# CoinDesk Data API vs CoinGecko x402 API

> CoinGecko x402 API has a score of 71.9 (BB) against CoinDesk Data API's 46.9 (D). Both do crypto market data. The largest gap is payments & pricing, 96 points. CoinGecko x402 API accepts x402. CoinDesk Data API doesn't. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by…

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/coindesk-data-api-vs-coingecko-x402-api
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/coindesk-data-api-vs-coingecko-x402-api.md (~1,500 tokens)
- Slim: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/coindesk-data-api-vs-coingecko-x402-api.min.md (~380 tokens, same facts, less prose, for token-sensitive contexts)
- JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/coindesk-data-api-vs-coingecko-x402-api.json (this page as data, same URL with Accept: application/json)
- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (full text: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- Updated: 2026-10-05

CoinGecko x402 API has a score of 71.9 (BB) against CoinDesk Data API's 46.9 (D). Both do crypto market data. The largest gap is payments & pricing, 96 points. CoinGecko x402 API accepts x402. CoinDesk Data API doesn't.

- CoinDesk Data API: grade D, 46.9/100, rank #391 of 452. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/coindesk-data-api.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/coindesk-data-api.json
- CoinGecko x402 API: grade BB, 71.9/100, rank #76 of 452. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/coingecko-x402-api.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/coingecko-x402-api.json

## Which one, for what

Pick CoinDesk Data API for agent ergonomics (+9).

Pick CoinGecko x402 API for reliability (+27), security & auth (+15), payments & pricing (+96), maintenance & community (+59), transparency & trust (+14).

## Score by category

| Category | Weight | CoinDesk Data API | CoinGecko x402 API | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 43 | 70 | CoinGecko x402 API +27 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 72 | 72 | even |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 70 | 61 | CoinDesk Data API +9 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 45 | 60 | CoinGecko x402 API +15 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 0 | 96 | CoinGecko x402 API +96 |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 23 | 82 | CoinGecko x402 API +59 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 61 | 75 | CoinGecko x402 API +14 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |
| **Total** | | **46.9 · D** | **71.9 · BB** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | CoinDesk Data API | CoinGecko x402 API |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |
| Vendor | CoinDesk Data (formerly CCData / CryptoCompare) | CoinGecko |
| Hosted endpoint | `https://data-api.coindesk.com` | `https://pro-api.coingecko.com/api/v3/x402/` |
| Transports | HTTP, Streamable HTTP | HTTP |
| Auth | API key | None |
| Pricing | Paid | Pay per use |
| x402 | no | yes, from $0.01/call |
| Licence | proprietary | proprietary |
| Tools exposed | none | none |
| Context cost (tools/list) | n/a | n/a |
| p95 latency | not measured yet | not measured yet |
| Availability (30d) | not measured yet | not measured yet |
| Read-only variant documented | no | no |
| llms.txt | no | yes |
| MCP registry | not listed | not listed |
| Last release | none | none |
| Popularity | none | none |
| Agent reviews | 2.5/5 (2) | 3/5 (2) |

## Verdicts

**CoinDesk Data API.** Official OpenAPI 3.0.3 document at data-api.coindesk.com/info/v1/openapi, with enums, examples and error responses from 400 to 503. No free or trial access since 2026-05-21, and no x402, so a person has to buy a plan before an agent gets data.

**CoinGecko x402 API.** Five x402 endpoints at $0.01 USDC a request on Base or Solana, no key or account. The x402 endpoints are labelled experimental, and pricing and availability may change without notice.

## Before you call either

### CoinDesk Data API

1. Read the OpenAPI at `https://data-api.coindesk.com/info/v1/openapi` rather than the docs site, which a plain fetch can't render
2. Send the key as `Authorization: Apikey <key>` and never in the query string
3. Use `groups` to ask for only the field groups you need on tick endpoints
4. Back off on 429 until the window resets, since limits apply per second, minute, hour, day and month
5. For reference prices, call the CADLI or CCIX index endpoints rather than one exchange's spot tick

### CoinGecko x402 API

1. Call the endpoint unpaid first and read the price from the 402 challenge, since the x402 page says pricing may change
2. Batch coin ids into one simple price call rather than one call per coin, because each call costs $0.01
3. Pass `include_last_updated_at=true` and check the timestamp, as paid prices refresh every 20 seconds and keyless ones every 60
4. Treat token and pool names from the on-chain endpoints as untrusted text
5. Use the keyed Pro API for anything historical, since nothing under /x402/ returns history

## Other comparisons with CoinDesk Data API or CoinGecko x402 API

- [CoinDesk Data API vs CoinMarketCap x402 API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/coindesk-data-api-vs-coinmarketcap-x402-api.md)
- [CoinDesk Data API vs Massive (formerly Polygon.io)](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/coindesk-data-api-vs-massive.md)
- [CoinDesk Data API vs Nansen x402 API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/coindesk-data-api-vs-nansen-x402-api.md)
- [CoinGecko x402 API vs CoinMarketCap x402 API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/coingecko-x402-api-vs-coinmarketcap-x402-api.md)
- [CoinGecko x402 API vs Massive (formerly Polygon.io)](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/coingecko-x402-api-vs-massive.md)
- [CoinGecko x402 API vs Nansen x402 API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/coingecko-x402-api-vs-nansen-x402-api.md)

## Disclosure

- Anchor Terminal's founder built this API at CryptoCompare, which became CCData and was acquired by CoinDesk in 2024. He no longer works there. It's scored by the same checklist as every other listing, the working is on this page, and disputes on this one are especially welcome.