Currencylayer's cheapest paid plan is basic plan, $14.99/month, for 10,000 calls/month with hourly updates. ExchangeRate-API's cheapest paid plan is pro plan, $10/month ($100/year with the annual discount), for 30,000 requests/month with updates every 60 minutes. Compare against your actual monthly call volume, not just the sticker price, overage and rate-limit behavior varies by plan.
Start with a free API key
5,000 requests a month on the free plan. No credit card.