Finnhub vs Currents API: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Finnhub (3.7/5) edges ahead of Currents API (3.3/5) overall. Finnhub is the better choice for personal fintech projects needing news and prices from one key. Currents API is the stronger option for coursework and hackathons needing a free feed. The right pick depends on your budget, how much history you need and whether you need full text.
Finnhub vs Currents API: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Finnhub | Currents API |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2018 | 2018 |
| HQ | New York, USA | Not publicly disclosed |
| Team size | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed |
| Rating | 3.7 / 5 | 3.3 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | A 60-calls-a-minute free key covering company news and market data | A free tier that tutorials and roundups often recommend |
| Pricing model | Free key; paid market-data bundles | Free tier; monthly plans |
| Entry price | Varies by data bundle | $69/mo (third-party listing) |
| Formats & SDKs | REST API, JSON, WebSocket | REST API, JSON |
| Typical uses | Financial services, Research & academia | News & content apps, Research & academia |
Finnhub vs Currents API: overview
Finnhub
Finnhub is a New York fintech founded in 2018, according to CB Insights, with staff reported in New York, Mumbai, Sydney and Ho Chi Minh City. It sells stock, forex and crypto data over REST and WebSocket, and news is one endpoint among many. The free key is generous on rate (60 calls a minute) and returns a year of North American company news plus general market headlines, but it is for personal, non-commercial use, and low-latency news streaming is a premium feature. Official SDKs cover Python, Go, JavaScript and more. Commercial bundles are priced on the site, with All-in-One listed at $1,000 a month.
Currents API
Currents API has run since about 2018 with latest-news and search endpoints filtered by language, region and category. Developer roundups often point beginners to its free tier, but they quote the limit as 600 requests a day, 600 a month or 250 a day depending on the article, and the free plan returns latest news only, with no historical search or commercial use. One report lists paid plans from $69 a month for 75,000 requests (independently unverifiable). The operator, location and team are not published.
Features: Finnhub vs Currents API
| Capability | Finnhub | Currents API |
|---|---|---|
| Full article text | ✗ | ✗ |
| Historical archive | ✗ | ✗ |
| NLP enrichment | ✗ | ✗ |
| Story/event clustering | ✗ | ✗ |
| Official SDK | ✓ | ✗ |
| Streaming or webhooks | ✓ | ✗ |
| Free access | ✓ | ✓ |
Formats and SDKs: Finnhub vs Currents API
| Format / SDK | Finnhub | Currents API |
|---|---|---|
| REST API | ✓ | ✓ |
| Python SDK | ✓ | N/A |
| Node.js SDK | ✓ | N/A |
| Webhooks | N/A | N/A |
| WebSocket | ✓ | N/A |
| MCP server | N/A | N/A |
| S3/bulk delivery | N/A | N/A |
| BigQuery | N/A | N/A |
Pricing comparison: Finnhub vs Currents API
| Criterion | Finnhub | Currents API |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | Varies by data bundle | $69/mo (third-party listing) |
| Pricing model | Free key; paid market-data bundles | Free tier; monthly plans |
| Access models | Free tier, Monthly plans | Free tier, Monthly plans |
| Price transparency | Quote only | Public price |
| Price tier | Enterprise / quote | Budget |
Who each API suits: Finnhub vs Currents API
| Dimension | Finnhub | Currents API |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer type | Individuals to enterprise | Individuals to enterprise |
| Typical uses | Financial services, Research & academia | News & content apps, Research & academia |
| Example use cases | Company news in a personal stock screener. University fintech assignments. | Class assignments. Hackathon news features. |
| How you get access | Free tier | Free tier |
Finnhub vs Currents API: pros and cons
| Finnhub | |
|---|---|
| + | The free rate limit is high for a no-cost key |
| + | News, quotes and fundamentals share one key |
| + | Official SDKs in many languages |
| + | WebSocket for streaming quotes |
| - | Headlines and summaries only |
| - | Free key is non-commercial |
| - | Low-latency news costs extra |
| Currents API | |
|---|---|
| + | Free key is quick to obtain |
| + | Two simple endpoints |
| + | Several languages and regions |
| - | Quoted free limits disagree |
| - | Free plan has no history and bars commercial use |
| - | No identifiable operator or support terms |
Who should choose Finnhub?
A typical fit: company news in a personal stock screener.
A 60-calls-a-minute free key covering company news and market data. Paid access is quote-based. Typical uses: Financial services, Research & academia.
Who should choose Currents API?
A typical fit: class assignments.
A free tier that tutorials and roundups often recommend. Paid access starts at $69/mo (third-party listing). Typical uses: News & content apps, Research & academia.
Decision matrix: Finnhub vs Currents API
| Your situation | Recommended choice |
|---|---|
| You want to start free before paying | Both |
| Your budget is at the lower end | Currents API |
| You need full article text in the response | Neither returns full text |
| You need years of historical news | Neither offers a deep archive |
| You want an official SDK | Finnhub |
| You are wiring news into an LLM agent | Both work through plain REST calls |
Use case fit: Finnhub vs Currents API
| Use case | Finnhub fit | Currents API fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Financial services | Strong | Limited | Finnhub |
| Research & academia | Strong | Strong | Both equally |
| News & content apps | Limited | Strong | Currents API |
Verdict: Finnhub vs Currents API
Finnhub (3.7/5) is the stronger overall choice as a news data source. A 60-calls-a-minute free key covering company news and market data.
Currents API (3.3/5) is worth a look if you need hackathon news features. If your situation matches that, Currents API is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Finnhub vs Currents API FAQ
Is Finnhub better than Currents API?
Finnhub (3.7/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Finnhub's strongest advantage: the free rate limit is high for a no-cost key. Currents API's strongest advantage: free key is quick to obtain.
How do Finnhub and Currents API differ in pricing?
Finnhub: free key; paid market-data bundles, priced by quote. Currents API: free tier; monthly plans, with paid access from $69/mo (third-party listing). Both offer some free access for testing.
Which is better for enterprise: Finnhub or Currents API?
Neither sells an enterprise contract. Neither carries licensed publisher content, so check copyright terms before republishing anything.
What are the main differences between Finnhub and Currents API?
What sets Finnhub apart: a 60-calls-a-minute free key covering company news and market data. What sets Currents API apart: a free tier that tutorials and roundups often recommend. They also differ on entry price (Varies by data bundle vs $69/mo (third-party listing)) and typical uses (Financial services, Research & academia vs News & content apps, Research & academia).
Verify all details directly with each API before making a decision.