Metals-API vs metals.dev

metals.dev is a compact REST API: spot, bid/ask, an authority call for LBMA / LME / MCX / IBJA, and a unit parameter. Metals-API is the catalog: 618+ symbols, 185+ currencies, Indian city gold and silver, hosted MCP with 8 tools, and intraday candles. If you only need a short list of metals and gram units in the query string, metals.dev is enough. If you need MCP, intraday, or the long tail, that is Metals-API.

A small catalog is their thing

• Gold, silver, platinum, palladium, plus a handful of industrials.
• Authority endpoint: LBMA, LME, MCX, IBJA.
• Timeseries capped at 30 days per request. No public MCP. No intraday candles.

Where Metals-API wins

• 618+ symbols and 185+ currencies. India city series (Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, and more), not only IBJA/MCX prints.
• Hosted MCP with eight tools, including metals.intraday. MCP setup.
• Intraday, fluctuation, convert, carat — routes a compact catalog typically does not ship.
• Historical LME and historical LBMA as dedicated endpoints, plus timeseries windows that grow with the plan (past a 30-day cap). Same REST+MCP quota.

Head-to-head

• Coverage
  metals.dev: Precious + short industrial set · 170+ FX
  Metals-API: 618+ symbols · 185+ currencies · LBMA / LME / India cities
• MCP
  metals.dev: None on public docs
  Metals-API: Hosted · metals-api.com/mcp
• Intraday & timeseries
  metals.dev: Daily timeseries · 30 days per call
  Metals-API: Intraday candles (1m–1d) · longer timeseries on higher plans
• India
  metals.dev: IBJA / MCX authority prints
  Metals-API: Per-city symbols (Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, …)
• Integration
  metals.dev: REST + unit parameter
  Metals-API: REST + hosted MCP + WordPress · same quota

Who should pick which

• Pick metals.dev if a small metal list and unit=g are the whole product.
• Pick Metals-API if you need the full catalog, Indian cities, MCP, or intraday.

FAQ

• Does metals.dev have MCP? No public MCP server. Metals-API does: metals-api.com/mcp.
• Can I get Indian city gold from metals.dev? They expose IBJA/MCX authority prints. Metals-API exposes per-city symbols — Symbols → India.
• How long can a timeseries request be? metals.dev: 30 days, then another call. Metals-API: longer windows on higher plans — see docs and pricing.

Get started

Get an API key · MCP setup · Docs · Symbols · Pricing

Also compare: Metals-API vs goldprice.dev · Metals-API vs Metal Sentinel · Metals-API vs GoldAPI · Metals-API vs MetalpriceAPI