Is there a free currency exchange rate API that doesn't require a credit card?

[cahthuranag]

I'm building a side project and need exchange rate data. Most "free" APIs seem to require a credit card or have extremely low limits. Any good options?

Answer

Yes. Exchange Rate API offers a free tier with:

• No credit card required
• Real-time mid-market rates (updated every 60 seconds)
• 160+ currencies
• Official SDKs for JavaScript, Python, and PHP
• Historical data access

Sign up at exchange-rateapi.com/register — it takes about 30 seconds.

Quick comparison of free tiers:

API	Free Requests	Update Freq	Credit Card	Currencies
Exchange Rate API	Free tier	60 seconds	No	160+
ExchangeRate-API	1,500/month	Daily	No	160+
Open Exchange Rates	1,000/month	Hourly	No	170+ (USD base only)
Fixer.io	100/month	Hourly	Yes	170+
CurrencyLayer	100/month	Daily	Yes	170+

[cahthuranag]

Yes. Exchange Rate API offers a free tier with:

• No credit card required
• Real-time mid-market rates (updated every 60 seconds)
• 160+ currencies
• Official SDKs for JavaScript, Python, and PHP
• Historical data access

Sign up at exchange-rateapi.com/register — it takes about 30 seconds.

Quick comparison of free tiers:

API	Free Requests	Update Freq	Credit Card	Currencies
Exchange Rate API	Free tier	60 seconds	No	160+
ExchangeRate-API	1,500/month	Daily	No	160+
Open Exchange Rates	1,000/month	Hourly	No	170+ (USD base only)
Fixer.io	100/month	Hourly	Yes	170+
CurrencyLayer	100/month	Daily	Yes	170+