exchangerate.dev vs Alpha Vantage
exchangerate.dev brings intraday FX, daily history, and MCP together in one API.
Verdict
Choose exchangerate.dev when intraday freshness, per-value provenance, MCP-native access, and free-tier headroom matter. Keep Alpha Vantage if you need its forex time series, CSV output, or educational access.
Get API keyAt a glance
| Feature | exchangerate.dev | Alpha Vantage |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 5,000 requests/month | 25 requests/day |
| Cheapest paid plan | Basic · $19/month | $49.99/month |
| Update speed | 144 currencies ~60s on trading days; Free 15m late | FX cadence not published |
| History | Free 30 days; Basic 1 year; Plus/Pro to 1999 | FX depth not published |
| Coverage | 144 currencies; any supported base | FX count not published |
| Interfaces | REST; MCP; WebSocket on Plus and Pro | REST; MCP |
| SDKs | Not published | Community libraries |
| Commercial use on free tier | ✓ With a linked credit | Not published; contact sales |
Price at your usage
The lowest published plans for each monthly request volume, with traffic spread across the month.
| Requests a month | exchangerate.dev | Alpha Vantage |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | Free · $0/month | $49.99 plan · $49.99/month |
| 10,000 | Basic · $19/month | $49.99 plan · $49.99/month |
| 100,000 | Basic · $19/month | $49.99 plan · $49.99/month |
The $49.99 tier supports all three volumes at 75 requests per minute with no daily cap.
Switch in a few minutes
Fetch EUR per USD with a latest-rates endpoint and bearer authentication on your server.
Alpha Vantage
# Change: URL and auth
curl -G \
"https://www.alphavantage.co/query" \
--data-urlencode "function=CURRENCY_EXCHANGE_RATE" \
--data-urlencode "from_currency=USD" \
--data-urlencode "to_currency=EUR" \
--data-urlencode "apikey=YOUR_API_KEY"// Change: URL and auth
const url = new URL(
"https://www.alphavantage.co/query"
);
url.search = new URLSearchParams({
"function": "CURRENCY_EXCHANGE_RATE",
"from_currency": "USD",
"to_currency": "EUR",
"apikey": "YOUR_API_KEY",
}).toString();
const response = await fetch(url, {
method: "GET",
});
if (!response.ok) {
throw new Error(String(response.status));
}
console.log(await response.json());import requests
# Change: URL and auth
response = requests.get(
"https://www.alphavantage.co/query",
params={
"function": "CURRENCY_EXCHANGE_RATE",
"from_currency": "USD",
"to_currency": "EUR",
"apikey": "YOUR_API_KEY",
},
timeout=10,
)
response.raise_for_status()
print(response.json())exchangerate.dev
# Change: URL and auth
curl -G \
"https://api.exchangerate.dev/v1/latest/USD" \
--data-urlencode "symbols=EUR" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"// Change: URL and auth
const url = new URL(
"https://api.exchangerate.dev/v1/latest/USD"
);
url.search = new URLSearchParams({
"symbols": "EUR",
}).toString();
const response = await fetch(url, {
method: "GET",
headers: {
"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY",
},
});
if (!response.ok) {
throw new Error(String(response.status));
}
console.log(await response.json());import requests
# Change: URL and auth
response = requests.get(
"https://api.exchangerate.dev/v1/latest/USD",
params={
"symbols": "EUR",
},
headers={
"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY",
},
timeout=10,
)
response.raise_for_status()
print(response.json())Why teams switch
Room to test a real workload
5,000 free monthly calls give you room to build around your own traffic pattern, from a small currency converter to a recurring rate lookup. No card is required, and any supported currency can be the base. The usage table maps three monthly volumes to the lowest qualifying plan, making the next step clear as requests grow. Free permits commercial display with linked credit; paid plans need no credit.
Rates with a time and a source
All 144 currencies update about every 60 seconds on trading days, 15 minutes late on Free. Responses include source and market-session fields alongside observation timestamps, so your application can show where a value came from and when it was observed. Daily references remain identifiable as daily data. That context belongs beside the number in a customer interface, an internal report, or an agent answer that explains the rate it used.
One account for apps and agents
Every plan includes REST and MCP. Plus and Pro daily history reaches 1999 for majors; pair starts vary, combining current and dated records. A developer can start with the HTTP examples above, then use MCP for agent queries without adding another subscription. The same base and target currencies carry through the workflow, from fetching a current rate to looking up a historical observation.
When they are the better pick
Alpha Vantage is a better fit when you need its forex time-series endpoints or CSV output. It has an official MCP server. Verified open-source and educational projects can qualify for unlimited free requests.
Questions
Is there a free Alpha Vantage alternative for FX?
What does Alpha Vantage charge for paid access?
When is Alpha Vantage a better fit?
Can I use exchangerate.dev Free commercially?
Sources and review date
Reviewed