Football API alternatives, compared
Shopping for football data? Here's an honest, side-by-side look at how the popular APIs price up — and where a $5/mo plan fits.
Start here: the 7 best football APIs in 2026, ranked| 5DollarFootballAPI | API-Football | football-data.org | SportMonks | SoccersAPI | TheSportsDB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry paid price | $5/mo | $19/mo | €12 (~$13) scores only | €29 (~$31) 5 leagues | league-priced (€280 full) | $9/mo |
| Requests (entry paid) | ~10,000 / day | 7,500 / day | 10→120 / min | per plan | per hour | 100 / min |
| Real-time live scores | yes | yes (15s) | no on €12 | yes | yes | ~2 min delay |
| Odds included | EU + Asian + goal line + corners + cards | pre-match + in-play, 7-day retention | €15/mo add-on | add-on / higher plans | yes (or $35 standalone) | none |
| Corner + card stats | corner line + corner & card tables | top leagues only | €15/mo add-on | yes | yes | metadata only |
| Free tier (no card) | Top-5 leagues | 100 / day | 12 competitions | 2 leagues | 7-day trial only | search-only |
Competitor figures are list prices as of July 2026 and may change. Names belong to their respective owners; we are not affiliated.
Head-to-head comparisons
vs API-Football
The best-known self-serve football API. Broad coverage and solid docs — but its entry plan is $19/mo, odds history is ca...
Their entry: $19/movs football-data.org
Popular for a generous free tier on a dozen competitions. But real-time scores, match stats and odds are paid add-ons th...
Their entry: €12 (~$13)vs SportMonks
Rich data model, but its Standard plan starts at €29/mo for just a handful of leagues, and broad coverage or odds pushes...
Their entry: €29 (~$31)vs SoccersAPI
Odds-inclusive, now on configurator pricing: pick a league count (3 to 1000+) and a request tier. Full 1000+-league cove...
Their entry: league-priced · €280/mo full coveragevs Goalserve
A veteran feed provider aimed at betting operators. Broad, odds-inclusive data — but the soccer package runs around $150...
Their entry: ~$150/mo (soccer feed)vs TheSportsDB
Community-sourced metadata, logos and basic scores. Cheap, but there are no real odds and no corner statistics.
Their entry: $9/moLooking for a SofaScore, Flashscore or FotMob API?
Those apps don't offer official APIs. Here's the honest answer for each — and what to build on instead.
SofaScore API
No official API — their licensed data cannot be resold. What to use instead.
Flashscore API
No public API — Livesport licenses enterprise-only. The honest breakdown.
FotMob API
Why the unofficial endpoints broke overnight — and the durable route.
Transfermarkt API
No API — and nobody can lawfully sell the market values. What is realistic.
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