Many developers consider Open Exchange Rates when searching for a reliable currency API. However, one important limitation often affects development decisions: the free plan only supports USD as the base currency.
This means developers cannot directly convert from other base currencies unless they upgrade to a paid plan. If your application needs flexible base currency support, this restriction can become a real challenge.
In this blog, we compare Open Exchange Rates and CurrencyFreaks to understand their pricing, free plan limitations, and which API works better for different development needs.
Why Developers Look for Alternatives to the Open Exchange Rates Free Plan?
Developers rely on exchange rate APIs to get current and accurate currency conversion data for their applications. However, when evaluating the Open Exchange Rates free plan, many developers start looking for alternatives because of certain limitations such as the USD-only base currency and restricted features.
Here is a quick comparison on both options:
CurrencyFreaks Vs. Open Exchange Rates API
| Feature | CurrencyFreaks | Open Exchange Rates API |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan available (1,000 requests/month). Paid plans start at $9.99/month | Free plan available (1,000 requests/month). Paid plans start at $12/month |
| Supported Currencies | Over 1018 currencies including fiat, metals, and crypto | Over 200 currencies supported |
| Exchange Rate Updates | 24-hour updates on free plan, up to 60-second updates on paid plans | Hourly updates on free plan, faster updates on paid plans |
| Developer Support | Limited support on free plan, priority support on paid plans | Documentation and community support |
| API Access | RESTful API | RESTful API |
| Response Formats | JSON and XML | JSON |
| SSL Security | Secure SSL encryption | HTTPS secure communication |
| Enterprise Solutions | Customizable enterprise solutions available | Enterprise / VIP plans available |
| Data Sources | Aggregates data from various sources | Aggregates data from various sources |
| Rate Limiting | Yes | Yes |
| Supported Languages | Shell, Node JS, Java, Python, Ruby, JavaScript, Go, C#, PHP, Swift | Libraries and integrations available for many languages |
| Latest Currency Rates | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Desired Currencies Rates Only | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Change Base Currency | ✔️ Supported | ❌ Not available on free plan |
| Historical Rates | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Latest Rates Conversion | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Historical Data Limits | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Supported Currency Symbols | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Supported Currencies | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| IP To Currency | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Historical Rates Conversion | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Fluctuation | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Time Series Endpoint | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| OHLC | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Usage | ❌ | ✔️ |
CurrencyFreaks
CurrencyFreaks helps developers determine the value of one currency in another, offering both real-time and historical exchange rates. It supports over 1018 currencies, including 176 fiat currencies, 4 metals, and 838 cryptocurrencies. The API provides data in JSON and XML formats, making it easy to integrate into applications across multiple programming languages.
This API is ideal for applications that require fast and reliable currency conversion, historical analysis, and accurate currency fluctuation data. With SSL-encrypted requests even on the free plan and geolocation-based routing for low-latency access, CurrencyFreaks ensures both speed and security. Its detailed documentation includes examples in Java, Python, JavaScript, PHP, Ruby, Swift, and more, and priority customer support is available for technical integration help.
Open Exchange Rates API
The Open Exchange Rates API provides developers with secure, real-time, and historical exchange rate data for over 200 currencies. It supports easy integration, multiple paid plans with higher request limits, and features like time-series and OHLC data. The free plan is limited to USD as the base currency and 1,000 requests per month, making it important to compare with CurrencyFreaks for multi-currency applications.
Conclusion
Choosing the right exchange rate API depends on your application’s flexibility and scalability needs. Open Exchange Rates provides reliable data, but its free plan limits functionality, especially with USD as the only base currency. This restriction can affect real-world applications that require multi-currency support.
CurrencyFreaks offers a more flexible solution with broader currency coverage, useful endpoints, and competitive pricing. Developers can build and scale applications more efficiently without early limitations. You should evaluate your project requirements carefully and select the API that delivers the best long-term value.
FAQs
What Is the Pricing of the Open Exchange Rates API?
Open Exchange Rates offers a free plan with up to 1,000 API requests per month and hourly exchange rate updates. However, the free plan only supports USD as the base currency. Paid plans start at $12 per month and provide additional features such as support for all base currencies, higher request limits, and faster update frequencies.
What Are the Limitations of the Open Exchange Rates Free Plan?
The Open Exchange Rates free plan includes several limitations that developers should consider. It allows up to 1,000 API requests per month and provides hourly exchange rate updates. In addition, the free plan only supports USD as the base currency, meaning developers cannot directly convert from other base currencies unless they upgrade to a paid plan.
Does Open Exchange Rates Support Base Currency Changes On The Free Plan?
No, the free plan only supports USD as the base currency. If you need a different base currency, you’ll need a paid plan starting at $12/month.
What Is The Best Free Open Exchange Rates Alternative?
CurrencyFreaks is a strong alternative. It offers 1,000 free API calls per month, supports all base currencies on paid plans, and provides SSL encryption on all plans for secure requests.
