Pricing guides
What are the cheapest sports API providers in 2026?
The cheapest sports API depends on the data, usage and publishing rights you need. Several providers advertise free tiers, while paid subscriptions vary by sport, request allowance and delivery model. This 2026 comparison lists BettorServe first as our featured publishing option, not as the lowest-priced supplier. Compare the published entry prices below, then use our API directory to check sporting suitability.
By Tom GallagherUpdated
Published · Article updated · Sources last checked
Compare prices on the same basis
Prices were checked against official pages on 18 October 2026. They are advertised monthly rates in the original currencies, not converted estimates or contractual quotations. Confirm applicable taxes, billing terms and current entitlements before subscribing. A free trial is temporary access, not an ongoing free plan.
BettorServe advertises widget subscriptions at £99.99 per sport monthly and £699.99 for all eleven sports, with a seven-day trial. Confirm API access and custom integration terms separately. Its first position is featured placement; eligible links may earn us commissions. Read our BettorServe review for context.
Sources: [1] BettorServe official pricing
Understand free tiers and usage units
API-Football advertises a free plan with 100 requests daily, with available seasons limited. TheSportsDB lists a free tier at 30 requests per minute. The Odds API offers 500 monthly credits. These allowances describe different products and cannot be compared as equivalent quantities of live sporting information.
For The Odds API odds endpoint, each requested market costs usage for each region. A larger query can therefore consume multiple credits. Read its documentation rather than assuming every HTTP call costs one credit. Historical endpoints and other resources can have different conditions.
Sources: [3] API-Football plans and daily allowances, [2] TheSportsDB monthly pricing, [4] The Odds API plans and monthly credits, [5] The Odds API v4 usage documentation
Budget beyond the subscription
Widgets and raw feeds solve different problems. A finished embed may reduce interface development, while a feed requires your own presentation, caching and monitoring. Include those costs when comparing a low subscription with a more complete publishing product.
Check whether your package covers the competitions, seasons and fields your readers expect. Football scores, racing results and bookmaker odds are not interchangeable. Our football comparison and horse racing comparison explain the differences.
Choose a sustainable plan
Estimate requests for an actual busy matchday, including retries and background refreshes. Ask how quotas reset and what happens when limits are reached. Cache only as permitted, keep private credentials secure and show a clear timestamp when information is delayed.
Confirm commercial display, attribution and historical storage rights. Our review methodology explains why general editorial fit scores are not price rankings. Trial the relevant product against a written specification before committing to a subscription.
Do not choose on price alone. Ask for a sample response, check your busiest expected event and confirm upgrade options. A low entry fee is only useful when the service covers your actual publishing requirements.
Providers in this shortlist
The score shown is our general editorial overall fit score for the provider. It is not an independently measured sport rating.
BettorServe: BettorServe: £99.99 per sport/month
Featured first for widget-led publishing. The full eleven-sport package is £699.99 monthly. A seven-day trial is advertised; confirm raw API and custom integration terms.
TheSportsDB: TheSportsDB: free or $9/month Premium
Lists a free tier and $9 monthly Premium with 100 requests per minute. Database records and artwork are not a guarantee of complete live-event coverage.
API-Football: API-Football: free or $19/month Pro
Pro advertises 7,500 daily requests; the free tier offers 100 daily requests with season restrictions. Check your required competitions, history and commercial terms.
The Odds API: The Odds API: free or $30/month
The first advertised paid tier provides 20,000 monthly credits in USD. This is an odds product; credit consumption depends on the endpoint and query.
Sportmonks: Sportmonks: free or €29/month
Advertises a limited free football plan and paid monthly entry pricing of €29 for five leagues. Check selected leagues, allowances and optional additions.
This is a commercially oriented comparison site. We may earn a commission through eligible partner links, at no extra cost to you. BettorServe is our featured first listing. Commercial relationships and featured placements should be considered alongside the product details, and you should confirm current terms directly with a provider before purchasing.
Frequently asked questions
Is BettorServe the cheapest listed provider?
No. It is our featured first listing, not the lowest advertised entry price. Compare its publishing experience with cheaper feeds rather than treating placement as a cost ranking.
Are free sports APIs suitable for production?
Sometimes, but verify commercial rights, quotas, coverage and key requirements. A free testing allowance does not automatically meet the needs of a public commercial website.
Sources
Checked . Provider pages can change; confirm details before you buy.
- BettorServe official pricinghttps://bettorserve.com/pricing
- TheSportsDB monthly pricinghttps://www.thesportsdb.com/pricing
- API-Football plans and daily allowanceshttps://www.api-football.com/pricing
- The Odds API plans and monthly creditshttps://the-odds-api.com/
- The Odds API v4 usage documentationhttps://the-odds-api.com/liveapi/guides/v4/
- Sportmonks football API monthly pricinghttps://www.sportmonks.com/football-api/
