currencylayer Alternative: Real-Time FX, Bid/Ask, and Quotas
Compare update cadence, bid/ask quotes, quota models, and support for teams stuck on currencylayer's lower tiers.
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150+ instruments, updated every second
Real-time forex rates, one request away
Stream 150+ currency pairs, metals, crypto and indices over REST or WebSocket, in JSON or XML. Free for up to 3 requests an hour — no key, no signup.
- Update interval
- ~1 second
- Uptime
- 99.9%
- Plans from
- €20/mo
$ curl https://live-rates.com/api/rates [ { "currency": "EUR/USD", "bid": 1.13316, "ask": 1.13345, "high": 1.13801, "low": 1.13221, "timestamp": 1790802962886 }, …149 more]
const res = await fetch('https://live-rates.com/api/rates?key=YOUR_KEY'); const rates = await res.json(); console.log(rates[0]); // { currency: 'EUR/USD', bid: 1.13316, … }
import requests rates = requests.get( "https://live-rates.com/api/rates", params={"key": "YOUR_KEY"}, ).json() print(rates[0]) # {'currency': 'EUR/USD', 'bid': 1.13316, …}
resp, _ := http.Get("https://live-rates.com/api/rates?key=YOUR_KEY") defer resp.Body.Close() var rates []Rate json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&rates) fmt.Println(rates[0].Currency, rates[0].Bid)
const ws = new WebSocket('wss://live-rates.com/stream?key=YOUR_KEY'); ws.onmessage = (msg) => { const rate = JSON.parse(msg.data); }; // { currency: 'EUR/USD', bid: 1.13316, … }
200 OK application/json
Live EUR/USD quote at page load
1
Get a key
Trial key by email in a minute — or skip it, 3 requests an hour are free.
2
Make one request
GET /api/rates?key=… — JSON or XML.
3
Ship it
99.9% uptime during market hours, plans from €20/mo.
Everything you need for live market data
Simple, reliable, and built for developers who need real-time forex rates without the complexity.
Real-Time Streaming
WebSocket streaming and REST API updated every second. Get bid, ask, high, low, open, and close prices for 150+ instruments.
Developer Friendly
Simple REST API with JSON and XML responses. One API key, one endpoint. Integrate in minutes with any language or framework.
Reliable & Secure
Enterprise-grade infrastructure with 99.9% uptime. API key authentication, rate limiting, and HTTPS encryption on every request.
Integrate in minutes
A simple REST API that returns JSON or XML. No SDKs required — just an HTTP request.
Free to use without a key — up to 3 requests/hour. Request a trial key for unlimited access.
GET
REST API — All Rates
https://www.live-rates.com/api/rates
Keyless: 3 req/hour · With
?key=YOUR_KEY: unlimited[
{
"currency": "EURJPY",
"bid": "178.294",
"ask": "178.385",
"high": "178.566",
"low": "177.328",
"open": "178.528",
"close": "178.289",
"timestamp": "1790802973384"
},
{
"currency": "NZDUSD",
"bid": "0.56325",
"ask": "0.56411",
"high": "0.56635",
"low": "0.56292",
"open": "0.56384",
"close": "0.56322",
"timestamp": "1790802944377"
},
{
"currency": "USDJPY",
"bid": "157.363",
"ask": "157.395",
"high": "157.532",
"low": "156.367",
"open": "157.421",
"close": "157.347",
"timestamp": "1790802974880"
}
]
GET
Price API — Specific Pair
https://www.live-rates.com/api/price?key=YOUR_KEY&rate=EURUSD
Returns a single pair with bid, ask, high, low, open and close.
[
{
"currency": "EUR/USD",
"rate": 1.08542,
"bid": 1.08542,
"ask": 1.08551,
"high": 1.08891,
"low": 1.08201,
"open": 1.08395,
"close": "n/a",
"timestamp": 1713045600000
}
]Also available
- WebSocket Streaming — Real-time push updates
-
XML format — Add
rate_format=xml - Historical data — Daily rates and time series
Simple, transparent pricing
Start with a free 7-day trial. No credit card required. Upgrade when you're ready.
All plans include unlimited requests,
REST + WebSocket, JSON & XML.
Monthly
For testing and small projects
€50
/month
€50 billed monthly
- REST & WebSocket API
- 150+ instruments
- 1 whitelisted IP address
- Standard support
Most popular
Yearly
Best value for growing products
€30
/month
€360 billed yearly Save 40%
- Everything in Monthly
- 3 whitelisted IP addresses
- Historical data access
- Priority support
3-Year
For established businesses
€20
/month
€720 billed every 3 years Save 60%
- Everything in Yearly
- 5 whitelisted IP addresses
- Sub-license management
- Dedicated support
30-day money-back guarantee
Cancel anytime
Pay with
or crypto
or crypto
Free Currency Converter
Convert any amount between 20+ currencies, precious metals and crypto at live mid-market rates — the same data that powers our API.
Popular conversions
Need these rates in your app? Get a free trial key →
Trusted across industries
From e-commerce platforms to financial institutions, teams rely on Live-Rates for accurate market data.
E-commerce
Show prices in the shopper’s own currency at checkout. One request fetches every rate; cache it and convert client-side.
Brokers & fintech
Power dashboards and quote screens with bid, ask, high and low pushed over WebSocket as prices move.
Apps & games
Add currency features to mobile and web apps with a plain JSON endpoint — no SDK to install or maintain.
From the blog
Latest news and insights from the forex market.
Daily Exchange Rates API for Invoicing: One Reproducible Rate
Finance teams lock a 9:00 UTC daily snapshot on each invoice, keep spot bid/ask for payments, and store the rate for audit.
Read more →
Exchange Rates API in Node.js: Polling vs WebSocket Streaming
Build a fetch poller with backoff in Node.js, then a forex WebSocket client for live tickers and dashboards.
Read more →Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about the Live-Rates forex API.
Can’t find your answer? Send us a message.
Do I need an API key to use the Live-Rates API?
No. The API is free to use without a key, up to 3 requests per hour. Request a free 7-day trial key to simulate unlimited access, or subscribe to a paid plan for production use.
What data formats does the API return?
Both JSON and XML. JSON is the default; add rate_format=xml to any endpoint to receive XML instead.
How many currency pairs are available?
Over 150 instruments, including major and minor forex pairs, precious metals such as gold and silver, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, and major stock indices.
How often are the exchange rates updated?
Rates are updated in real time, approximately every second, via both the REST API and the WebSocket streaming feed.
Can I use Live-Rates for commercial projects?
Yes. The paid Monthly, Yearly and 3-Year plans allow commercial use with unlimited requests and multiple whitelisted IP addresses.
Is there a real-time streaming (WebSocket) API?
Yes. In addition to the REST API, a WebSocket streaming endpoint pushes live rate updates directly to your application as they happen.
Do you provide historical exchange rate data?
Yes. The Yearly and 3-Year plans include access to historical daily rates and time series in addition to the real-time feed.
What payment methods do you accept?
Credit and debit cards and PayPal via Stripe, as well as Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency payments.
Free 7-day trial
Need more than 3 requests an hour?
The API is free to use without a key (up to 3 requests/hour). Request a trial key below to simulate unlimited access for 7 days and test every endpoint and currency pair before buying — no commitment.
- Full API access — 150+ currency pairs, REST & streaming
- Both formats — JSON and XML responses
- No credit card — no auto-charge when the trial ends
- Engineer support — direct help from our team if you get stuck
Get your free trial key
We’ll email it as soon as it’s ready.
Your data stays private. We never share or sell it.