Odds-API.io vs The-Odds-API: The Complete 2026 Comparison

Odds-API.io vs The-Odds-API: The Complete 2026 Comparison

Looking for a sports betting odds API? The-Odds-API has been around since 2017 and covers the major leagues well. But if you're building arbitrage tools, working with lower-tier leagues, or need real-time streaming, there are gaps worth knowing about.

Here's how we compare.

The Short Version

The-Odds-API is a solid choice for mainstream coverage - NFL, NBA, EPL, and about 40+ bookmakers across US, UK, EU, and Australia.

Odds-API.io goes deeper: 250+ bookmakers, 12,000+ leagues, WebSocket streaming, and Asian sharp book coverage that most Western APIs don't touch.

Bookmaker Coverage

Why does Asian book coverage matter? Books like 12Bet and SingBet are where sharp money moves first. They offer high limits and low margins, which means their lines are often the most accurate in the market. If you're building arbitrage or trading systems, these are the books you want to benchmark against.

With 50 bookmakers, you'll catch the obvious price discrepancies. With 250+, you'll catch far more - including cross-regional opportunities that others miss entirely.

League Coverage

The-Odds-API covers major leagues and goes reasonably deep in some sports - they have the EFL Championship, German Bundesliga, multiple ice hockey leagues, and Brazilian Serie A among others.

Odds-API.io covers 12,000+ leagues, including:

• English National League (5th tier)
• German Regionalliga (4th tier)
• Brazilian state leagues
• Asian leagues that Western APIs typically ignore

Lower-tier leagues often have softer lines. Bookmakers put less effort into pricing Regionalliga or Brazilian state championships, which means more edge for those who can access the data.

Real-Time Data

The-Odds-API: REST polling only. No WebSocket support.

Odds-API.io: Full WebSocket streaming with sub-second latency.

For pre-match odds comparison, polling works fine. For live betting, arbitrage detection, or anything where timing matters, it doesn't. By the time you poll, the line has already moved.

WebSocket gives you a persistent connection with instant updates. No repeated requests, no wasted bandwidth, no stale data.

Pricing Model

The-Odds-API uses a credit system. Different endpoints cost different amounts - a single request might cost anywhere from 1 to 10+ credits depending on how many markets and regions you query. Plans range from free (500 credits/month) to $249/month (15M credits).

Odds-API.io uses straightforward rate limits. All paid plans get 5,000 requests/hour - the only difference between tiers (£99–229/month) is how many bookmakers you can access. No credit maths, no surprises.

We offer a free tier with 100 requests/hour to get started. They offer 500 credits/month - which translates to fewer actual API calls depending on what you query.

Prediction Markets

Prediction markets did over $40 billion in combined volume in 2025. Polymarket and Kalshi are now serious platforms - and serious data sources.

Both APIs cover Polymarket and Kalshi. With Odds-API.io, you get:

• Top-of-book prices with depth (liquidity at each price level)
• Lay odds (back and lay on every market)
• Native platform IDs (KXEPLGAME-26JAN31LEEARS for Kalshi, 170912 for Polymarket) for direct execution

Depth data matters. Knowing the price is 6.25 is one thing. Knowing there's $9,000 of liquidity behind it tells you whether you can actually execute at that level. Check The-Odds-API's docs to see what they include for prediction markets - their site doesn't specify.

Side-by-Side Comparison

When The-Odds-API Makes Sense

• You only need major US and European leagues
• You're building a hobby project or content site
• You're already integrated and switching cost is high
• You don't need real-time streaming
• Budget is the primary constraint

When Odds-API Makes Sense

• You need more than 40+ bookmakers
• You work with lower-tier or regional leagues
• You need Asian sharp book data (SBOBET, SingBet, 12Bet)
• You're building arbitrage, trading, or market-making systems
• You need WebSocket for real-time data
• You want prediction market data with depth

Making The Switch

If you're currently on The-Odds-API, migration is straightforward. The REST structure is similar, and you can start with our free tier to test coverage before committing.

The main adjustment is moving from credit-based billing to rate limits - which most developers find simpler to reason about.

Try It

Sign up for a free account and compare the coverage yourself. The best way to evaluate an odds API is to see what it returns for the sports and books you actually care about.

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