Quick answer
FXRatesAPI - FXRatesAPI wins for most builders because its free tier is less cramped on requests, and its paid ladder stays cheap until you truly need higher volume or unlimited usage.
How the free tiers compare
These are both currency exchange APIs with perpetual free tiers and no card requirement stated, but they optimize for different shapes of usage. Currency Api gives you a tighter free quota of 500 requests a month, yet its paid plans jump straight to much larger request allowances and clearer feature expansion like team management and OHLC data. FXRatesAPI is more forgiving at the free level with 1,000 requests a month and a 60 requests/hour cap, so it is easier to test in a real app before paying. Its paid ladder is simpler and cheaper at the low end, with a $10 plan that already lifts you to 10k requests/month. Currency Api becomes more attractive if you need its specific feature set or much larger volume tiers later, but for a typical builder starting small, FXRatesAPI is the more usable free tier.
Currency Api vs FXRatesAPI free tier, side by side
| Currency ApiFTV 48 | FXRatesAPIFTV 52 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free monthly requestsFXRatesAPI gives 2x the monthly request budget. | 500 | 1,000 |
| Free rate limitThese are different units, so they are not directly comparable. | 10 requests per minute | 60 requests per hour |
| Free API keysOnly Currency Api explicitly lists the free-plan API key limit. | 1 | not stated |
| Free historical ratesFXRatesAPI's free-plan wording is somewhat broad, but historical access is mentioned. | No | Yes, historical access is listed under the free plan |
| First paid monthly requestsCurrency Api jumps higher, but starts at a higher price. | 20,000 on Essential | 10k on Standard |
| First paid priceNearly identical entry prices, but the request quota differs. | $9.99/month | $10/month |
| Top stated paid monthly requestsFXRatesAPI also has an Unlimited plan with unlimited requests. | 10,000,000 on Professional | Unlimited on Unlimited |
After you outgrow the free tier
Both products use flat monthly pricing after the free tier. FXRatesAPI has the cheaper first step at $10/month, and its ladder goes from 10k requests to 500k, then unlimited at $80/month. Currency Api starts at $9.99/month, but its first paid step includes 20k requests and then jumps to 125k and 10M on higher tiers. For small-team usage, FXRatesAPI is usually cheaper to get off the free tier. Currency Api only pulls ahead if you need its included features or much larger request blocks on the upper tiers.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Currency Api | FXRatesAPI |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 requests/moCurrency Api free plan caps at 500 requests/month, while FXRatesAPI allows 1,000/month. | Free tier exceeds limit | Free |
| 5,000 requests/moBoth require paid plans, and the first paid tier is enough for this volume. | $9.99/mo | $10/mo |
| 50,000 requests/moCurrency Api needs StartUp; FXRatesAPI needs Professional. | $34.99/mo | $30/mo |
| 250,000 requests/moFXRatesAPI's Professional tier covers this volume; Currency Api needs Professional. | $74.99/mo | $30/mo |
| 600,000 requests/moFXRatesAPI would need Unlimited for this volume; Currency Api's Professional tier covers it. | $74.99/mo | $80/mo |
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 only need a small amount of exchange-rate lookups for a prototype and can stay under 500 requests/month.
- You want hourly updates on the free plan and do not need historical rates or multiple API keys.
- You expect to move quickly to larger volumes and value Currency Api's clear jump to 20,000 requests/month on the first paid tier.
- You need team management or higher-end endpoints like timeframe and OHLC as you grow.
Pick FXRatesAPI when…
- You want the free tier to last longer during development, with 1,000 requests/month instead of 500.
- You need multiple endpoint types available on the paid ladder, starting with a $10/month plan.
- You want a lower-cost first paid step for a small app that has outgrown free.
- You need data access that can later scale to 500k requests/month or unlimited requests on flat-priced plans.
Bottom line
For the most common builder case, FXRatesAPI is the better free-tier starting point because it doubles the free request budget and asks for only a modest $10/month to keep going. Currency Api is still solid if you want its specific feature mix or its larger upper tiers, but its free tier is tighter and its value shows up more after you have already committed to a bigger paid plan. If you are trying to delay payment while building, FXRatesAPI is the easier fit.
Read the full listings: Currency Api and FXRatesAPI. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.