Currencylayer API
Overview
Currencylayer provides reliable exchange rate and currency conversion data for over 168 world currencies using an easy-to-use REST API. It is commonly used for financial applications, e-commerce sites, and travel apps that need accurate currency conversion. A free tier is available with a limited number of monthly API calls and an API key is required.
Beginner Tip
The free Currencylayer plan allows 100 API calls per month and only supports USD as the base currency; upgrade to a paid plan if you need other base currencies or more requests. Always cache exchange rates locally since they do not change minute-to-minute, which saves your API quota.
Available Data
Example Response
{
"base": "USD",
"date": "2025-01-15",
"rates": {
"EUR": 0.92,
"GBP": 0.79,
"JPY": 149.5,
"CAD": 1.35
}
} Field Reference
success Indicates whether the API request was successful source The base currency used for the exchange rates (e.g., USD) timestamp Unix timestamp of when the exchange rates were last updated quotes Key-value pairs of currency codes to exchange rates (e.g., USDEUR: 0.91) Implementation Example
const url = "https://currencylayer.com/";
// Replace headers or query params with the values required by this API.
const response = await fetch(url, {
headers: {
"X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
}
});
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${response.status}`);
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data); What Can You Build?
Note: These code examples are AI-generated and unverified. Always refer to the official API documentation for accurate usage.
Common Errors & Troubleshooting
Matrix Score Breakdown
Partially tested on Apr 5, 2026
Technical Specifications
Related Tags
Alternatives to Currencylayer
Technical alternatives for different use cases.
Broader currency coverage beyond forex pairs
Real-time forex WebSocket streaming
Multi-currency conversion beyond forex majors
More established provider with 170+ fiat currencies
Combined fiat and crypto rates in one API
Production apps needing proven reliability
Free with no API key required for basic currency conversion
Free currency conversion without signup
Real-time forex rates for trading applications
ECB-sourced rates with simple REST interface
European-focused apps using ECB reference rates
170+ currency support and historical data depth
Same parent company (apilayer) with similar data quality
Users already in the apilayer ecosystem
Unique features - very similar to Currencylayer
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