There is a fairly large number of REST APIs offering real-time and historical currency conversion out there. From data coverage, update frequency, exchange rate sources, pricing, UI and features - we have taken every detail into account, and found that below the surface there is a considerable ratio of difference between each provider.

Now, which API performs best for a Startup? - which one is the most reliable and consistent? - which one justifies its price the most? A brief overview of our results are compactly listed in the table below! (jump to Full Comparison)

Quick Comparison

Pricing
$10 - $80
$12 - $92
~ $83 - $833
~ $66 - $999
$400 - $750
Free Plan
trial-period
-
trial-period
Data Coverage
168 currencies
165 currencies
170 currencies
150 currencies
190 currencies
Data Updates
60 min, 10 min
or 60 seconds
60 min or
10 min
Real-time (with every trade)
Daily or every
60 seconds
Daily, or via
raw data feed
API Usability
simple
simple
complex
complex
complex
Simple Sign-up
Ordering Process
Ordering Process

Need some more specifications? See the full comparison!



Who We Liked Most

In the light of our Currency Converter API Comparison we would like to highlight our two favorite webservice / API providers:


currencylayer - free currency converter API
Xignite API Snapshot