exchangeratesapi.io Alternative: Drop-in Replacement, Same JSON, Free
exchangeratesapi.io stopped being free in 2021. Point your code at allratestoday.com/api/compat/exchangeratesapi/ and keep the same {base, date, rates} JSON, same query parameters, no key for latest rates.
Migrate from exchangeratesapi.io in one line
exchangeratesapi.io started in 2018 as a free, keyless JSON wrapper around the European Central Bank's daily reference rates and became the default in thousands of tutorials. In 2021 the domain was sold to apilayer, which moved every request behind an access_key, restricted the free plan to 100 calls a month, dropped HTTPS and base-currency switching from it, and later changed the path to /v1/. Code written against the original API simply stopped working.
Before and after
# before
curl "https://api.exchangeratesapi.io/latest?base=USD&symbols=GBP,JPY"
# after
curl "https://allratestoday.com/api/compat/exchangeratesapi/latest?base=USD&symbols=GBP,JPY" Response:
{"base":"USD","date":"2026-09-12","rates":{"GBP":0.7377,"JPY":146.91}} Python:
import requests
# before
# r = requests.get("https://api.exchangeratesapi.io/latest?base=USD&symbols=GBP,JPY").json()
# after
r = requests.get("https://allratestoday.com/api/compat/exchangeratesapi/latest?base=USD&symbols=GBP,JPY").json()
print(r["date"], r["rates"]) JavaScript:
// before
// const r = await fetch("https://api.exchangeratesapi.io/latest?base=USD&symbols=GBP,JPY").then(x => x.json());
// after
const r = await fetch("https://allratestoday.com/api/compat/exchangeratesapi/latest?base=USD&symbols=GBP,JPY").then(x => x.json());
console.log(r.date, r.rates); Endpoints
| Endpoint | Returns | Key |
|---|---|---|
/api/compat/exchangeratesapi/latest?base=USD&symbols=GBP,JPY | Latest ECB table, any base, optional symbols | No key |
/api/compat/exchangeratesapi/2026-01-15?base=USD | Table in force on a date (weekends roll back to the last fixing) | Free key |
/api/compat/exchangeratesapi/history?start_at=2026-01-01&end_at=2026-03-31&base=USD&symbols=GBP | One table per published date | Free key, 1 unit per month covered |
Send the key as Authorization: Bearer art_live_…. Rates come from the European Central
Bank's daily reference table, the same source exchangeratesapi.io used; a non-EUR base is a cross-rate inside
that table. Every response also carries the ECB publication date, so the number is citable.
When you need more than ECB rates
- Real-time mid-market rates for 160+ currencies, refreshed every 60 seconds: the main exchange rate API on the same key.
- Official rates from 116 central banks and tax authorities, not only the ECB: the central bank rates API, with the latest table of every source keyless.
- The full ECB archive as files on Hugging Face and GitHub, refreshed daily, if you would rather not call an API at all.
Frequently asked questions
Is the exchangeratesapi.io compatible endpoint really free?
Yes for latest rates: no API key, no quota, CORS enabled, edge-cached. Dated and range lookups need a free AllRatesToday API key, which takes under a minute and needs no card. Public displays must carry a visible attribution link to allratestoday.com.
Are the numbers the same?
Yes. Both serve the European Central Bank's daily reference rates. Cross-rates for a non-EUR base are computed inside the same ECB table, exactly as the original API did. Rates change once per business day at about 16:00 CET.
What is different?
Two additive fields, source and attribution, appear at the top level; every original field is unchanged. HTTPS and any base currency work on the keyless tier. Date ranges are limited to a year per request.
Can I get real-time market rates too?
Yes, on the same key. GET /api/v1/rates returns mid-market rates for 160+ currencies refreshed every 60 seconds; the compatible endpoints stay ECB-only so existing code keeps its semantics.
Fix it now
Latest rates work with no key. A free key adds dates and history.
Get a free API key All migration guides