Can I use the Exchange Rate API for commercial purposes?

Yes, but you must have a premium subscription. Commercial use of the Exchange Rate API is not permitted on the free tier. See our pricing page to choose a plan that fits your needs.

How do I get an API key and start using the Exchange Rate API?

Sign up for a free account to instantly get your API key, then pass it in the X-Api-Key header on every request. The documentation above includes ready-to-run examples in cURL, Python, JavaScript, Node.js, and more.

What happens if I exceed my quota for the month?

Your API requests will simply be denied once you hit your monthly quota — you will never be charged more than the plan you signed up for. To increase your quota, you can upgrade your plan any time on our pricing page .

What happens if a request to the Exchange Rate API fails?

The API responds with a standard HTTP status code and a JSON error message describing the problem. See our error codes reference for the full list of codes and how to resolve each one, or contact support if you need help.

How do I look up the current exchange rate for a currency pair?

Send a GET request to the /v1/exchangerate endpoint with the required pair parameter formatted as currency1_currency2 (for example GBP_AUD or USD_EUR ), and the response returns a rate value along with a timestamp . You can browse all available endpoints and supported currencies on this page.

Does the Exchange Rate API provide historical exchange rates?

Yes, the premium-only /v1/exchangeratehistorical endpoint returns daily historical rates back to January 1, 1999 for most pairs; query a single day with the date parameter or a span using start_date and end_date (in YYYY-MM-DD format, with a range no longer than 180 days). Historical access requires a paid plan, which you can review on the pricing page .

How fresh are the exchange rates and how many currencies are covered?

The API covers hundreds of currency pairs across global currencies, and all currencies are available on the free tier with once-daily rates; premium plans add real-time rates and daily historical exchange rates. Each response includes a timestamp for the rate. For deriving converted amounts you can pair this with the Convert Currency API .

What are some use cases for the Exchange Rate API?

Use it to display live FX quotes, build pricing or checkout flows in multiple currencies, or backtest strategies using the daily history from the /v1/exchangeratehistorical endpoint. For related financial analysis you may also find the Currency Volatility and Interest Rate APIs useful.

What are some use cases for the Currency Volatility API?

It is built for FX risk and trading analytics: sizing positions and setting stops by realized volatility, gauging whether current volatility is high or low via the cone and hv_rank , and producing forward-looking risk estimates with EWMA or GARCH(1,1) forecasts. It pairs naturally with the Exchange Rate API for live rates and the Convert Currency API for conversions.

What currency pairs are supported and how is the volatility calculated?

Volatility is available for over 150 fiat currency pairs (the same set as the Convert Currency API , excluding ZWG , BTC , and XAG ), specified with the pair parameter in currency1_currency2 form such as EUR_USD . It is computed as the sample standard deviation of daily logarithmic returns from closing rates, annualized by the square root of 252 trading days; see the full API docs for details.

What is the difference between the three endpoints?

/v1/currencyvolatility returns the latest realized (or EWMA) volatility over a window plus a volatility cone and percentile context; /v1/currencyvolatilityhistorical returns a daily series of trailing rolling volatility over a days range (max 1825); and /v1/currencyvolatilityforecast returns forward-looking EWMA or garch_11 estimates across the horizon days you request. All three are premium endpoints, listed on the pricing page .

How do I get a volatility forecast, and what does the response include?

Call /v1/currencyvolatilityforecast with a pair and choose method=garch_11 (default, with mean reversion) or method=ewma ; the response includes current_conditional_vol_annualized , a forecast array (each with horizon_days , vol_annualized , vol_daily ), fitted parameters , and a fallback flag set to true when a GARCH fit fails to converge and EWMA is returned instead. These are model-based estimates rather than predictions; unsuccessful requests return an error .

Is this realized (historical) volatility or implied volatility?

It is realized volatility, also called historical volatility (HV): it is measured from actual past exchange-rate movements, not implied volatility derived from options prices. The /v1/currencyvolatility endpoint returns an hv_rank and percentile showing whether current FX volatility is high or low versus its trailing-year range, and the forecast endpoint adds forward-looking EWMA and GARCH(1,1) estimates.

Exchange Rate API

The Exchange Rate API provides current and historical exchange rates on global currencies. Choose from hundreds of different currency pairs.

Note: This API provides exchange rates between fiat currencies. For crypto-to-fiat rates, use the Crypto Price API instead.

Available endpoints:

/v1/exchangerate - Get the current exchange rate for a given currency pair.
/v1/exchangeratehistorical - Get daily historical exchange rates back to 1999.
/v1/currencyvolatility - Get the latest realized volatility, volatility cone, and HV rank for a currency pair.
/v1/currencyvolatilityhistorical - Get a daily time series of historical volatility for a currency pair.
/v1/currencyvolatilityforecast - Get EWMA or GARCH(1,1) volatility forecasts for a currency pair.

All supported currencies are available on the free tier with once-daily rates. Premium plans add real-time rates and historical data.

Analyzing FX risk? See the Currency Volatility endpoints below for realized volatility, cones, HV rank, and EWMA/GARCH forecasts (premium).

Supported Currencies

Symbol	Currency	Symbol	Currency
USD	United States Dollar	EUR	Euro
GBP	British Pound	JPY	Japanese Yen
AUD	Australian Dollar	CAD	Canadian Dollar
CHF	Swiss Franc	CNY	Chinese Yuan
INR	Indian Rupee	HKD	Hong Kong Dollar
SGD	Singapore Dollar	MXN	Mexican Peso

(4.3)

From 3,186 users

4,200+

Applications using this API

API Status

Online - All Systems Operational

API Response Times

Average	P50	P75	P90	P95
313ms	353ms	409ms	622ms	986ms

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5 endpoints

https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/exchangerate

Returns the exchange rate for a given currency pair.

Data freshness depends on your plan: free-tier accounts receive once-daily exchange rates, while premium subscribers receive real-time rates.

Parameters

pair required
Currency pair to query. Must be in the form of currency1_currency2 (e.g. USD_EUR).

Headers

X-Api-Key required
API Key associated with your account.

Response

A JSON object with the following fields or an error if the request is unsuccessful.

currency_pair
The requested currency pair.
exchange_rate
The exchange rate for the given currency pair.
timestamp
Unix timestamp (in seconds) indicating the time at which the exchange rate was applied.

Sample Request Live Demo!

pair

Try our APIs in the API playground

https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/exchangerate?pair=GBP_AUD

Headers

X-Api-KeyLog in or sign up to get your API Key

Sample Response

JSON
{currency_pair:"GBP_AUD",
exchange_rate:1.88194,
timestamp:1777407695
}

Code Examples

1
2

curl -X GET "https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/exchangerate?pair=GBP_AUD" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

If your programming language is not listed in the Code Example above, you can still make API calls by using a HTTP request library written in your programming language and following the above documentation.

Premium only

https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/exchangeratehistorical

Returns daily historical exchange rates for a given currency pair. Data is available back to January 1, 1999 for most currency pairs.

Parameters

pair required
Currency pair to query. Must be in the form of currency1_currency2 (e.g. USD_EUR).
date optional
Single date to query, in YYYY-MM-DD format. Either date OR both start_date and end_date must be provided.
start_date optional
Start date of a range query, in YYYY-MM-DD format. Must be used together with end_date.
end_date optional
End date of a range query, in YYYY-MM-DD format. Date range cannot exceed 180 days.

Headers

X-Api-Key required
API Key associated with your account.

Response

A JSON array of objects with the following fields, or an error if the request is unsuccessful. A single-date query returns an array of exactly one object.

pair
The requested currency pair.
date
Date of the rate, in YYYY-MM-DD format.
rate
The exchange rate for the given currency pair on the given date.

Sample Historical Request Live Demo!

pair

date

start_date

end_date

Try our APIs in the API playground

https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/exchangeratehistorical?pair=USD_EUR&date=2020-03-15

Headers

X-Api-KeyLog in or sign up to get your API Key

Sample Response

JSON
[{pair:"USD_EUR",
date:"2020-03-15",
rate:0.896585
}
]

Code Examples

1
2

curl -X GET "https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/exchangeratehistorical?pair=USD_EUR&date=2020-03-15" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Currency Volatility

Premium subscribers can measure how much a currency pair fluctuates — its FX (historical) volatility — with realized volatility, EWMA (RiskMetrics, λ=0.94) and GARCH(1,1) forecasts, volatility cones, and HV-rank / percentile context. Available for the same 150+ currency pairs (excluding ZWG, BTC, XAG).

Premium only

https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/currencyvolatility

Returns the latest realized (or EWMA) volatility for a currency pair over a lookback window, together with a volatility cone across standard window lengths and HV rank / percentile context.

Parameters

pair required
Currency pair to query, in the form currency1_currency2 (e.g. EUR_USD).
window optional
Lookback window for the headline realized volatility, in trading days. Defaults to 30. Must be between 2 and 1000.
method optional
Volatility method: close_to_close (default) or ewma.
day_count optional
Annualization factor: 252 trading days (default) or 365 calendar days.
annualized optional
Whether to treat the annualized figure as the headline value. Defaults to true.

Headers

X-Api-Key required
API Key associated with your account.

Response

A JSON object with the following fields or an error if the request is unsuccessful.

pair
The queried currency pair.
as_of_date
Date of the most recent return used (YYYY-MM-DD).
annualized_volatility
Annualized volatility as a decimal (e.g. 0.0785 = 7.85%). annualized_volatility_pct gives the same value as a percentage.
daily_volatility
Daily volatility as a decimal. daily_volatility_pct gives the percentage form.
n_observations
Number of returns used for the headline figure.
outliers_filtered
Number of extreme returns (over 30%) excluded as data artifacts or regime breaks.
percentile_context
Object with the HV rank and percentile of the current volatility within its trailing one-year distribution (current_percentile, hv_rank, min, median, max, lookback_years).
cone
Volatility cone: an array with one entry per window length (10, 21, 63, 126, 252 trading days), each giving the historical min, p25, median, p75, max of rolling realized volatility plus the current reading and its current_percentile.
method, window_days, day_count, annualized
Echo of the request configuration.

Sample Request Live Demo!

pair

window

Try our APIs in the API playground

https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/currencyvolatility?pair=EUR_USD&window=30

Headers

X-Api-KeyLog in or sign up to get your API Key

Sample Response

JSON
{pair:"EUR_USD",
as_of_date:"2026-05-21",
method:"close_to_close",
window_days:30,
annualized:true,
day_count:252,
annualized_volatility:0.0785,
annualized_volatility_pct:7.85,
daily_volatility:0.00494,
daily_volatility_pct:0.494,
n_observations:30,
outliers_filtered:0,
percentile_context:{lookback_years:1,
current_percentile:73,
hv_rank:64,
min:0.0412,
median:0.0673,
max:0.0998
},
cone:[{window_days:10,
min:0.034,
p25:0.052,
median:0.071,
p75:0.094,
max:0.218,
current:0.083,
current_percentile:64
},
{window_days:21,
min:0.041,
p25:0.058,
median:0.069,
p75:0.088,
max:0.183,
current:0.079,
current_percentile:58
},
{window_days:63,
min:0.048,
p25:0.061,
median:0.071,
p75:0.083,
max:0.142,
current:0.077,
current_percentile:52
},
{window_days:126,
min:0.052,
p25:0.064,
median:0.072,
p75:0.082,
max:0.118,
current:0.075,
current_percentile:48
},
{window_days:252,
min:0.057,
p25:0.066,
median:0.072,
p75:0.079,
max:0.099,
current:0.073,
current_percentile:41
}
]
}

Code Examples

1
2

curl -X GET "https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/currencyvolatility?pair=EUR_USD&window=30" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Premium only

https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/currencyvolatilityhistorical

Returns a daily time series of trailing rolling volatility for a currency pair over a date range, with each point tagged by its percentile rank, plus a volatility cone snapshot as of the end date.

Parameters

pair required
Currency pair to query, in the form currency1_currency2 (e.g. EUR_USD).
window optional
Rolling window for volatility, in trading days. Defaults to 30.
method optional
Volatility method: close_to_close (default) or ewma.
days optional
Length of the trailing date range in calendar days, ending today. Defaults to 90. Maximum 1825. Mutually exclusive with start_date/end_date.
start_date, end_date optional
Explicit date range in YYYY-MM-DD form. Provide both together instead of days. The range cannot exceed 1825 days.
day_count, annualized optional
Annualization factor (252 default or 365) and headline-value toggle, as in the /v1/currencyvolatility endpoint.

Headers

X-Api-Key required
API Key associated with your account.

Response

A JSON object with the following fields or an error if the request is unsuccessful.

series
Array of daily points, each with a date, annualized_volatility, daily_volatility, and percentile (rank of that day's volatility within its trailing one-year distribution).
cone
Volatility cone as of the end date — same structure as in the /v1/currencyvolatility endpoint.
n_points, outliers_filtered
Number of series points returned and the count of extreme returns excluded.
pair, method, window_days, day_count, annualized, start_date, end_date
Echo of the request configuration and resolved date range.

Sample Request Live Demo!

pair

window

days

Try our APIs in the API playground

https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/currencyvolatilityhistorical?pair=EUR_USD&window=30&days=90

Headers

X-Api-KeyLog in or sign up to get your API Key

Sample Response

JSON
{pair:"EUR_USD",
method:"close_to_close",
window_days:30,
day_count:252,
annualized:true,
start_date:"2026-02-21",
end_date:"2026-05-21",
n_points:3,
outliers_filtered:0,
series:[{date:"2026-02-23",
annualized_volatility:0.0712,
daily_volatility:0.00449,
percentile:61
},
{date:"2026-02-24",
annualized_volatility:0.0731,
daily_volatility:0.0046,
percentile:64
},
{date:"2026-02-25",
annualized_volatility:0.0708,
daily_volatility:0.00446,
percentile:59
}
],
cone:[{window_days:21,
min:0.041,
p25:0.058,
median:0.069,
p75:0.088,
max:0.183,
current:0.079,
current_percentile:58
}
]
}

Code Examples

1
2

curl -X GET "https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/currencyvolatilityhistorical?pair=EUR_USD&window=30&days=90" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Premium only

https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/currencyvolatilityforecast

Returns forward-looking volatility estimates for a currency pair using EWMA (RiskMetrics) or GARCH(1,1). GARCH adds mean reversion toward a long-run volatility level; if the GARCH fit does not converge the response falls back to EWMA. These are model-based estimates, not predictions.

Parameters

pair required
Currency pair to query, in the form currency1_currency2 (e.g. GBP_JPY).
method optional
Forecast method: garch_11 (default) or ewma.
lambda optional
EWMA decay factor, used only when method=ewma. Defaults to 0.94 (RiskMetrics). Must be between 0.80 and 0.99.
horizon optional
Comma-separated list of forecast horizons in trading days (e.g. 1,5,21,63). Defaults to 1,5,21,63.
day_count optional
Annualization factor: 252 trading days (default) or 365 calendar days.

Headers

X-Api-Key required
API Key associated with your account.

Response

A JSON object with the following fields or an error if the request is unsuccessful.

current_conditional_vol_annualized
The model's current one-step-ahead annualized volatility.
forecast
Array of forecasts, each with a horizon_days, vol_annualized, and vol_daily.
parameters
Fitted model parameters. For garch_11: omega, alpha, beta, persistence, long_run_var, long_run_vol_annualized, and fitted_on. For ewma: lambda and fitted_on.
fallback
true when a requested GARCH fit did not converge and an EWMA estimate was returned instead.
pair, as_of_date, method, day_count, outliers_filtered
Echo of the request and the date of the most recent return used.

Sample Request Live Demo!

pair

horizon

Try our APIs in the API playground

https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/currencyvolatilityforecast?pair=GBP_JPY&method=garch_11&horizon=1%2C5%2C21%2C63

Headers

X-Api-KeyLog in or sign up to get your API Key

Sample Response

JSON
{pair:"GBP_JPY",
as_of_date:"2026-05-21",
method:"garch_11",
day_count:252,
parameters:{omega:6.4e-7,
alpha:0.043,
beta:0.951,
persistence:0.994,
long_run_var:0.000079,
long_run_vol_annualized:0.141,
fitted_on:"rolling_1500d"
},
current_conditional_vol_annualized:0.158,
outliers_filtered:0,
fallback:false,
forecast:[{horizon_days:1,
vol_annualized:0.157,
vol_daily:0.00989
},
{horizon_days:5,
vol_annualized:0.156,
vol_daily:0.00983
},
{horizon_days:21,
vol_annualized:0.153,
vol_daily:0.00964
},
{horizon_days:63,
vol_annualized:0.149,
vol_daily:0.00939
}
]
}

Code Examples

1
2

curl -X GET "https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/currencyvolatilityforecast?pair=GBP_JPY&method=garch_11" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

If your programming language is not listed in the Code Examples above, you can still make API calls by using a HTTP request library written in your programming language and following the above documentation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the Exchange Rate API for commercial purposes?
Yes, but you must have a premium subscription. Commercial use of the Exchange Rate API is not permitted on the free tier. See our pricing page to choose a plan that fits your needs.
How do I get an API key and start using the Exchange Rate API?
Sign up for a free account to instantly get your API key, then pass it in the X-Api-Key header on every request. The documentation above includes ready-to-run examples in cURL, Python, JavaScript, Node.js, and more.
What happens if I exceed my quota for the month?
Your API requests will simply be denied once you hit your monthly quota — you will never be charged more than the plan you signed up for. To increase your quota, you can upgrade your plan any time on our pricing page.
What happens if a request to the Exchange Rate API fails?
The API responds with a standard HTTP status code and a JSON error message describing the problem. See our error codes reference for the full list of codes and how to resolve each one, or contact support if you need help.
How do I look up the current exchange rate for a currency pair?
Send a GET request to the /v1/exchangerate endpoint with the required pair parameter formatted as currency1_currency2 (for example GBP_AUD or USD_EUR), and the response returns a rate value along with a timestamp. You can browse all available endpoints and supported currencies on this page.
Does the Exchange Rate API provide historical exchange rates?
Yes, the premium-only /v1/exchangeratehistorical endpoint returns daily historical rates back to January 1, 1999 for most pairs; query a single day with the date parameter or a span using start_date and end_date (in YYYY-MM-DD format, with a range no longer than 180 days). Historical access requires a paid plan, which you can review on the pricing page.
How fresh are the exchange rates and how many currencies are covered?
The API covers hundreds of currency pairs across global currencies, and all currencies are available on the free tier with once-daily rates; premium plans add real-time rates and daily historical exchange rates. Each response includes a timestamp for the rate. For deriving converted amounts you can pair this with the Convert Currency API.
What are some use cases for the Exchange Rate API?
Use it to display live FX quotes, build pricing or checkout flows in multiple currencies, or backtest strategies using the daily history from the /v1/exchangeratehistorical endpoint. For related financial analysis you may also find the Currency Volatility and Interest Rate APIs useful.
What are some use cases for the Currency Volatility API?
It is built for FX risk and trading analytics: sizing positions and setting stops by realized volatility, gauging whether current volatility is high or low via the cone and hv_rank, and producing forward-looking risk estimates with EWMA or GARCH(1,1) forecasts. It pairs naturally with the Exchange Rate API for live rates and the Convert Currency API for conversions.
What currency pairs are supported and how is the volatility calculated?
Volatility is available for over 150 fiat currency pairs (the same set as the Convert Currency API, excluding ZWG, BTC, and XAG), specified with the pair parameter in currency1_currency2 form such as EUR_USD. It is computed as the sample standard deviation of daily logarithmic returns from closing rates, annualized by the square root of 252 trading days; see the full API docs for details.
What is the difference between the three endpoints?
/v1/currencyvolatility returns the latest realized (or EWMA) volatility over a window plus a volatility cone and percentile context; /v1/currencyvolatilityhistorical returns a daily series of trailing rolling volatility over a days range (max 1825); and /v1/currencyvolatilityforecast returns forward-looking EWMA or garch_11 estimates across the horizon days you request. All three are premium endpoints, listed on the pricing page.
How do I get a volatility forecast, and what does the response include?
Call /v1/currencyvolatilityforecast with a pair and choose method=garch_11 (default, with mean reversion) or method=ewma; the response includes current_conditional_vol_annualized, a forecast array (each with horizon_days, vol_annualized, vol_daily), fitted parameters, and a fallback flag set to true when a GARCH fit fails to converge and EWMA is returned instead. These are model-based estimates rather than predictions; unsuccessful requests return an error.
Is this realized (historical) volatility or implied volatility?
It is realized volatility, also called historical volatility (HV): it is measured from actual past exchange-rate movements, not implied volatility derived from options prices. The /v1/currencyvolatility endpoint returns an hv_rank and percentile showing whether current FX volatility is high or low versus its trailing-year range, and the forecast endpoint adds forward-looking EWMA and GARCH(1,1) estimates.

Exchange Rate API

/v1/exchangerateGET

Parameters

pair required

Headers

X-Api-Key required

Response

currency_pair

exchange_rate

timestamp

Sample Request Live Demo!

Sample Response

Code Examples

/v1/exchangeratehistoricalGETPremium only

Parameters

pair required

date optional

start_date optional

end_date optional

Headers

X-Api-Key required

Response

pair

date

rate

Sample Historical Request Live Demo!

Sample Response

Code Examples

Currency Volatility

/v1/currencyvolatilityGETPremium only

Parameters

pair required

window optional

method optional

day_count optional

annualized optional

Headers

X-Api-Key required

Response

pair

as_of_date

annualized_volatility

daily_volatility

n_observations

outliers_filtered

percentile_context

cone

method, window_days, day_count, annualized

Sample Request Live Demo!

Sample Response

Code Examples

/v1/currencyvolatilityhistoricalGETPremium only

Parameters

pair required

window optional

method optional

days optional

start_date, end_date optional

day_count, annualized optional

Headers

X-Api-Key required

Response

series

cone

n_points, outliers_filtered

pair, method, window_days, day_count, annualized, start_date, end_date

Sample Request Live Demo!

Sample Response

Code Examples

/v1/currencyvolatilityforecastGETPremium only

Parameters

pair required

method optional

lambda optional

horizon optional

day_count optional

Headers

X-Api-Key required

Response

current_conditional_vol_annualized

`pair` required

`X-Api-Key` required

`currency_pair`

`exchange_rate`

`timestamp`

Premium only

`pair` required

`date` optional

`start_date` optional

`end_date` optional

`X-Api-Key` required

`pair`

`date`

`rate`

Premium only

`pair` required

`window` optional

`method` optional

`day_count` optional

`annualized` optional

`X-Api-Key` required

`pair`

`as_of_date`

`annualized_volatility`

`daily_volatility`

`n_observations`

`outliers_filtered`

`percentile_context`

`cone`

`method`, `window_days`, `day_count`, `annualized`

Premium only

`pair` required

`window` optional

`method` optional

`days` optional

`start_date`, `end_date` optional

`day_count`, `annualized` optional

`X-Api-Key` required

`series`

`cone`

`n_points`, `outliers_filtered`

`pair`, `method`, `window_days`, `day_count`, `annualized`, `start_date`, `end_date`

Premium only

`pair` required

`method` optional

`lambda` optional

`horizon` optional

`day_count` optional

`X-Api-Key` required

`current_conditional_vol_annualized`

`forecast`

`parameters`

`fallback`

`pair`, `as_of_date`, `method`, `day_count`, `outliers_filtered`