This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Steven
A while back, I was working on a small tool that needed real-time currency data. I figured it would be simple: find an API, plug it in, and move on.
It wasn’t.
Most of the “free” APIs weren’t actually free for long. Some had strict rate limits or required signups before you could even try them. Others didn’t include crypto or had barely any historical data. A few were just unreliable or painfully slow.
I didn’t need a full enterprise solution. I just wanted accurate data that worked out of the box and didn’t ask for a credit card upfront.
After spending too much time bouncing between half-working services, I decided to build my own.
It’s a free REST API that gives you clean, real-time exchange rates, long-term historical data going back to 1999, and even EU VAT rates. No locked features. No pricing wall just to get started. You can use it right away without creating an account.
Fast, simple, and does what it says.
I’m sharing this because I know I’m not the only one who needed something like this and couldn’t find it. If you’ve worked on finance tools, ecommerce apps, crypto dashboards, or anything similar, you’ve probably run into the same issues.
Let me know what you’ve used before, what worked, and what was missing. I’m still improving it and would love to hear what matters most to you.
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Steven