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Metals-API vs Metals.dev

Metals.dev is a Metals-API alternative with paid plans from $1.79 a month for 2,000 requests and 100 free monthly requests without a card. Both cover 170+ currencies; Metals-API offers a native MCP server and a Fixer.io-compatible endpoint shape, while Metals.dev has no MCP server.

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At a glance

FeatureMetals-APIMetals.dev
Pricing
Cheapest paid plan$19.99/mo$1.79/mo (2,000 requests)
Production-tier plan$149.99/mo$39.99/mo (100,000 requests)
Free tierNot stated in their public docs100 requests/month, no card required
Overage policyAuto-billsPlan-based quota
Coverage
Currencies supported170+170+
Named benchmark sources (LBMA, LME, MCX, IBJA)Not stated in their public docsYes, named explicitly
Platinum & palladiumNot stated in their public docsYes
Copper (HG) futuresYesYes
Data freshness & history
Real-time update delayNot stated in their public docsUp to 60 seconds
Historical daily depthNot stated in their public docs5+ years, 30-day max per request
Developer experience
Fixer.io-compatible endpoint shapeYes, stated explicitlyNot stated in their public docs
Native MCP serverNo, stated explicitly

Pricing: Metals.dev opens far cheaper

A $1.79/mo entry plan against $19.99/mo is a wide gap for anyone testing a metals feed before committing budget. The gap widens at production, $39.99/mo for 100,000 requests on Metals.dev against $149.99/mo on Metals-API, but Metals.dev still comes out cheaper at both ends in the figures each provider publishes.

The overage behavior differs too. Metals-API auto-bills past quota. Metals.dev's page frames its overage handling as a plan-based quota instead, a distinct policy rather than a synonym for the same thing.

Naming the source behind the number

Metals.dev is the more specific of the two about where its prices come from: it names LBMA, LME, MCX, and IBJA as blended inputs, though it doesn't publish the blend weights or per-source attribution on individual responses. Metals-API's own comparison page makes no equivalent claim about a specific benchmark authority, so that traceability advantage sits with Metals.dev based on what's actually published.

Coverage and freshness

Both list broad currency support at 170+. Metals.dev additionally lists platinum and palladium, which Metals-API's own page doesn't specifically address even while claiming broad industrial-metals breadth elsewhere. Metals.dev also publishes concrete freshness and history figures, up to a 60-second delay on real-time data and 5+ years of history capped at a 30-day window per request, where Metals-API's page stays general (historical and time-series data) without matching detail.

Frequently asked questions

Where's the biggest price gap between these two?

At the entry rung. Metals.dev's cheapest paid plan is $1.79/mo for 2,000 requests, against Metals-API's $19.99/mo. At the top end the gap narrows some: $39.99/mo for 100,000 requests on Metals.dev versus $149.99/mo on Metals-API.

Does either name its actual pricing benchmarks?

Metals.dev does, explicitly: it states its numbers blend LBMA, LME, MCX, and IBJA rates into a single figure per metal, without publishing the blend weights. Metals-API's own page doesn't name a specific benchmark authority.

Which covers platinum and palladium?

Metals.dev, per its own coverage list. Metals-API's page doesn't specifically address platinum or palladium, even though it markets broad industrial-metals coverage elsewhere on the same page.

How fresh is the data on each?

Metals.dev states its real-time data can lag up to 60 seconds. Metals-API's own page doesn't publish an equivalent freshness figure, so a direct comparison isn't possible from public sources.

What's the historical data window like?

Metals.dev states 5+ years of history with a 30-day maximum per single request, meaning a longer pull requires multiple calls. Metals-API's page references historical and time-series data without a stated depth or per-request limit.

Is either one a drop-in replacement for an existing integration?

Only Metals-API makes that specific claim, stating its endpoint shape follows the Fixer.io convention. Metals.dev's page doesn't claim compatibility with another provider's API shape.

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