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XE vs OANDA (2026)

XE vs OANDA compares two enterprise-priced exchange rate data APIs with different packages and rate types. XE publishes annual packages; OANDA's pricing page shows two unlabeled price sets. exchangerate.dev appears as an option and is not one of the two compared services. Narwhal API is also listed for applications needing FX with broader data.

20 Oct 2026 · 6 min read

Compare the options

The table compares pricing, trials, updates, history, coverage, conversion and MCP. It does not establish a billing period for OANDA's unlabeled prices, reconcile XE's two currency counts or show that daily averages and spot rates are equivalent.

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
XE Currency Data API$799/year Lite; 10,000 requests/monthFree trial onlyDaily Lite; hourly Intermediate; 15 minutes Prime; minutely add-onBack to 1998Count stated two ways on its page
OANDA Exchange Rates APILite: $450 or $4,850, two unlabelled price sets on its pricing page; 100,000 quotes/month7-day free trial with unlimited quotesDaily averages on Lite; up to 96 intraday fixings a day; 3 to 5 second spot on Premium plusOver 32 years advertised; depth per plan not statedOver 200 currencies and metals; 38,000+ pairs

The shortlist

exchangerate.dev

  • Best fit: Commercial rate displays needing conversion and included MCP
  • 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 commercial rate displays needing conversion and MCP. Basic costs $19 per month for 100,000 requests. Free provides 5,000 requests with a visible linked credit for commercial display. Free requires no card. Paid rates update about every 60 seconds across 144 currencies on trading days. Single and batch conversion and nine MCP tools are included. The trade-off is that rates are indicative, not executable or settlement prices; Free and keyless calls are 15 minutes late.

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

Narwhal API

  • Best fit: Applications combining FX with commodities and economic data
  • 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 applications needing FX alongside commodities, economics and calendars. Basic costs $59 per month for 100,000 requests and live FX across 144 currencies. Free includes 5,000 monthly requests using the previous day's close at 00:00 UTC. It offers decimal-safe conversion and stored observations by date range. Hosted MCP uses the same key and quota. The trade-off is that its live update interval and historical start date are not published.

Sources: FX API documentation, Pricing.

XE Currency Data API

  • Best fit: Annual packages including historical queries and monthly averages
  • Price from: $799/year Lite; 10,000 requests/month
  • Free tier: Free trial only
  • Update frequency: Daily Lite; hourly Intermediate; 15 minutes Prime; minutely add-on
  • History: Back to 1998
  • Coverage: Count stated two ways on its page
  • Conversion: Not mentioned on its page
  • MCP: Not found

XE Currency Data API suits annual subscriptions needing historical rates, monthly averages and time-frame queries in every package. Lite costs $799 per year for 10,000 monthly requests and daily rates. Intermediate costs $1,799 for 50,000 and hourly rates; Prime costs $4,499 for 150,000 and 15-minute rates. History reaches 1998, with minutely updates sold as add-ons. The trade-off is annual-only billing with a trial rather than a free tier; coverage is stated two ways, and conversion and MCP were not found on its page.

Sources: Plans and features. Full comparison: XE Currency Data API vs exchangerate.dev →

OANDA Exchange Rates API

  • Best fit: Bid ask averages and higher-tier streaming requirements
  • Price from: Lite: $450 or $4,850, two unlabelled price sets on its pricing page; 100,000 quotes/month
  • Free tier: 7-day free trial with unlimited quotes
  • Update frequency: Daily averages on Lite; up to 96 intraday fixings a day; 3 to 5 second spot on Premium plus
  • History: Over 32 years advertised; depth per plan not stated
  • Coverage: Over 200 currencies and metals; 38,000+ pairs
  • Conversion: Not stated on its pricing page
  • MCP: None found; third-party connector only

OANDA suits applications needing daily bid, ask and mid averages, or higher-tier forwards and streaming. Lite lists 100,000 monthly quotes at $450 or $4,850. Premium adds unlimited quotes, period averages, open and close; Premium plus adds 3 to 5 second spot rates, forwards and streaming. A 7-day trial includes unlimited quotes. The trade-off is that its two price sets are unlabeled, historical depth per plan is not stated, and conversion is not stated on its pricing page.

Sources: Exchange Rates API, Pricing. Full comparison: OANDA Exchange Rates API vs exchangerate.dev →

Choose by rate type and pricing clarity

Start with the rate type your application needs. Then compare billing, quote allowances, historical queries and update intervals without assigning meaning to unlabeled prices or conflicting coverage counts.

If you needStart with
Rate typeOANDA Lite lists daily averages with bid, ask and mid; Premium adds period averages, open and close. XE includes historical rates and monthly averages. Choose the required rate type first.
Billing clarityXE publishes annual-only packages. OANDA prints two unlabeled price sets, so retain both figures without assigning billing periods. Do not convert those unlabeled prices into a monthly comparison.
Update intervalXE moves from daily to hourly to 15-minute rates, with minutely add-ons. OANDA Premium plus lists 3 to 5 second spot rates and streaming; distinguish these from daily averages.
Historical requirementsXE includes historical rates, monthly averages and time-frame queries in every package, with history back to 1998. OANDA advertises over 32 years, but historical depth per plan is not stated.

How we chose

We compared documented packages, price labels, rate types, updates, history, coverage, conversion and MCP. Sources were checked on 18 Oct 2026. This is a documented-feature comparison, not a benchmark. exchangerate.dev publishes this comparison and appears under the same criteria. Unlabeled prices remain unlabeled, conflicting coverage counts remain qualified, and unstated plan depth is not inferred. 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

Does OANDA clearly label the periods for its two price sets?

Its pricing page prints two unlabeled sets: Lite $450 or $4,850, Premium $840 or $9,000, and Premium plus $1,160 or $13,500. This comparison preserves those figures without assigning a billing period to either set.

What does XE charge for minutely updates?

XE lists annual minutely add-ons of $400 for Lite, $700 for Intermediate and $1,500 for Prime. The underlying packages provide daily, hourly and 15-minute rates respectively, with annual-only billing and a free trial.

Which OANDA plan includes streaming and forwards?

Premium plus includes streaming, forward rates and 3 to 5 second spot rates. Premium includes unlimited quotes, period averages, open and close. Lite provides 100,000 monthly quotes with daily average bid, ask and mid rates.

How should I read their coverage and history claims?

XE states currency coverage as both 170+ and 220+, with history back to 1998. OANDA lists over 200 currencies and metals, 38,000+ pairs and over 32 years of data; historical depth per plan is not stated.

Do XE and OANDA list conversion or MCP?

Conversion and MCP were not found on XE's page. Conversion is not stated on OANDA's pricing page, and no official MCP was found; only a third-party connector was found. These statements preserve the checked pages' limits.

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.

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