XRates API vs Open Exchange Rates
Choosing between XRates API and Open Exchange Rates (Free & paid exchange rate API for developers)? This page compares pricing tiers, free-plan limits, refresh rates, currencies, authentication and developer tooling — with hard numbers, not marketing copy.
TL;DR
- XRates free plan: 100 requests/month · HTTPS · any base currency · historical data · multi-source aggregation.
- Open Exchange Rates free plan: 1,000/month · USD base only · No conversion endpoint.
- Paid entry: XRates Pro $9 / 10,000 req · Open Exchange Rates $12/month / 10,000 requests.
- Refresh rate: XRates every 4h on every plan · Open Exchange Rates hourly (free) / every 60 seconds (paid).
- Auth: XRates Bearer token (HTTP header) · Open Exchange Rates app_id query parameter.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
Last verified: 2026-08-05. Numbers compiled from public pricing and documentation pages.
| Feature | XRates API | Open Exchange Rates |
|---|---|---|
| Free requests / month | 100 | 1,000/month |
| Paid plans start at | $9/month (10,000 req) | $12/month (10,000 requests) |
| Highest tier | $49/month (Unlimited) | $97/month (Unlimited) |
| Refresh rate (free) | Every 4 hours | Hourly |
| Refresh rate (paid) | Every 4 hours | Every 60 seconds |
| Currencies supported | 45+ (fiat + crypto) | 170+ (fiat) |
| Data sources | ECB, CBR, FloatRates, fawazahmed0, IMF | Aggregated commercial feed |
| HTTPS on free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Any base currency on free plan | Yes | No |
| Historical rates on free plan | Yes | No |
| Conversion endpoint | Free tier | Paid |
| Time-series endpoint | Paid (from $9) | Paid |
| Authentication | Bearer token (HTTP header) | app_id query parameter |
| OpenAPI 3.0 spec | Yes | No |
| Postman collection | Yes | No |
| llms.txt for AI assistants | Yes | No |
Comparison compiled from public pricing and documentation. Verify Open Exchange Rates details.
Pricing Tiers Side-by-Side
XRates API
Recommended| Plan | Price | Requests |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 100/month |
| Pro | $9 | 10,000/month |
| Business | $29 | 100,000/month |
| Unlimited | $49 | Unlimited |
Open Exchange Rates
| Plan | Price | Requests |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1,000/month |
| Developer | $12 | 10,000/month |
| Enterprise | $47 | 100,000/month |
| Unlimited | $97 | Unlimited |
Source: Open Exchange Rates pricing page · verify.
Where XRates Wins Over Open Exchange Rates
- ✓Multi-source data with priority fallback: rates aggregated from 5 trusted providers (ECB, CBR, FloatRates, fawazahmed0, IMF) with consensus logic. Open Exchange Rates sources: Aggregated commercial feed.
- ✓HTTPS and any base currency on the free plan: no forced EUR or USD base, no HTTP-only endpoints. Open Exchange Rates free plan: USD base only · No conversion endpoint.
- ✓Honest pricing ladder: $9 / $29 / $49 covers everything from 10k to unlimited requests. Open Exchange Rates top tier: $97/month (Unlimited).
- ✓OpenAPI 3.0 spec + Postman collection: import the entire API into your tooling in seconds.
- ✓Bearer-token auth via HTTP header: safer than passing keys in URLs (which leak into server logs and browser history).
- ✓llms.txt for AI assistants: Cursor, Claude and other coding agents can discover and use XRates without reading marketing copy.
Switching from Open Exchange Rates?
Replace your existing endpoint with the XRates equivalent. Both APIs return JSON, so most parsing logic carries over. Example with cURL:
Note: Free plan locks base to USD. Historical, time-series and currency conversion require paid plans.
See the full API documentation, the free exchange rate API overview or the FX rates API use cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is XRates a good Open Exchange Rates alternative?
Yes — XRates offers HTTPS and any base currency on the free plan, multi-source data aggregation, an OpenAPI 3.0 spec and a Postman collection. Open Exchange Rates free plan limits: USD base only · No conversion endpoint.
How much does Open Exchange Rates cost vs XRates?
Open Exchange Rates paid plans start at $12/month for 10,000 requests. XRates Pro starts at $9/month for 10,000 requests, Business at $29/month for 100,000, and Unlimited at $49/month.
How often does Open Exchange Rates update rates?
Open Exchange Rates refreshes rates hourly on the free plan and every 60 seconds on paid plans. XRates aggregates rates from 5 sources every 4 hours on all plans, free included.
Can I migrate from Open Exchange Rates without changing my code structure?
Both APIs return JSON, so the response shape is similar. Replace the Open Exchange Rates base URL with https://xratesapi.com/api/v1/, switch authentication to a Bearer token (sent via the Authorization header), and the existing parsing logic should mostly carry over. See the migration snippet above.