The open access endpoint needs no API key, as long as you credit them. ExchangeRate-API is a currency conversion JSON API. The Free plan costs $0 and includes 1,500 requests a month with rates updated once per day. Pro updates every 60 minutes with 30,000 requests a month, and Business updates every 5 minutes with 125,000 requests a month. There is also an open access endpoint that needs no API key: it requires attribution on the pages that use the rates, updates once a day, is rate limited, and the docs say you may cache the data and use it for personal or commercial currency conversion but may not redistribute it. G2 shows 4.3 from 2 reviews praising accurate, structured data and noting that time series and some other endpoints are charged. Trustpilot shows 3.1 from 2 reviews.
Free tier quotas
Free plan
$0, 1,500 requests a month, rates updated once per day
Open access endpoint
No API key needed
Open access terms
Attribution required, rates update once per day, rate limited
Commercial use
The open access docs allow personal or commercial currency conversion, caching of responses, and no redistribution
Pro
Updates every 60 minutes, 30,000 requests a month
Business
Updates every 5 minutes, 125,000 requests a month
Update speed
Daily on Free and open access, then hourly on Pro and every 5 minutes on Business
Last sniffed Oct 20, 2026. Always confirm on the official pricing page.
👍 Good boy
+The open access endpoint needs no API key. The docs allow caching and use for personal or commercial currency conversion, as long as you attribute and do not redistribute.
+A Free plan with 1,500 requests a month is a usable size for small tools and prototypes, and Pro raises that to 30,000 requests with hourly updates.
+A G2 reviewer said the data comes from different sources, is accurate and comes back as structured data.
+A Reddit thread about currency APIs recommended it for its generous free tier.
+Pricing is published on the homepage with clear request quotas and update frequencies for each plan.
👎 Watch out
−Free rates update once per day, which is too slow for anything that needs current prices.
−The open access endpoint requires attribution on the pages that use the data. An r/webdev poster noted that this could get awkward when you need attribution on every page that shows rates.
−A G2 reviewer disliked that current and historical rates are free but time series and some other endpoints are charged.
−Review volume is tiny: G2 shows 4.3 from 2 reviews and Trustpilot shows 3.1 from 2 reviews, so there is little evidence about support or uptime.
−The homepage shows the Pro price as $10 and the Business price as $30, with extra digits (100 and 300) in the page text that I read as yearly prices but did not confirm.
−I could not confirm whether signing up for a key needs a card.
The catch
There are two free routes. The keyed Free plan allows 1,500 requests a month with daily updates. The open access endpoint needs no key, but you must attribute on the pages that show the rates, it updates once a day and it is rate limited. The docs say you may cache the data and use it for personal or commercial currency conversion, and you may not redistribute it. I set commercial use to allowed on that basis.
Paid plans raise the update frequency: Pro updates every 60 minutes with 30,000 requests a month, and Business every 5 minutes with 125,000. The homepage text shows 100 and 300 beside the Pro and Business prices, which I read as yearly prices but did not confirm.
I could not confirm a card requirement. Reviews are very few: G2 4.3 from 2 and Trustpilot 3.1 from 2.
What’s included
✓Currency conversion JSON API
✓Daily updates on Free
✓Open access endpoint with no API key
✓Hourly updates on Pro
✓5-minute updates on Business
✓Time series and some other endpoints on paid plans
Free tier value
Generosity
B
Estimated value
1,500 requests a month with daily updates, plus a no-key open access endpoint
Feature parity
Pro updates every 60 minutes with 30,000 requests. Business updates every 5 minutes with 125,000.
Screenshots
ExchangeRate-API homepage
Paid plans
Pro
Rates update every 60 minutes with 30,000 requests a month. The page shows $10 with 100 beside it. I read 100 as a yearly price but did not confirm it.
Business
Rates update every 5 minutes with 125,000 requests a month. The page shows $30 with 300 beside it. I read 300 as a yearly price but did not confirm it.
Common questions
Is ExchangeRate-API free?
Yes. The Free plan includes 1,500 requests a month and updates once per day. An open access endpoint needs no key.
What does the open access endpoint require?
Attribution on the pages using the rates, with a link. Rates update once per day and it is rate limited.
Can I use it commercially?
The open access docs say you may cache the data and use it for personal or commercial currency conversion, but not redistribute it.
How often do paid plans update?
Pro every 60 minutes and Business every 5 minutes.
What do reviewers say?
A G2 reviewer praised accuracy and structured responses but disliked that time series and some endpoints are charged.
Change history
Checked October 22, 2026
Homepage and open access docs read. G2 shows 4.3 from 2 reviews and Trustpilot 3.1 from 2. Pro and Business monthly versus yearly prices not confirmed. Card requirement not stated.
