Quick answer
Currency Api - Currency Api wins for most builders because its free tier is much more generous on request volume and does not require a credit card, while still covering the core live-rate use case.
How the free tiers compare
These two products are both currency exchange rate APIs, but their free tiers are aimed at different stages of use. Currency Api gives you 500 monthly requests, hourly updates, live rates, and no card requirement, which makes it friendlier for small prototypes, personal projects, or low-volume tools. Currencylayer is tighter at 100 monthly calls, but it includes historical rates on the free tier and has a more obvious paid ladder once you need commercial use, faster updates, or higher volume. The big difference is not just quota size. Currency Api keeps the free plan simple and low-friction, but strips out historical data and commercial use. Currencylayer’s free tier is more featureful per request, yet it is easier to outgrow quickly and the page does not clearly waive card entry. If you need to stay free longer, Currency Api is the safer default.
Currency Api vs Currencylayer free tier, side by side
| Currency ApiFTV 48 | CurrencylayerFTV 39 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free monthly requestsCurrency Api is 5x higher on the free tier. | 500 | 100 |
| Update frequency on free planCurrency Api refreshes more often. | 60 minutes | Daily |
| Historical rates on free planCurrencylayer includes historical access on free. | No | Yes |
| Commercial use on free planCurrencylayer explicitly adds commercial use in Basic. | Personal use only | Not stated in free tier items |
| Credit card required for free tierOnly Currency Api explicitly says no card is required. | No | Unknown |
| API keys on free planCurrency Api limits you to a single key. | 1 | Not stated |
After you outgrow the free tier
Currency Api uses flat monthly pricing with no overage details provided in the input, starting at $9.99/month for Essential and scaling to $34.99 and $74.99. Currencylayer also starts with flat monthly plans, but its paid ladder includes request quotas plus explicit per-request overage charges, so costs can rise with usage once you pass the included volume. For small teams, Currency Api is cheaper at the first paid step. For heavier usage, Currencylayer’s upper tiers and overage model make the total cost more sensitive to request volume, especially beyond the included quota.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Currency Api | Currencylayer |
|---|---|---|
| 10,000 requests/moCurrencylayer Basic includes 10,000 requests. | $9.99/mo | $14.99/mo |
| 100,000 requests/moCurrencylayer Enterprise includes 100,000 requests. | $34.99/mo | $59.99/mo |
| 500,000 requests/moCurrencylayer Enterprise+ includes 500,000 requests. | $74.99/mo | $99.99/mo |
| 600,000 requests/moCurrencylayer lists +$0.00079992 each over 500,000 on Enterprise+; the exact total above quota is not fully specified here. | $74.99/mo | $99.99/mo plus overage |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick Currency Api when…
- You are building a personal tool or prototype that only needs live exchange rates.
- You want the free tier to last longer on small traffic, since 500 requests/month is 5x Currencylayer's free allotment.
- You do not need historical rates, team features, or commercial use on day one.
- You want no credit card requirement on signup.
Pick Currencylayer when…
- You need historical rates on the free plan for testing backfills or date-based lookups.
- You expect to move into a paid plan soon and want a clearer commercial ladder with published overage pricing.
- You care more about source currency switching and conversion features in the paid tiers.
- You are okay with a smaller free allowance of 100 requests/month in exchange for a more feature-rich paid path.
Bottom line
For the most common builder case, Currency Api is the better free-tier pick. It gives more monthly requests, does not require a card, and is simpler if you only need live exchange rates for a small app or prototype. Currencylayer is the better choice if historical data on the free plan matters or if you already know you will need a more explicit commercial upgrade path. Most builders will hit Currencylayer’s smaller free cap sooner, so Currency Api is the safer default.
Read the full listings: Currency 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.