UniRateAPI markets itself around LBMA-sourced gold data, but gold isn't on the free tier at all. Every precious-metals call, including a single price check, requires the $9/mo Pro plan. We serve gold spot prices 15 minutes late on Free, with live spot from $19 Basic, and we're upfront that we don't ship the LBMA fix.
Feature-level comparison against UniRateAPI's published Gold Price API and pricing pages. Email us if anything here is out of date. Source: unirateapi.com/gold-price-api + unirateapi.com/pricing. Last verified 2026-07-13.
Which one to choose
Where UniRateAPI wins
LBMA sourcing, if that's specifically what you need.
LBMA-sourced data. They cross-check against LBMA fixings on Pro. We don't ship the LBMA fix at all, if your audit or compliance need specifically requires it, they're an honest answer (so is goldapi.io, which also holds it).
Deep historical archive on Pro. Their gold history reaches back further than our XAU daily series (to 1996).
One key for forex, crypto, and metals. If you already need currency conversion, UniRateAPI's Pro plan bundles gold, silver, platinum, and palladium onto the same key.
Where goldprice.dev wins
Gold is on the free tier, no $9/mo gate just to see a price.
Gold, on Free, at $0. UniRateAPI's free tier (200 requests/day) doesn't include gold, silver, platinum, or palladium at any price below Pro ($9/mo). Our Free tier includes gold spot prices 15 minutes late, no card, no paid gate.
MCP on every plan, including Free. UniRateAPI's docs describe a REST API with no MCP server. We ship nine MCP tools on every plan.
Per-source transparency. sources[] with source identifier and timestamps per source, opt-in via ?include=sources. UniRateAPI cross-checks LBMA vs Kitco vs goldprice.org internally but returns one blended number.
Built for the whole gold stack, not just a spot check. Per-country dealer prices from Basic ($19/mo). No new plan includes futures or settlement curves. UniRateAPI's gold endpoint is a single spot price.
A working integration before you pay anything. Our Basic tier is $19/mo; you can test delayed gold data on Free first. UniRateAPI's Pro plan is required just to see any gold price at all.
Who should pick which
Short version: pick UniRateAPI if you specifically need LBMA-sourced data or already run forex/crypto through it and want metals on the same Pro key. Pick us if you want to test delayed gold data before paying anything.
Pick UniRateAPI if…
You need LBMA-sourced gold data, or already pay for their Pro plan.
You're building an audit, settlement, or regulatory-reporting product that requires LBMA-referenced pricing, or you already run forex/crypto conversion through UniRateAPI and want metals bundled onto the same key.
→ unirateapi.com/gold-price-api · $9/mo Pro required for any gold access.
Pick goldprice.dev if…
You want to see real gold data before you commit to a paid plan.
You're wiring gold into Claude, Cursor, or a custom agent; you need silver and copper on the same key without a separate gate; or you want per-source provenance and per-country dealer prices once you're ready to pay.
→ $19/mo · MCP in under 10 minutes.
Still deciding?
Start free with no card, then move to Basic for $19/mo when you need live spot.
No. UniRateAPI's free tier (200 requests/day) covers forex and crypto only, gold, silver, platinum, and palladium all require the $9/month Pro plan. goldprice.dev's Free tier includes gold spot prices 15 minutes late at no cost, so you can build and test before paying anything.
Does UniRateAPI ship the LBMA gold fix?
Yes, that's its differentiator. UniRateAPI cross-checks against LBMA fixings on its Pro plan. goldprice.dev does not ship the LBMA fix; if your use case specifically requires the licensed benchmark, UniRateAPI or goldapi.io are the honest answers.
Does UniRateAPI have MCP support?
Not as of this writing. goldprice.dev ships a native MCP server with nine tools on every plan, including Free.
Which has deeper historical gold data?
UniRateAPI advertises decades of LBMA gold history on its Pro plan. goldprice.dev's XAU daily series runs to 1996 (30 years), window-capped by tier: 30 days on Free, 1 year on Basic, full on Plus and Pro.
Does UniRateAPI show what gold costs to buy?
No, its gold endpoint returns a single USD-per-troy-ounce spot price. goldprice.dev's Basic tier ($19+) adds live dealer sell/buyback quotes across selected countries.
Start with a free API key
5,000 requests a month on the free plan. No credit card.
goldprice.dev