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Frankfurter alternatives

Compare Frankfurter alternatives if daily rates and local amount calculation do not fit your application. Frankfurter blends central-bank and official sources, needs no key, and offers self-hosting and MCP, but it has no intraday feed or conversion endpoint. Frankfurter is the reference service and is not ranked here. The options below compare delayed or more frequent rates, direct conversion, and other access models, with different quotas and usage terms.

18 Oct 2026 · 8 min read

Compare the options

Prices show monthly USD paid entry plans; fawazahmed0 is free. Columns compare free allowances, update frequency, history, and coverage. More frequent rates may require payment. A direct conversion endpoint changes the calculation workflow, while keyless access does not establish the same terms or archive.

Plans, frequency, historical depth, and currency coverage

ProviderPrice fromFree tierUpdate frequencyHistoryCoverage
exchangerate.dev$19/month Basic; 100,000 requests5,000 requests/month; commercial use with a visible credit linkAbout 60 seconds for all 144 currencies on trading days, 15 minutes late on Free; ECB daily fallbackFree 30 days; Basic 1 year; Plus/Pro to 1999 where available144 currencies
Narwhal API$59/month Basic; 100,000 requests5,000 requests/month; previous day closeFree: end of day (00:00 UTC); paid: live; interval not publishedStored observations by date range; start date not published144 currencies
ExchangeRate-API$10/month Pro; 30,000 requests1,500 requests/month with a key; keyless open endpoint with attributionDaily on Free; hourly Pro; 5 minutes BusinessPaid plans only; from 1990 for a few currencies, all codes from 2021About 165 currencies
Open Exchange Rates$12/month Developer; 10,000 requestsUp to 1,000 requests/month; USD base onlyHourly on Free and Developer; 30 minutes Enterprise; 5 minutes UnlimitedEnd-of-day rates back to 1 January 1999Over 200 currencies
currencyapi$9.99/month Small; 15,000 requests300 requests/month; personal use onlyDaily on Free; hourly Small; 60 seconds Medium and upDaily history back to 1999171 fiat currencies, 16 crypto, 4 precious metals
fawazahmed0 currency-apiFree; no paid plansNo key; the project states no rate limitsDailyDated daily files; start date not published339 codes, including crypto and metals
freecurrencyapiNo own paid plan; paid use through currencyapi from $9.99/month1,000 requests/month; personal use onlyOnce a day, end of dayDaily from 1 January 199933 currencies

The shortlist

exchangerate.dev

  • Best fit: Indicative app rates with a free starting plan
  • 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 needing currency rates, amount conversion, and MCP on a free starting plan. Free includes 5,000 monthly requests across 144 currencies, with commercial display allowed through visible linked credit. Basic provides live rates for $19 per month and 100,000 requests. The trade-off is Free freshness: rates are fifteen minutes late, with 30 days of daily history. Plus extends daily history from 1999-01-04 where available, with later starts for some currencies. Rates remain indicative rather than executable or settlement prices.

Sources: Plans and limits, API reference, Historical data, MCP server.

Narwhal API

  • Best fit: FX alongside commodities and 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 an application combining FX with commodities, economics, and release calendars. Its broader data API provides decimal-safe conversion and stored historical observations through REST, alongside hosted MCP under the same key and quota. Free includes 5,000 successful requests per UTC month. The trade-off is that Free FX uses the previous day’s close; live FX requires Basic at $59 per month. The FX page publishes neither an update interval nor a universal archive start date. Check the required observations before migrating a historical workflow.

Sources: FX API documentation, Pricing.

ExchangeRate-API

  • Best fit: Free pair conversion with daily updates
  • 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; from 1990 for a few currencies, all codes from 2021
  • Coverage: About 165 currencies
  • Conversion: Pair conversion with an optional amount, on Free
  • MCP: No MCP server found on its site

ExchangeRate-API suits a small converter needing a direct pair request with an optional amount. Free includes that endpoint, 1,500 monthly requests, and daily updates. Pro costs $10 per month for 30,000 requests and hourly updates. The trade-off is historical access: it requires a paid plan. History starts on 1 January 1990 for a few currencies, with all codes from 1 January 2021. A separate keyless open endpoint permits commercial use with attribution, subject to rate limits and a ban on redistribution.

Sources: Plans, Documentation, Free and open access. Full comparison: ExchangeRate-API vs exchangerate.dev →

Open Exchange Rates

  • Best fit: Hourly rate tables with selectable paid bases
  • 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 application that can retrieve a rate table and calculate amounts locally. Free provides up to 1,000 monthly requests with hourly updates and a USD-only base. Developer adds other bases for $12 per month, and daily history extends to January 1999. The trade-off is direct conversion access: its plan page lists conversion requests on Unlimited at $97 per month. Time-series requests also require higher plans. Check the endpoint and historical query pattern separately from the hourly rate-retrieval workflow.

Sources: Plans, API documentation. Full comparison: Open Exchange Rates vs exchangerate.dev →

currencyapi

  • Best fit: Commercial conversion and multi-asset MCP tools
  • 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 application needing currency conversion alongside crypto or precious metals. Small permits commercial use at $9.99 per month with hourly updates and 15,000 requests. Its official MCP server documents 16 tools that count against the plan quota. The trade-off is Free access: it is private use only, with 300 monthly requests and daily updates, and MCP eligibility is not stated. Sixty-second updates start at Medium for $39.99 per month. Compare the plan that meets the application’s freshness and usage requirements.

Sources: Pricing, Homepage, MCP documentation. Full comparison: currencyapi vs exchangerate.dev →

fawazahmed0 currency-api

  • Best fit: Daily JSON files with a fallback host
  • Price from: Free; no paid plans
  • Free tier: No key; the project states no rate limits
  • Update frequency: Daily
  • History: Dated daily files; start date not published
  • Coverage: 339 codes, including crypto and metals
  • Conversion: No conversion endpoint
  • MCP: Not mentioned

fawazahmed0 currency-api suits an application that can consume daily static JSON and multiply amounts locally. Files are served through jsDelivr with a Cloudflare Pages fallback, and paths select the base currency and either latest or a date. No key is required, and the project advertises no rate limits. The trade-off is operational: we found no published SLA as of 18 Oct 2026, and maintainers advise a fallback host. The project documentation does not name the rate sources or an archive start date. Verify the actual dated files your application needs.

Sources: Project and README, Currency list. Full comparison: fawazahmed0 currency-api vs exchangerate.dev →

freecurrencyapi

  • Best fit: Personal daily lookups across a compact catalogue
  • Price from: No own paid plan; paid use through currencyapi from $9.99/month
  • Free tier: 1,000 requests/month; personal use only
  • Update frequency: Once a day, end of day
  • History: Daily from 1 January 1999
  • Coverage: 33 currencies
  • Conversion: No conversion endpoint
  • MCP: Yes, 4 tools

freecurrencyapi suits a personal application needing daily rates with any supported currency as the base. It offers 1,000 monthly requests across 33 currencies, with daily history from 1 January 1999. Its MCP documentation lists 4 tools and requires a key, although Free eligibility is not stated. The trade-off is permitted use: commercial users are directed to a currencyapi paid plan. There is no conversion endpoint, so amounts must be calculated locally. Compare the required codes and usage rights before replacing a broader rate service.

Sources: Homepage, MCP documentation. Full comparison: freecurrencyapi vs exchangerate.dev →

Choose what needs to change

Identify whether the reason to move is freshness, direct conversion, or a different access model. Keep the required currencies, dates, and usage rights in view.

If you needStart with
Freshness requirementSpecify whether daily rates are sufficient or the display needs newer observations. Compare the actual plan’s delay rather than the provider’s fastest advertised feed.
Amount workflowDecide whether the app should call a conversion endpoint or multiply retrieved rates locally. Verify rate direction and rounding with representative amounts.
Key managementCompare keyless IP limits with keyed request allowances. Include every caller sharing an address when deciding whether anonymous access fits the application.
Archive and rightsTest historical dates and currencies on the intended plan. Check commercial display, required attribution, and redistribution terms before changing the data source.

How we chose

We compared rate freshness, direct conversion, keyless access, free quotas, historical coverage, usage terms, and documented MCP support. Sources were checked on 18 Oct 2026. This is a documented-feature comparison, not a benchmark of rate accuracy, latency, or reliability. Frankfurter is the reference service and is not ranked. exchangerate.dev publishes this comparison and appears under the same criteria. Daily archives, delayed feeds, and live paid access are distinguished by their documented limitations. exchangerate.dev and Narwhal API are owned and operated by Nusantara Ventures, LLC.

Sources checked October 18, 2026. Prices and entitlements can change.

Frequently asked questions

Why compare alternatives to Frankfurter?

Frankfurter provides daily rates and has no amount conversion endpoint. An application may need newer observations or direct conversion instead. It still offers keyless access, self-hosting, MCP, and historical coverage that varies by pair; compare the requirement that prompted the move.

Is Frankfurter still an ECB-only API?

No. Its site describes a blend from 104 central banks and official sources. ECB was the original source. For a compliance workflow, Frankfurter advises querying one provider rather than relying on the blend.

Which Frankfurter alternatives offer direct conversion?

exchangerate.dev, Narwhal API, ExchangeRate-API, and currencyapi document conversion endpoints. Plan access and freshness differ. exchangerate.dev includes single and batch conversion under Free rules, with fifteen-minute-delayed indicative rates and 5,000 monthly requests.

Which alternatives work without an API key?

exchangerate.dev supports keyless data calls under Free rules, and fawazahmed0 requires no key for its daily JSON files. ExchangeRate-API also has a separate keyless daily open endpoint with attribution. Their limits and permitted uses differ.

Does moving providers preserve Frankfurter’s archive coverage?

Not automatically. Frankfurter includes legacy codes and some series from 1948, with coverage varying by pair. Test the exact historical dates and currencies against the replacement plan; a broader current catalogue does not establish equivalent older observations.

Keep reading

Start with a free API key

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.

Get a free key