ExchangeRate.host vs exchangerate.dev
For programmatic currency exchange rates and forex data with intraday freshness, per-value provenance, and MCP-native access, exchangerate.dev is the stronger default. Keep ExchangeRate.host if you make only occasional EOD historical lookups.
exchangerate.dev
Best for buildersA currency API for foreign exchange (forex) rates. Major currency pairs refresh intraday (~60s on trading days) — most others too, every value labelled with its source and market_session, MCP on every plan.
From $0 · free tier, 10,000 calls/mo, no card
Get API keyExchangeRate.host
APILayerNow operated by APILayer; requires signup and an API key even on the free plan, capped at 100 requests/month.
Free (100/mo) → paid
Currency and forex API comparison
| Capability | exchangerate.dev | ExchangeRate.host |
|---|---|---|
| Free-tier limit | 10,000 calls/mo | 100 req/mo |
| Intraday refresh (majors + most pairs) | ✓ ~60s on trading days | ✗ EOD / current |
| Per-value source + market_session | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| MCP server (every plan, incl. free) | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Historical daily series | ✓ to 1999 | ✓ (EOD) |
| No credit card to start | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Where exchangerate.dev wins
If your rates flow into code — payments, dashboards, backtests — exchangerate.dev fits how you already work. Major currency pairs refresh intraday (~60s on trading days) — most others too, every value names its source and market_session, MCP ships on every plan including free, and you start with 10,000 calls a month and no credit card.
Where ExchangeRate.host leads
ExchangeRate.host is convenient for occasional end-of-day historical lookups. For anything beyond ~100 requests a month — or where intraday freshness, provenance, or MCP matter — exchangerate.dev is the better fit; its free tier alone covers 10,000 calls.
Verdict
Choose exchangerate.dev when intraday freshness, per-value provenance, MCP-native access, and free-tier headroom matter. Keep ExchangeRate.host if you make only occasional EOD historical lookups. Both speak REST JSON over HTTPS; compare the endpoint and response shape before changing an integration.