Metals-API vs MetalpriceAPI
Both Metals-API and MetalpriceAPI brand themselves around the same idea: metals plus FX, one key, a broad currency list. That similarity is exactly why they end up on the same shortlist, and it's also where the resemblance stops. One prices in two visible tiers with a $29/mo floor; the other ladders seven tiers from under $4/mo to nearly $56/mo. What follows is a line-by-line read of what each publishes about itself.
| Feature | Metals-API | MetalpriceAPI |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Cheapest paid plan | $29/mo | $3.99/mo (Essential) |
| Number of paid tiers | 1 published (plus a higher usage rate) | Seven, $3.99–$55.99/mo, plus custom Enterprise |
| Free tier | Not stated in their public docs | 100 calls/month, no card required |
| Overage policy | Auto-bills | Not stated in their public docs |
| Coverage | ||
| Currencies supported | 170+ | 150+ |
| Metals catalog breadth | Full catalog incl. industrial metals (Al, Ni, Zn…) | Gold, silver, platinum only (per their FAQ) |
| Update cadence | Not stated in their public docs | Daily (Free) to 15-second (Business) |
| Developer experience | ||
| WebSocket streaming | Not stated in their public docs | No, stated explicitly |
| Fixer.io-compatible endpoint shape | Yes, stated explicitly | Not stated in their public docs |
| Native MCP server | None | None (as of 2026-04-25) |
| Per-source attribution on responses | Not stated in their public docs | No, single value per call, no per-source attribution |
Source: metals-api.com and metalpriceapi.com/pricing + metalpriceapi.com/documentation, as captured on our /comparison/metals-api and /comparison/metalpriceapi pages. Last verified 2026-04-20 (Metals-API) and 2026-04-25 (MetalpriceAPI).
Pricing shape: one ladder, one flat rate
MetalpriceAPI spreads its pricing across seven named tiers, Free through Business, plus a custom Enterprise plan, moving from $3.99/mo at Essential to $55.99/mo at Business. Metals-API's own page shows a single published entry point at $29/mo and a production-level rate at $99/mo, without the same number of visible middle steps.
For a team that wants to start near-free and step up gradually, MetalpriceAPI's ladder gives more granularity. For a team that already knows it needs the higher tier, Metals-API's flatter structure means fewer plan-comparison decisions along the way.
Coverage: broad catalog vs a named three-metal list
Metals-API's positioning leans on catalog breadth, industrial metals like aluminum, nickel, and zinc sit on the same key as gold. MetalpriceAPI's own FAQ names gold, silver, and platinum specifically as its spot coverage, without an equivalent industrial-metals list in the source we reviewed. Read literally, MetalpriceAPI is the narrower of the two despite both brands leaning on a similar "metals and FX" pitch.
Currency counts sit close: 170+ for Metals-API against 150+ for MetalpriceAPI. Neither gap is likely decisive on its own.
What neither one documents
MetalpriceAPI states outright that it has no WebSocket streaming. Metals-API's page simply doesn't address streaming, so treat that row as unconfirmed rather than a matching no. The same pattern shows up on free-tier detail and overage policy: MetalpriceAPI documents its free tier and stays silent on overage; Metals-API does the reverse. A team that needs a firm answer on either point should check directly with the provider rather than infer it from the other's public page.
FAQ
- Which has the more granular pricing ladder?
- MetalpriceAPI, clearly. It runs seven paid tiers from $3.99/mo up to $55.99/mo, plus a custom Enterprise tier, against Metals-API's single published entry rate of $29/mo. If a team wants to grow through small, predictable price steps, MetalpriceAPI's ladder gives more of them.
- Is one of these actually broader in metals coverage?
- Metals-API positions itself as covering the full metals catalog, including industrial metals. MetalpriceAPI's own FAQ names gold, silver, and platinum specifically, without listing an equivalent industrial-metals lineup: narrower on paper than its "metals and FX" framing might suggest.
- Does either offer WebSocket streaming?
- MetalpriceAPI states plainly that it doesn't. Metals-API's own comparison page doesn't address streaming either way, so that's a gap rather than a confirmed no.
- How do free tiers compare?
- MetalpriceAPI publishes a Free tier: 100 calls/month on a daily update cadence, no card required. Metals-API's own page doesn't detail its free-tier limits, so a side-by-side free-tier comparison isn't possible from public sources.
- What about overage charges?
- Metals-API auto-bills for overage, per its own pricing page. MetalpriceAPI's overage policy isn't stated in the source we checked, so don't assume either behavior carries over.
- Which one is closer to a Fixer.io drop-in replacement?
- Metals-API, by its own claim. Its endpoint shape is stated to follow the Fixer.io convention. MetalpriceAPI makes no equivalent claim about matching another provider's API shape.
Every price we return carries a source and a timestamp.
goldprice.dev ships gold at $10/mo, silver and copper at $30/mo, each one traceable through a sources[] array (?include=sources) rather than a single blended figure.