Quick answer
Currencyapi.com - Currencyapi.com wins for most builders because its free tier has enough room for small prototypes and the paid ladder starts much lower, while Abstract Exchange Rate API is better only if you need more free requests and do not care about commercial-use limits.
How the free tiers compare
These are both exchange-rate APIs, but the free tiers are shaped differently. Abstract gives you more room to experiment, with 500 requests per month and a tighter 1 request per second limit, plus live and historical data. Currencyapi.com is smaller on raw volume at 300 requests per month, but it keeps the same core API surface and adds a clearer path to production: commercial use starts on the first paid tier, updates get faster, and the paid plans are much cheaper at the low end. The key difference is not just quota size, but what happens when you outgrow the free tier. Abstract jumps to a $99/month starter plan, while Currencyapi.com starts at $9.99/month and scales through several flatter steps before custom pricing.
Abstract Exchange Rate API vs Currencyapi.com free tier, side by side
| Abstract Exchange Rate APIFTV 50 | Currencyapi.comFTV 49 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free requests / monthAbstract gives more monthly calls on the free plan. | 500 | 300 |
| Request rate limitThese limits are not directly equivalent, but both are tight enough to matter for small apps. | 1 request / second | 10 requests / minute |
| Historical data accessBoth free tiers include historical rates. | Included | Included |
| Commercial use on free tierCurrencyapi.com explicitly limits the free tier to private use. | Not stated | Private use only |
| No credit card requiredBoth inputs explicitly say no card is required. | Yes | Yes |
After you outgrow the free tier
Abstract Exchange Rate API has a flat first paid tier at $99/month for 60,000 requests and then moves to custom enterprise pricing. Currencyapi.com starts much lower at $9.99/month for 15,000 requests, then steps up to $39.99/month and $79.99/month before custom pricing. Both are mostly flat-fee plans, but Currencyapi.com has a much gentler entry point and a clearer scale-up path. For small teams, Currencyapi.com is usually cheaper after the free tier; Abstract only makes sense if you specifically need its higher free allowance and do not mind the steep jump to paid.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Abstract Exchange Rate API | Currencyapi.com |
|---|---|---|
| 500 requests/moBoth stay inside the free tier at this volume. | Free (within tier) | Free (within tier) |
| 1,000 requests/moThis is above both free tiers, so the first paid plan applies. | $99/mo | $9.99/mo |
| 15,000 requests/moCurrencyapi.com’s Small plan covers this volume; Abstract’s Standard plan also covers it, but at a much higher monthly fee. | $99/mo | $9.99/mo |
| 60,000 requests/moCurrencyapi.com’s Medium plan is the first one that clearly covers 60,000 requests, based on the plan list provided. | $99/mo | $39.99/mo |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick Abstract Exchange Rate API when…
- You want the larger free request allowance for a hobby project or internal prototype.
- You are testing live and historical exchange-rate lookups with low traffic.
- You only need a small sandbox and do not expect to move to paid soon.
- You care more about avoiding an early purchase than about commercial-use readiness.
Pick Currencyapi.com when…
- You want the cheapest paid upgrade once the free tier is exhausted.
- You are building something that may become a commercial app.
- You want a gentler progression from free to paid as usage grows.
- You need more API keys or team-oriented features on paid plans.
- You expect to scale beyond a few hundred requests per month and want lower entry pricing.
Bottom line
For the most common builder use case, Currencyapi.com is the better long-term choice because the free tier is enough to test, and the first paid step is low enough to keep a project alive after launch. Abstract Exchange Rate API gives you a slightly roomier free tier, so it is the better pick if you want to stretch experimentation as far as possible. But once real usage or commercial needs show up, Currencyapi.com is easier to justify and much cheaper to adopt.
Read the full listings: Abstract Exchange Rate API and Currencyapi.com. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.