# The Odds API

> Bookmaker odds for dozens of sports via a simple JSON API, covering moneyline, spreads, totals, outrights and some player props, plus scores and historical snapshots. Credit-based billing.

Canonical page: https://sportdex.net/providers/the-odds-api/  
Last checked: 2026-11-03  
SportDex Score: 83/100 (rank 1; popularity 93, community 85, transparency 90, developer experience 54)

## Facts
- Type: Odds API
- Website: https://the-odds-api.com
- Documentation: https://the-odds-api.com/liveapi/guides/v4/
- Pricing page: https://the-odds-api.com/#get-access
- Country: Australia
- Founded: 2017
- Sports: Multi-sport (40+)
- Data types: Historical data, Odds, Player props, Live scores
- Protocols: REST
- Delivery: Polling only (REST)
- Live / in-play: yes
- Free tier: yes
- Cheapest public paid plan: $30/mo
- Commercial use: Allowed
- Betting use: Allowed
- Redistribution: Not allowed
- Authentication: api key

## Plans
| Plan | Price | Requests | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | Free | 500 / month | 500 credits/month, all sports, most bookmakers |
| 20K | $30/mo | 20,000 / month | 20,000 credits/month, all bookmakers |
| 100K | $59/mo | 100,000 / month | 100,000 credits/month |
| 5M | $119/mo | 5,000,000 / month | 5M credits/month |
| 15M | $249/mo | 15,000,000 / month | 15M credits/month |

## Who it is for

Best for: Developers and bettors who want bookmaker odds across many sports and regions from a simple JSON API, with a free tier to test and prepaid-style monthly credit plans.

Not ideal for: Teams that need to resell odds as their own feed or API, which the terms ban, or that need official league data.

Use cases: Odds comparison tools; Betting models using historical odds; Odds screens in Excel or Google Sheets; Score tracking alongside odds

Limitations:
- Billing is in credits, so usage depends on markets and regions requested
- Free Starter plan is 500 credits per month and excludes some bookmakers
- Reselling the data as a raw feed or own API is not allowed
- Odds are aggregated from bookmakers, not an official league feed

## Quick answers

**What is The Odds API best for?** Developers and bettors who want bookmaker odds across many sports and regions from a simple JSON API, with a free tier to test and prepaid-style monthly credit plans. Not ideal for: Teams that need to resell odds as their own feed or API, which the terms ban, or that need official league data.

**How much does The Odds API cost?** The cheapest public paid plan of The Odds API is $30/mo. Listed plans: 20K $30/mo; 100K $59/mo; 5M $119/mo; 15M $249/mo.

**Does The Odds API have a free tier?** Yes. The Odds API lists a free plan called "Starter" (500 requests per month).

**What does The Odds API cover?** The Odds API is a odds api. Its sports: Multi-sport (40+); data: Historical data, Odds, Player props, Live scores. Live / in-play data is offered.

**Does The Odds API have a WebSocket or streaming API?** No streaming is listed. The Odds API delivers data by REST, so you poll for updates.

**Can I use The Odds API data commercially or for betting?** According to the public terms of The Odds API — commercial use: allowed; betting products: allowed; redistribution: not allowed; storing data: allowed.

**What do developers say about The Odds API?** Widely used for pulling bookmaker odds into fantasy tools, arbitrage scanners and betting models; many GitHub repos and tutorials build on it. Users like the free tier and breadth of markets and books. Complaints: modest refresh rate, historical odds limited to one day per call and gaps in snapshots, no prop results or match outcomes, some books paid-only.

**What are the alternatives to The Odds API?** Close alternatives in the SportDex catalog: Odds-API.io, PropLine, ParlayAPI, OpticOdds, SportsGameOdds.

## What developers say

Widely used for pulling bookmaker odds into fantasy tools, arbitrage scanners and betting models; many GitHub repos and tutorials build on it. Users like the free tier and breadth of markets and books. Complaints: modest refresh rate, historical odds limited to one day per call and gaps in snapshots, no prop results or match outcomes, some books paid-only.

Praised for: Free tier for quick odds checks; Broad sports and bookmaker coverage; Player props for major leagues; Large adoption in open-source projects

Complaints: Refresh rate not the best; Historical odds fetched one day at a time; No match results or prop outcomes; Some bookmakers need paid plan

## Method
Facts were read from the provider's own pages on 2026-11-03. Empty fields mean the provider does not say, not that a feature is missing. Method: https://sportdex.net/methodology/