ExchangeRate-API beginner's guide — what it is, how it works, when to use it
With any new API, the hardest part is figuring out what it actually does and where it's useful. Let's start there.
What is ExchangeRate-API?
Currency rates for 161 currencies with a free tier of 1,500 calls/month.
ExchangeRate-API is a popular FX service focused on simplicity. 161 currencies including crypto. Free tier is 1,500 calls/month, no credit card required. Decent quality, but not official — for Israeli financial products, prefer Bank of Israel.
Who it's for
- Tourism sites
- Simple converter tools
- MVPs
A first example
Here is the shortest path to seeing something work:
curl "https://v6.exchangerate-api.com/v6/YOUR_KEY/latest/USD"When to use it, when not to
ExchangeRate-API is a great fit for most of what it covers, but not every case. If you only need small, static data once or twice, it may be simpler to download and cache locally. For real products that need fresh data, the API is the way.