Currencylayer delivers real-time and historical exchange rates for 168 currencies via REST API. Compare 2026 pricing plans, features, pros and cons.
Category
Finance
Pricing
Freemium subscription with tiered monthly request limits and update-frequency gating, from Free plan available; paid plans start at 13.99 USD per month
Verified
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Last updated
July 19, 2026
Founded
2015
Headquarters
Vienna, Austria
What is Currencylayer
Currencylayer is a REST API delivering real-time and historical foreign exchange rate data for 168 world currencies plus select precious metals. It is one of the original products offered by apilayer, an Austrian API marketplace company, and has been operating since 2015.
The API returns data in JSON format designed to be compatible with any modern application stack, and it is commonly used as a drop-in data source for currency conversion features in commercial software.
Ownership and company background
Currencylayer was founded by Julian and Paul Zehetmayr as part of apilayer, headquartered in Vienna, Austria. In January 2021, apilayer was acquired by Idera, Inc., a company that owns a broad portfolio of developer and database tooling brands.
This means Currencylayer is no longer an independent startup product but rather a business unit inside a larger software holding group, which can offer buyers more stability but also means product direction is set at the portfolio level.
How Currencylayer pricing tiers work
Currencylayer pricing scales along two axes: monthly request volume and rate refresh frequency. The free plan is limited to daily-updated rates, while paid tiers unlock progressively faster refresh windows down to 60 seconds on the top Business Plus plan.
Annual billing offers a discount of roughly 10 to 15 percent depending on the tier, which can meaningfully reduce cost for teams with predictable, ongoing usage.
Key Features
168 world currencies plus metals — Covers a broad set of fiat currencies and precious metals from a single API.
Live exchange rates — Delivers real-time spot rates sourced from multiple major forex data providers.
Historical data back to 1999 — Offers roughly 19 years of historical rate lookups for auditing and trend analysis.
Currency conversion endpoint — Converts an amount from one currency to another directly via the API.
Time-frame and fluctuation queries — Returns rate changes between two specified dates for volatility analysis.
JSON REST format — Portable JSON output compatible with virtually any programming language.
Tiered refresh frequency — Update frequency scales from daily on the free plan up to 60 seconds on top paid tiers.
Backed by apilayer and Idera — Operates as part of a larger, established API marketplace and software holding company.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Long track record dating back to 2015
Backed by an established company (apilayer, owned by Idera)
Broad historical data window of roughly 19 years
Clear, published tiered pricing with annual discounts
Also available through the RapidAPI marketplace for flexible purchasing
Reliable multi-source data validation process
Cons
Higher price per request tier than some newer competitors
Free plan only refreshes once per day
Real-time 60-second updates require the most expensive Business Plus tier
Currency coverage (168) is narrower than some crypto-inclusive competitors
Product direction is controlled by a larger holding company rather than an independent team
Pricing
Free 0 USD monthly
Basic 13.99 USD monthly or 161.99 USD yearly monthly or annual
Professional 52.99 USD monthly or 629.99 USD yearly monthly or annual
Business Plus 84.99 USD monthly or 1,019.99 USD yearly monthly or annual
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Currencylayer used for
It is used by developers to retrieve real-time and historical currency exchange rates for use in commercial and internal software applications.
Who owns Currencylayer
Currencylayer is a product of apilayer, which was acquired by Idera, Inc. in January 2021.
How much does Currencylayer cost
Paid plans start at 13.99 USD per month for the Basic plan, with Professional at 52.99 USD per month and Business Plus at 84.99 USD per month.
Does Currencylayer have a free tier
Yes, it offers a free plan with daily rate updates for evaluation and light usage.
How many currencies does Currencylayer support
It supports 168 world currencies plus precious metals.
How often are Currencylayer exchange rates updated
Update frequency depends on plan: daily on the free plan, hourly on Basic, every 10 minutes on Professional, and every 60 seconds on Business Plus.
How far back does Currencylayer historical data go
The API provides historical exchange rate data reaching back roughly 19 years, to 1999.
Is Currencylayer available on RapidAPI
Yes, Currencylayer is also distributed through the RapidAPI marketplace as an alternative access point.