Frankfurter vs ExchangeRate-API (open access)
Free API comparison
| Frankfurter | ExchangeRate-API (open access) | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Currency and finance | Currency and finance |
| API key | Not needed | Not needed |
| Pricing | Free, no key needed and no usage limits. | Free, with attribution required; the keyed plans give more frequent updates, conversion endpoints and historical data. |
| From the browser | Yes (CORS) | Yes (CORS) |
| Formats | JSON | JSON |
| Interface | REST, HTTP-GET | REST, HTTP-GET |
| Provider | frankfurter.dev | exchangerate-api.com |
| Last checked | Working on October 31st, 2026 | Working on October 31st, 2026 |
| MCP server | No | No |
Which one to choose
Both give exchange rates without a key. Frankfurter uses the European Central Bank's rates for about 30 major currencies, with history back to 1999 and no usage limits. ExchangeRate-API's open access endpoint covers more than 160 currencies, updated daily, asks for attribution and has no history. Choose Frankfurter for history and major currencies, ExchangeRate-API for many currencies.
Each service's own page has its full description, a code example and what visitors report: Frankfurter, ExchangeRate-API (open access).