When is Abstract Exchange Rate API the better choice?

You want the largest free allowance for development, testing, or a small production pilot. You need to try both live and historical exchange-rate lookups without paying first. You are building a prototype that may exceed 100 calls quickly, such as a dashboard or backend job. You want a free tier that explicitly says no credit card required.

When is Currencylayer the better choice?

You only need a very small proof of concept, under 100 API calls a month. You want the lowest-cost first paid step after free. You expect to grow through several paid request tiers instead of jumping straight to a larger plan. You need a pricing ladder with clearly defined higher-volume options and overage rates.

Abstract Exchange Rate API vs Currencylayer: Free Tier Comparison

Q: How much does Abstract Exchange Rate API cost after the free tier?

Standard - $99/ month. Abstract uses a simple flat monthly ladder: the first paid plan is $99/month for 60,000 requests, then Enterprise is custom. Currencylayer starts much cheaper at $14.99/month for 10,000 requests, then rises to $59.99/month for 100,000 requests and $99.99/month for 500,000 requests, with overage charges on the paid tiers. That means Currencylayer is cheaper for very small paid use, while Abstract becomes easier to justify if you want a bigger included quota at the first paid step. No exact free-to-paid usage breakpoint is provided, so any cost comparison beyond the listed plan prices would be approximate.

Q: How much does Currencylayer cost after the free tier?

Basic - $14.99/mo; $13.99/mo billed annually ($161.99/year). Abstract uses a simple flat monthly ladder: the first paid plan is $99/month for 60,000 requests, then Enterprise is custom. Currencylayer starts much cheaper at $14.99/month for 10,000 requests, then rises to $59.99/month for 100,000 requests and $99.99/month for 500,000 requests, with overage charges on the paid tiers. That means Currencylayer is cheaper for very small paid use, while Abstract becomes easier to justify if you want a bigger included quota at the first paid step. No exact free-to-paid usage breakpoint is provided, so any cost comparison beyond the listed plan prices would be approximate.

Quick answer

Abstract Exchange Rate API - Abstract Exchange Rate API wins for most builders because its free tier is larger, requires no credit card, and gives more practical room to test a real integration before paying.

How the free tiers compare

These two free tiers solve the same problem, but they are aimed at different stages of experimentation. Abstract Exchange Rate API gives you 500 requests per month, a 1 rps limit, and both live and historical data without requiring a card, so it is better if you want to actually wire up an app, test edge cases, and keep iterating for a while. Currencylayer is smaller at 100 API calls and does not clearly waive a card on the provided data, but it can still be fine for a very tiny proof of concept. The bigger difference is what happens after free. Abstract jumps straight to a $99/month plan with 60,000 requests and 3 rps. Currencylayer has a lower entry price at $14.99/month, but its paid ladder is more granular, adds overage pricing, and climbs through much higher request tiers.

Abstract Exchange Rate API vs Currencylayer free tier, side by side

	Abstract Exchange Rate APIFTV 50	CurrencylayerFTV 39
Free monthly requestsAbstract gives 5x the free request volume.	500 requests/month	100 API calls
Free update cadenceCurrencylayer’s free plan is explicitly slower on updates.	Live and historical data within free limits	Daily updates
Free supportOnly Currencylayer’s free plan explicitly says support is not included.	Not specified in the provided data	No support
Free credit card requirementOnly state a card claim where the field is present.	No credit card required	Not stated
First paid request quotaAbstract’s first paid tier starts much higher.	60,000 requests/month	10,000 requests
Requests per second on first paid tierOnly Abstract provides an RPS quota in the supplied paid plan data.	3 requests/second	Not stated

After you outgrow the free tier

Abstract uses a simple flat monthly ladder: the first paid plan is $99/month for 60,000 requests, then Enterprise is custom. Currencylayer starts much cheaper at $14.99/month for 10,000 requests, then rises to $59.99/month for 100,000 requests and $99.99/month for 500,000 requests, with overage charges on the paid tiers. That means Currencylayer is cheaper for very small paid use, while Abstract becomes easier to justify if you want a bigger included quota at the first paid step. No exact free-to-paid usage breakpoint is provided, so any cost comparison beyond the listed plan prices would be approximate.

Abstract Exchange Rate API next stepStandard - $99/ monthFlat monthly

Currencylayer next stepBasic - $14.99/mo; $13.99/mo billed annually ($161.99/year)Flat monthly

Cost at real usage

Usage	Abstract Exchange Rate API	Currencylayer
10,000 requests/monthCurrencylayer’s Basic plan includes 10,000 requests; the overage rate is not needed at this level.	~$99/mo (would need Standard or higher)	$14.99/mo
60,000 requests/monthCurrencylayer’s Enterprise tier is 100,000 requests, so 60,000 is above Basic and below Enterprise; exact cost depends on overage billing, which is listed but not enough to compute a full total without the billing rules.	$99/mo	~$59.99/mo plus overages or higher tier
100,000 requests/monthAt 100,000 requests, Abstract would be over its listed Standard quota; Currencylayer’s Enterprise tier includes 100,000 requests.	~$99/mo if usage stayed within the plan quota, but quota only covers 60,000 requests	$59.99/mo
500,000 requests/monthAbstract only lists a custom Enterprise plan beyond Standard; Currencylayer’s Enterprise+ includes 500,000 requests.	Contact sales	$99.99/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 largest free allowance for development, testing, or a small production pilot.
You need to try both live and historical exchange-rate lookups without paying first.
You are building a prototype that may exceed 100 calls quickly, such as a dashboard or backend job.
You want a free tier that explicitly says no credit card required.

Pick Currencylayer when…

You only need a very small proof of concept, under 100 API calls a month.
You want the lowest-cost first paid step after free.
You expect to grow through several paid request tiers instead of jumping straight to a larger plan.
You need a pricing ladder with clearly defined higher-volume options and overage rates.

Bottom line

For the most common builder use case, Abstract Exchange Rate API is the better free-tier starting point because it gives you more room to build before you hit a wall and it does so without a card on file. If you already know you need a low-cost paid plan with a small initial budget, Currencylayer is more attractive after free, especially for modest production usage. In short: Abstract wins for free-tier evaluation, Currencylayer wins on cheaper entry pricing once you are ready to pay.

Read the full listings: Abstract Exchange Rate API and Currencylayer. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.