KickoffAPI vs SportMonks
Both are developer-friendly football data APIs. The practical difference is the model: KickoffAPI gives you every league on one flat plan with zero configuration — SportMonks subscribes you per league.
Side by side
| Feature | KickoffAPI | SportMonks |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 100 req/day, real-time, never expires | Free plan with 2 leagues, no expiry; 14-day trial on paid plans |
| Entry paid plan | $9 / 7,500 req per day | €29 / month (5 leagues) |
| League model | All 1,245 leagues in 171 countries on every plan | Pick 5 (€29) → 30 (€99) → 120 (€249); all 2,200+ on Enterprise |
| Setup | Instant, no config | Select & manage leagues |
| Billing | Stripe, self-serve | Self-serve |
Comparison based on SportMonks' public pricing page, 25 September 2026. Product names are trademarks of their respective owners.
What you parse
The fastest way to judge an API is to read one response. This is a real, unedited KickoffAPI call — Liverpool v Bournemouth, Premier League, matchday one of 2025.
$ curl -G "https://api.kickoffapi.com/api/v2/fixtures" \ -d "league=39&season=2025&limit=1" -H "x-api-key: YOUR_KEY" { "data": [{ "id": "fx_j3AR8hjl9tRa", "date": "2025-08-15T20:00:00.000Z", "status": { "long": "Match Finished", "short": "FT" }, "league": { "id": "lg_49706223160bbba4", "name": "Premier League" }, "home": { "id": "tm_8d1cf3beebe33484", "name": "Liverpool FC" }, "away": { "id": "tm_3b1b1f15d2ccae5e", "name": "AFC Bournemouth" }, "score": { "home": 4, "away": 2, "halftime": { "home": 1, "away": 0 } }, "source": "owned" }], "meta": { "count": 1, "nextCursor": "1", "source": "owned" } }
One envelope on every endpoint — { data, meta }, with the cursor always in the same place. Prefixed ids (fx_, lg_, tm_) so an id tells you what it points at. And a source field on every row naming the store that produced it, because we keep our own reconciled history rather than reselling one upstream feed. Rate limits come back as headers on every authenticated call, not buried in a dashboard.
The honest verdict
You want everything, instantly
Broad league coverage without choosing leagues up front, flat predictable pricing, more requests per dollar, and a free tier that already returns real-time scores. One key, no configuration.
You need a narrow slice
You only follow a few specific leagues and prefer paying strictly for those, or you depend on a particular SportMonks-specific dataset. Match the provider to your coverage and budget.
Frequently asked questions
Is KickoffAPI cheaper than SportMonks?
For broad coverage, typically yes — KickoffAPI includes all leagues on flat plans starting at $9/month for 7,500 requests a day, whereas SportMonks gates leagues by plan, starting at €29/month for 5 leagues.
Does KickoffAPI require choosing leagues like SportMonks?
No. All 1,245 leagues in 171 countries are included on every plan with no per-league configuration.
Can I try both for free?
Yes — KickoffAPI has a free 100 requests/day tier with real-time scores; SportMonks' free plan includes two full leagues with no expiry.
Get on the wire
Every league, real-time, one flat plan. Your free key takes 30 seconds.