vsHighlightly vs SportsAPI Pro (2026)
Short answer: Highlightly scores slightly higher (57 vs 50). SportsAPI Pro is the better pick for apps that want scores, fixtures, lineups, stats and odds across many sports from one API, with a free plan and monthly tiers up to 900 requests per minute.
From public data checked . How we know
Choose Highlightly if you…
Sports data API
Best for: Apps that combine scores, stats and odds with video highlight clips across football, US leagues, cricket, rugby, volleyball and handball.
- ✓ want a lower entry price ($12.49/mo vs $45/mo)
- ✓ value a large open-source ecosystem of wrappers and examples
Not ideal for: Projects needing bookmaker-grade odds feeds; odds and momentum data are informational only and there is no uptime or latency guarantee.
What developers say
Sports API pairing scores and stats with video highlights. Little independent opinion exists: a few freelance requests to build sites on it, one repo issue comparing it with cheaper providers for backtesting, and AI-generated football video channels crediting it as a data source. Adoption seems modest and unproven.
Choose SportsAPI Pro if you…
Sports data API
Best for: Apps that want scores, fixtures, lineups, stats and odds across many sports from one API, with a free plan and monthly tiers up to 900 requests per minute.
- ✓ want WebSocket push instead of polling
- ✓ need commercial use allowed in the public terms
Not ideal for: Buyers who plan to resell or republish raw data; the terms ban resale and bulk dumps.
What developers say
Unified live sports API with a free plan, announced by its builder in repeated launch posts across subreddits seeking feedback. No independent reviews of pricing, data quality or uptime were found; a few small hobby repos such as live-score demos use it, so adoption looks tiny.
Side by side
| Highlightly | SportsAPI Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| SportDex Score | 57/100 (#24) | 50/100 (#52) |
| Popularity | 45 | 18 |
| Community & reliability | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Transparency | 85 | 100 |
| Developer experience | 49 | 57 |
| Type | Sports data API | Sports data API |
| Starting price | from $12.49/mo | from $45/mo |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| Sports | Football (soccer), American football, Basketball, Baseball, Ice hockey, Cricket, Rugby, Volleyball, Handball, College sports | Multi-sport (40+) |
| Data | Fixtures, Lineups, Odds, Player stats, Predictions, Live scores, Standings, Team stats, Video | Fixtures, Lineups, Odds, Player stats, Predictions, Live scores, Standings, Team stats |
| Delivery | Polling only (REST) | Streaming (WebSocket) |
| Protocols | REST | REST, WebSocket |
| Live / in-play | Yes | Yes |
| Commercial use | Commercial: not disclosed | Commercial: Allowed |
| Betting products | Betting: not disclosed | Betting: not disclosed |
| Documentation | Docs | Docs |
| Developer discussions | 2 | 5 |
| GitHub repos | 43 | 4 |
| Community tone | Too little discussion | Too little discussion |
Empty fields mean the provider does not say, not that the feature is missing.
Quick answers
- Is Highlightly or SportsAPI Pro better?
- Highlightly scores slightly higher (57 vs 50). SportsAPI Pro is the better pick for apps that want scores, fixtures, lineups, stats and odds across many sports from one API, with a free plan and monthly tiers up to 900 requests per minute.
- Which is cheaper, Highlightly or SportsAPI Pro?
- Highlightly: from $12.49/mo. SportsAPI Pro: from $45/mo. Entry plans differ in limits and coverage, so compare what each plan includes.
- Do Highlightly and SportsAPI Pro have a free tier?
- Highlightly: yes. SportsAPI Pro: yes.