exchangerate.devCompare the options
Columns compare the rate displayed, fee presentation, and documented API access. XE’s converter rate is informational; its send rates require login. Wise describes fees separately. Data API subscriptions and transfer fees serve different purposes, so this table does not establish which transfer costs less.
| Provider | Rate shown | Fees | Rates API |
|---|---|---|---|
| exchangerate.dev | Indicative rates with source and market session on every response; not a send rate | No money transfer; data plans only | Self-serve key; Free 5,000 requests/month; Basic $19/month |
| XE | Mid-market, for information only; not the rate you receive when sending money | Send rates need a login; its comparison table says the rates shown include margins and fees | XE Currency Data from $799/year (Lite, 10,000 requests/month, daily rates) |
| Wise | Mid-market rate with no markup built in | Shown separately and upfront; average fee 0.53% per its page | GET /v1/rates for affiliates and partners after onboarding; no self-serve public key found |
The shortlist
exchangerate.dev
- Best fit: Indicative exchange rates in application code
- 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
- Rate shown: Indicative rates with source and market session on every response; not a send rate
- Fees: No money transfer; data plans only
- Rates API: Self-serve key; Free 5,000 requests/month; Basic $19/month
exchangerate.dev suits a developer who needs rates in code rather than a money transfer quote. Its API provides indicative rates and amount conversion across 144 currencies, with source and market-session labels on responses. Free includes 5,000 monthly requests, while Basic costs $19 per month for 100,000 requests and live rates. The trade-off is that it does not transfer money or provide an executable send rate. Free rates are fifteen minutes late, and commercial displays need visible linked credit. Compare transfer offers through the transfer services themselves.
Sources: Plans and limits, API reference, Historical data, MCP server.
XE
- Best fit: An informational converter beside transfer services
- Rate shown: Mid-market, for information only; not the rate you receive when sending money
- Fees: Send rates need a login; its comparison table says the rates shown include margins and fees
- Rates API: XE Currency Data from $799/year (Lite, 10,000 requests/month, daily rates)
XE suits someone checking an informational currency conversion before separately reviewing a transfer quote. Its converter labels the displayed rate as mid-market and says it is not the rate received when sending money. Send rates require login, and its comparison table says displayed send rates include margins and fees. The trade-off is that the public converter alone cannot establish a transfer’s final cost. For developers, XE Currency Data is a separate data subscription starting at $799 per year with daily rates on Lite.
Sources: Currency converter, XE Currency Data. Full comparison: XE vs exchangerate.dev →
Wise
- Best fit: A rate display with fees presented separately
- Rate shown: Mid-market rate with no markup built in
- Fees: Shown separately and upfront; average fee 0.53% per its page
- Rates API: GET /v1/rates for affiliates and partners after onboarding; no self-serve public key found
Wise suits someone reviewing a rate display that describes the mid-market rate without built-in markup and presents fees separately and upfront. Compare the quote for the actual amount and currency route when evaluating a transfer. The trade-off for developers is API access: the documented rates endpoint appears under its affiliate guide and requires partner or affiliate onboarding. We found no self-serve public key as of 18 Oct 2026. The checked sources do not establish that API rates equal the displayed mid-market rate.
Sources: Mid-market rate, Affiliate API guide. Full comparison: Wise vs exchangerate.dev →
Compare the display and actual quote
Decide whether you need an informational conversion, a transfer quote, or rates in code. Use the relevant workflow and compare the actual amount received.
| If you need | Start with |
|---|---|
| Displayed rate | Read whether the converter labels its rate as informational or mid-market. Keep that display separate from the rate in an actual transfer quote. |
| Transfer comparison | Compare the same amount, currency route, and quote time. Include separately shown fees and the final amount received before deciding between transfer services. |
| API access | For rates in code, check onboarding, authentication, and the data subscription. A public converter does not establish self-serve access to the provider’s rates API. |
How we chose
We compared converter rate labels, fee presentation, send-rate access, and documented API routes. Sources were checked on 18 Oct 2026. This is a documented-feature comparison, not a benchmark of transfer cost, rate accuracy, or service speed. exchangerate.dev publishes this comparison and appears as the indicative data API option. The comparison does not establish an XE margin percentage or Wise API rate basis, and it makes no claim about which transfer is cheaper. exchangerate.dev and Narwhal API are owned and operated by Nusantara Ventures, LLC.
Sources checked October 18, 2026. Prices and entitlements can change.
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