# Currency Exchange Rate API

> USD-based exchange rates for about 160 currencies through a metered JSON API, with daily historical rates back to 1999. Any currency can be the base, and the same edition backs webhooks and a WebSocket stream. Current rates come from the newest edition for the key’s plan, and each plan sets how often that edition can change and how far back historical rates reach.

## At a glance

- About 160 currencies, quoted per 1 USD and available against any base currency in the edition.
- JSON REST API: `GET /latest` for rates, `GET /convert` for an amount, `GET /historical` for one past day, and `GET /timeseries` for up to 366 days. All need a bearer API key and count against a monthly quota.
- Daily historical rates back to 4 January 1999 for the currencies the European Central Bank publishes, and every currency for days recorded since launch. The free plan reaches back 30 days; Starter, Pro, and Business reach the full archive.
- `GET /currencies` and `GET /preview` are public and not metered.
- On paid plans, signed webhooks and a WebSocket stream push each new edition: Starter 1 webhook and 1 connection, Pro 3 and 3, Business 5 and 5. The free plan has neither.
- A free plan with no credit card. Paid plans update up to every 5 minutes.
- A remote MCP server (Streamable HTTP) at https://api.currencyexchangerate-api.com/api/v1/mcp lets AI assistants call the same data as tools: get_latest_rates, convert_currency, get_historical_rates, get_rates_timeseries, and list_currencies. Auth is the same bearer key, and the metered tools count one request each.
- Mid-market reference rates compiled from multiple central-bank and commercial sources, for pricing, invoicing, reporting, and display. Not suitable for trading or executing forex transactions.

## Plans

Limits at the time of writing; prices and the current catalog are on https://currencyexchangerate-api.com/#pricing.

| Plan | Monthly requests | Requests per second per key | Edition updates | Historical rates | Webhooks | WebSocket connections |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Free | 3,000 | 2 | Daily | Last 30 days | None | None |
| Starter | 10,000 | 5 | Hourly | Since 1999 | 1 | 1 |
| Pro | 100,000 | 15 | Every 5 minutes | Since 1999 | 3 | 3 |
| Business | 1,000,000 | 50 | Every 5 minutes | Since 1999 | 5 | 5 |

## Quick start

1. Sign up and create a key: https://currencyexchangerate-api.com/auth/login
2. Call the API with the key in the Authorization header:

```shell
curl "https://api.currencyexchangerate-api.com/api/v1/latest?base=USD&symbols=EUR,GBP" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $EXCHANGE_API_KEY"
```

```shell
curl "https://api.currencyexchangerate-api.com/api/v1/convert?from=EUR&to=GBP&amount=100" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $EXCHANGE_API_KEY"
```

## Documentation

- [API documentation](https://currencyexchangerate-api.com/docs.md): authentication, quotas, endpoints, errors, webhooks, and streaming
- [OpenAPI 3.1 description](https://currencyexchangerate-api.com/openapi.json)
- [llms.txt](https://currencyexchangerate-api.com/llms.txt)

## Exchange rates

- [All currencies and exchange rates](https://currencyexchangerate-api.com/currencies.md)
- [USD to EUR exchange rate](https://currencyexchangerate-api.com/convert/usd-to-eur.md)
- [EUR to USD exchange rate](https://currencyexchangerate-api.com/convert/eur-to-usd.md)
- [USD to GBP exchange rate](https://currencyexchangerate-api.com/convert/usd-to-gbp.md)
- [GBP to USD exchange rate](https://currencyexchangerate-api.com/convert/gbp-to-usd.md)
- [EUR to GBP exchange rate](https://currencyexchangerate-api.com/convert/eur-to-gbp.md)
- [USD to JPY exchange rate](https://currencyexchangerate-api.com/convert/usd-to-jpy.md)
- [USD to INR exchange rate](https://currencyexchangerate-api.com/convert/usd-to-inr.md)
- [USD to CNY exchange rate](https://currencyexchangerate-api.com/convert/usd-to-cny.md)
- [USD to CAD exchange rate](https://currencyexchangerate-api.com/convert/usd-to-cad.md)
- [USD to AUD exchange rate](https://currencyexchangerate-api.com/convert/usd-to-aud.md)
- [USD to EGP exchange rate](https://currencyexchangerate-api.com/convert/usd-to-egp.md)
- [USD to AED exchange rate](https://currencyexchangerate-api.com/convert/usd-to-aed.md)