Perigon vs Currents API: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Perigon (4.5/5) edges ahead of Currents API (3.4/5) overall. Perigon is the better choice for startups wanting enriched news with transparent tiers. 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.
Perigon vs Currents API: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Perigon | Currents API |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2022 | 2018 |
| HQ | Austin, Texas, USA | Not publicly disclosed |
| Team size | 11–50 | Not publicly disclosed |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 3.4 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | Published plans from $25 with enrichment and saved-query monitors included | A free tier that developer roundups often single out as generous |
| Pricing model | Monthly plans; add-ons for real-time and volume | Free tier; monthly plans |
| Entry price | $25/mo | $69/mo (third-party listing) |
| Formats & SDKs | REST API, JSON, Python SDK | REST API, JSON |
| Typical uses | AI & LLM apps, Media monitoring, Risk & compliance, Marketing & PR | News & content apps, Research & academia |
Perigon vs Currents API: overview
Perigon
Perigon was founded in 2022 by Joshua Dziabiak and Josh Rickel, is based in Austin, Texas, and closed a $5 million seed round led by LiveOak Ventures in February 2024. The API collects from more than 230,000 sources (per company website; independently unverifiable) and returns articles with entities, topics, summaries and story clusters, plus Monitors that run saved queries on a schedule. All three plans are public: Individual at $25 a month for personal use, Startup at $250 with limited commercial rights, and Commercial at $1,250 with real-time data, an SLA and SSO. Below the Commercial tier, data carries a one-hour delay unless you buy the real-time add-on.
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: Perigon vs Currents API
| Capability | Perigon | Currents API |
|---|---|---|
| Full article text | ✓ | ✗ |
| Historical archive | ✓ | ✗ |
| NLP enrichment | ✓ | ✗ |
| Story/event clustering | ✓ | ✗ |
| Licensed publisher content | ✗ | ✗ |
| Streaming or webhooks | ✓ | ✗ |
| Free access | ✓ | ✓ |
Formats and SDKs: Perigon vs Currents API
| Format / SDK | Perigon | Currents API |
|---|---|---|
| REST API | ✓ | ✓ |
| Python SDK | ✓ | N/A |
| Node.js SDK | ✓ | N/A |
| Webhooks | ✓ | 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: Perigon vs Currents API
| Criterion | Perigon | Currents API |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $25/mo | $69/mo (third-party listing) |
| Pricing model | Monthly plans; add-ons for real-time and volume | Free tier; monthly plans |
| Access models | Free trial, Monthly plans, Enterprise contract | Free tier, Monthly plans |
| Price transparency | Public price | Public price |
| Price tier | Budget | Budget |
Who each API suits: Perigon vs Currents API
| Dimension | Perigon | Currents API |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer type | Individuals to enterprise | Individuals to enterprise |
| Typical uses | AI & LLM apps, Media monitoring, Risk & compliance | News & content apps, Research & academia |
| Example use cases | A startup building a news-aware product that needs commercial rights early. Brand or risk alerts driven by saved searches. | Coursework and hackathons. Prototype news feeds. |
| How you get access | Free trial | Free tier |
Perigon vs Currents API: pros and cons
| Perigon | |
|---|---|
| + | Even the $25 tier returns entity and topic data instead of bare headlines |
| + | Monitors turn a saved query into a recurring alert without extra code |
| + | The Commercial tier bundles a 10+ year archive, an SLA and SSO in one price |
| + | License terms spell out that you are buying the structured data, which helps legal review |
| - | Real-time data costs extra below the $1,250 Commercial plan; otherwise expect a one-hour delay |
| - | Request quotas are tight for the price, with 10,000 a month on Startup |
| - | The license does not cover republishing full article text |
| 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 Perigon?
A typical fit: a startup building a news-aware product that needs commercial rights early.
Published plans from $25 with enrichment and saved-query monitors included. Paid access starts at $25/mo. Typical uses: AI & LLM apps, Media monitoring, Risk & compliance, Marketing & PR.
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: Perigon vs Currents API
| Your situation | Recommended choice |
|---|---|
| You want to start free before paying | Both |
| Your budget is at the lower end | Perigon |
| You need full article text in the response | Perigon |
| You need years of historical news | Perigon |
| You need licensed premium or wire content | Neither; look at Factiva, AP or LexisNexis |
| You are wiring news into an LLM agent | Perigon |
Use case fit: Perigon vs Currents API
| Use case | Perigon fit | Currents API fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI & LLM apps | Strong | Limited | Perigon |
| Media monitoring | Strong | Limited | Perigon |
| Risk & compliance | Strong | Limited | Perigon |
| Marketing & PR | Strong | Limited | Perigon |
| News & content apps | Limited | Strong | Currents API |
| Research & academia | Limited | Strong | Currents API |
Verdict: Perigon vs Currents API
Perigon (4.5/5) is the stronger overall choice as a news data source. Published plans from $25 with enrichment and saved-query monitors included.
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
Perigon vs Currents API FAQ
Is Perigon better than Currents API?
Perigon (4.5/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Perigon's strongest advantage: even the $25 tier returns entity and topic data instead of bare headlines. Currents API's strongest advantage: the free tier is easy to get and well covered in tutorials.
How do Perigon and Currents API differ in pricing?
Perigon: monthly plans; add-ons for real-time and volume, with paid access from $25/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: Perigon or Currents API?
Perigon 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 Perigon and Currents API?
What sets Perigon apart: published plans from $25 with enrichment and saved-query monitors included. What sets Currents API apart: a free tier that developer roundups often single out as generous. They also differ on entry price ($25/mo vs $69/mo (third-party listing)) and typical uses (AI & LLM apps, Media monitoring vs News & content apps, Research & academia).
Verify all details directly with each API before making a decision.