Diffbot vs Currents API: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Diffbot (3.8/5) edges ahead of Currents API (3.4/5) overall. Diffbot is the better choice for teams building custom news collection from chosen sites. Currents API is the stronger option for students and hobbyists testing news features for free. The right pick depends on your budget, how much history you need and whether you need full text.
Diffbot vs Currents API: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Diffbot | Currents API |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2008 | 2018 |
| HQ | Menlo Park, California, USA | Not publicly disclosed |
| Team size | 11–50 | Not publicly disclosed |
| Rating | 3.8 / 5 | 3.4 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | Turns any article URL into clean structured data linked to a Knowledge Graph | A free tier that developer roundups often single out as generous |
| Pricing model | Monthly credit plans | Free tier; monthly plans |
| Entry price | $299/mo | $69/mo (third-party listing) |
| Formats & SDKs | REST API, JSON, Python SDK | REST API, JSON |
| Typical uses | AI & LLM apps, Research & academia, Marketing & PR, Financial services | News & content apps, Research & academia |
Diffbot vs Currents API: overview
Diffbot
Diffbot was founded in 2008 by Mike Tung and is based in Menlo Park, California, with an estimated 30–40 employees. It uses computer vision and NLP to extract structured articles from any web page, and its Knowledge Graph links articles to organisations, people and topics so it can be queried as a news source. A free plan includes 10,000 credits at five calls a minute, the Startup plan costs $299 a month for 250,000 credits, and exporting one Knowledge Graph entity costs 25 credits. Teams that want to assemble their own news collection get more from it than teams wanting a ready-made feed.
Currents API
Currents API has been running since about 2018 and offers latest-news and search endpoints with language, region and category filters. Developer roundups often recommend its free tier, but the quoted limit swings between 600 requests a day, 600 a month and 250 a day, and the free plan covers latest news only, with no historical search. One report lists paid plans from $69 a month for 75,000 requests (independently unverifiable). The operator, location and team are not stated anywhere public.
Features: Diffbot vs Currents API
| Capability | Diffbot | Currents API |
|---|---|---|
| Full article text | ✓ | ✗ |
| Historical archive | ✓ | ✗ |
| NLP enrichment | ✓ | ✗ |
| Story/event clustering | ✗ | ✗ |
| Licensed publisher content | ✗ | ✗ |
| Streaming or webhooks | ✗ | ✗ |
| Free access | ✓ | ✓ |
Formats and SDKs: Diffbot vs Currents API
| Format / SDK | Diffbot | Currents API |
|---|---|---|
| REST API | ✓ | ✓ |
| Python SDK | ✓ | N/A |
| Node.js SDK | N/A | N/A |
| Webhooks | N/A | N/A |
| WebSocket | N/A | N/A |
| MCP server | N/A | N/A |
| S3/bulk delivery | N/A | N/A |
| BigQuery | N/A | N/A |
Pricing comparison: Diffbot vs Currents API
| Criterion | Diffbot | Currents API |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $299/mo | $69/mo (third-party listing) |
| Pricing model | Monthly credit plans | Free tier; monthly plans |
| Access models | Free tier, Monthly plans, Enterprise contract | Free tier, Monthly plans |
| Price transparency | Public price | Public price |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Budget |
Who each API suits: Diffbot vs Currents API
| Dimension | Diffbot | Currents API |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer type | Individuals to enterprise | Individuals to enterprise |
| Typical uses | AI & LLM apps, Research & academia, Marketing & PR | News & content apps, Research & academia |
| Example use cases | Monitoring a fixed list of niche publications. Enriching articles with company and people data. | Coursework and hackathons. Prototype news feeds. |
| How you get access | Free tier | Free tier |
Diffbot vs Currents API: pros and cons
| Diffbot | |
|---|---|
| + | Extraction handles almost any news layout without custom parsers |
| + | The Knowledge Graph connects coverage to companies and people |
| + | A free plan with 10,000 credits and no card |
| + | Crawlbot can follow the specific publishers you pick |
| - | Knowledge Graph exports cost 25 credits per entity, which adds up |
| - | You assemble the news feed yourself instead of receiving one |
| - | The $299 Startup plan is high for small projects |
| Currents API | |
|---|---|
| + | The free tier is easy to get and well covered in tutorials |
| + | Simple endpoints for latest news and search |
| + | Several languages and regions |
| - | Published limits conflict between sources |
| - | The free plan has no historical search and bars commercial use |
| - | No identifiable operator or support commitments |
Who should choose Diffbot?
A typical fit: monitoring a fixed list of niche publications.
Turns any article URL into clean structured data linked to a Knowledge Graph. Paid access starts at $299/mo. Typical uses: AI & LLM apps, Research & academia, Marketing & PR, Financial services.
Who should choose Currents API?
A typical fit: coursework and hackathons.
A free tier that developer roundups often single out as generous. Paid access starts at $69/mo (third-party listing). Typical uses: News & content apps, Research & academia.
Decision matrix: Diffbot vs Currents API
| Your situation | Recommended choice |
|---|---|
| You want to start free before paying | Both |
| Your budget is at the lower end | Currents API |
| You need full article text in the response | Diffbot |
| You need years of historical news | Diffbot |
| You need licensed premium or wire content | Neither; look at Factiva, AP or LexisNexis |
| You are wiring news into an LLM agent | Both work through plain REST calls |
Use case fit: Diffbot vs Currents API
| Use case | Diffbot fit | Currents API fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI & LLM apps | Strong | Limited | Diffbot |
| Research & academia | Strong | Strong | Both equally |
| Marketing & PR | Strong | Limited | Diffbot |
| Financial services | Strong | Limited | Diffbot |
| News & content apps | Limited | Strong | Currents API |
Verdict: Diffbot vs Currents API
Diffbot (3.8/5) is the stronger overall choice as a news data source. Turns any article URL into clean structured data linked to a Knowledge Graph.
Currents API (3.4/5) is worth a look if you need prototype news feeds. If your situation matches that, Currents API is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Diffbot vs Currents API FAQ
Is Diffbot better than Currents API?
Diffbot (3.8/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Diffbot's strongest advantage: extraction handles almost any news layout without custom parsers. Currents API's strongest advantage: the free tier is easy to get and well covered in tutorials.
How do Diffbot and Currents API differ in pricing?
Diffbot: monthly credit plans, with paid access from $299/mo. Currents API: free tier; monthly plans, with paid access from $69/mo (third-party listing). Both offer some free access for testing.
Which is better for enterprise: Diffbot or Currents API?
Diffbot sells enterprise contracts with negotiated volume and SLA terms. Neither carries licensed publisher content, so check copyright terms before republishing anything.
What are the main differences between Diffbot and Currents API?
What sets Diffbot apart: turns any article URL into clean structured data linked to a Knowledge Graph. What sets Currents API apart: a free tier that developer roundups often single out as generous. They also differ on entry price ($299/mo vs $69/mo (third-party listing)) and typical uses (AI & LLM apps, Research & academia vs News & content apps, Research & academia).
Verify all details directly with each API before making a decision.