exchangerate.dev vs Wise

Name: exchangerate.dev — FX rate API
Brand: exchangerate.dev

exchangerate.dev brings intraday FX, daily history, and MCP together in one API.

exchangerate.devReviewed October 2026

Verdict

Choose exchangerate.dev when intraday freshness, per-value provenance, MCP-native access, and free-tier headroom matter. Keep Wise if you need Wise transfers, account conversions, or a partner integration.

Get API key

At a glance

Feature	exchangerate.dev	Wise
Free tier	5,000 requests/month	Not published
Cheapest paid plan	Basic · $19/month	Not published
Update speed	144 currencies ~60s on trading days; Free 15m late	Not published
History	Free 30 days; Basic 1 year; Plus/Pro to 1999	Timestamp and range queries
Coverage	144 currencies; any supported base	Not published
Interfaces	REST; MCP; WebSocket on Plus and Pro	REST API
SDKs	Not published	Not published
Commercial use on free tier	✓ With a linked credit	No free developer tier published

Price at your usage

The lowest published plans for each monthly request volume, with traffic spread across the month.

Requests a month	exchangerate.dev	Wise
1,000	Free · $0/month	Not published
10,000	Basic · $19/month	Not published
100,000	Basic · $19/month	Not published

Wise does not publish API request pricing; access requires a Wise business account or a partner relationship.

Switch in a few minutes

Wise returns a timestamped currency rate; exchangerate.dev returns an indicative EUR rate per USD.

Wise

# Change: URL and auth
curl -G \
  "https://api.wise.com/2026Q4/rates" \
  --data-urlencode "source=USD" \
  --data-urlencode "target=EUR" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN"

// Change: URL and auth
const url = new URL(
  "https://api.wise.com/2026Q4/rates"
);
url.search = new URLSearchParams({
  "source": "USD",
  "target": "EUR",
}).toString();
const response = await fetch(url, {
  method: "GET",
  headers: {
    "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN",
  },
});
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.wise.com/2026Q4/rates",
    params={
        "source": "USD",
        "target": "EUR",
    },
    headers={
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN",
    },
    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

Choose Wise when you need to move money or convert balances in a Wise account. Its converter shows the mid-market rate and applicable fee. Business accounts can generate personal API tokens, while partner integrations require onboarding with Wise.

Questions

How do developers access the Wise API?

Wise business accounts can generate personal API tokens for a subset of endpoints, including rates. Partner integrations require onboarding with Wise sales and implementation teams. Personal tokens cannot be used for partner integrations.

Is an exchangerate.dev rate a Wise quote?

No. exchangerate.dev shows indicative rates. Wise's converter shows the mid-market rate and the fee for a transfer or account conversion.

When is Wise the better API choice?

Choose Wise when your application needs Wise transfers or account conversions. API access sits within a business or partner relationship, and its converter shows the mid-market rate alongside the conversion fee.

Can I use exchangerate.dev Free commercially?

Free: commercial display with visible linked credit near rates. Basic: no credit required, $19/month.

Sources and review date

Reviewed 2026-10-05

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