Save 82% with UniRateAPI. Get 593 currencies including forex, crypto & precious metals in one unified API.
Your app has bursty traffic and a predictable monthly budget — Alpha Vantage Tier 1 ($49.99/mo) throttles at 75 req/min, which spikes can exceed. UniRate's monthly quota absorbs bursts cleanly at $9/mo.
You need US equities, fundamental data, earnings estimates, or technical indicators in the same API as forex. Alpha Vantage is primarily a stock-market API — we're currency-only and don't cover equities.
Don't just compare sticker prices. Look at what you actually get for your money.
Alpha Vantage Tier 1 uses a per-minute throttle rather than a monthly quota. Bursty workloads can hit the limit; UniRate gives you 750k/mo on a simple monthly counter.
Pay 82% less for a forex-specialist API. Alpha Vantage is primarily a stocks/fundamentals service — forex is a secondary endpoint.
We support 593 currencies including crypto. Alpha Vantage focuses primarily on stocks.
See how much you'd save by switching to UniRateAPI
Plus, you get time-series included (Alpha Vantage charges $0 (included free) for that)!
Head-to-head on the four fields that matter most.
| Field | UniRateAPI | Alpha Vantage |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 200 requests/day (6,000/month) | 25 calls/day |
| Paid entry price | $9/mo — 750,000 req/mo | $49.99/mo — 75/min (no daily or monthly cap) req/mo |
| Rate limits / update frequency | Real-time, monthly quota (no daily cap) | Real-time |
| Historical depth | 1999-2026 | Extensive |
Pricing verified April 2026 against Alpha Vantage public pricing page.
See what you'd actually pay for comparable features
| Plan | Price | Requests | Overage Rate | Time-Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 25/day | N/A | |
| Tier 1 | $49.99/mo | 75/min | N/A | |
| Tier 2 | $99.99/mo | 150/min | N/A | |
| Tier 3 | $149.99/mo | 300/min | N/A | |
| Tier 4 | $199.99/mo | 600/min | N/A | |
| Tier 5 | $249.99/mo | 1200/min | N/A |
To match UniRateAPI's features and request limits, you'd need Alpha Vantage's $49.99/mo (Tier 1 handles 750k/mo at ~17/min sustained) plan.
| Feature | UniRateAPI | Alpha Vantage |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $9/mo | $49.99/mo |
| API Requests/Month | 750,000 | 75/min (no daily or monthly cap) |
| Time-Series Endpoint | Included | Requires $0 (included free) |
| Currencies | 593 | 100+ forex pairs |
| Cryptocurrency Support | 420+ | 166+ cryptocurrencies |
| Precious Metals | Gold, Silver, Platinum, Palladium | Commodities available |
| Free Tier | 200 requests/day | 25 calls/day |
| Historical Data | 1999-2026 | Extensive |
Alpha Vantage doesn’t cover all four LBMA metals in one key. UniRateAPI does — live XAU/XAG/XPT/XPD spot, 36–58 years of history, $9/mo bundled with forex and crypto.
UniRateAPI offers more value, better features, and lower costs compared to Alpha Vantage.
Our $9/mo Pro plan matches Alpha Vantage Tier 1 ($49.99/mo) on most real-world workloads, at 82% lower cost, with a dedicated forex focus.
Alpha Vantage rate-limits by the minute (75/min on Tier 1). We use a monthly quota so bursty traffic is fine.
Alpha Vantage is primarily a stock API. We're built specifically for forex, crypto, and metals.
One API for forex, crypto, and metals. No complex multi-endpoint structure.
Here's what you might be missing with Alpha Vantage:
Switching from Alpha Vantage to UniRateAPI is straightforward. Our REST API follows industry standards, making migration simple.
Create your account in seconds, no credit card required.
Your API key is generated instantly upon registration.
Simply update your API endpoint and start using UniRateAPI.
Curated by relevance to Alpha Vantage — same category or closest competitor set.
Join thousands of developers who chose UniRateAPI for reliable, affordable currency data.