Pokémon TCG API Comparison: PokémonTCG.io Alternatives

Quick Answer: In 2026 the three best-known Pokémon TCG APIs are in very different places. PokémonTCG.io is deprecated: new registrations are closed, existing API keys work until March 1, 2027, and its official successor is Scrydex, a paid, credit-based API. TCGdex is free, open source and needs no API key, with card data in 10+ languages plus Cardmarket and TCGplayer prices. PokéWallet is a market-data API with a free plan (100 requests/hour, 1,000/day): TCGplayer and Cardmarket prices on every card, with price history and set-level analytics on Pro (€20/month), and the same key covers the One Piece Card Game and ten more card games.

If you picked a Pokémon TCG API a few years ago, the landscape has moved under your feet. This guide compares the three names developers search for most, with every fact about the other APIs taken from their own documentation and checked on 21 October 2026. We make PokéWallet, so we've kept the comparison to verifiable facts and linked the sources at the end.

Key Takeaways

• ⏳ PokémonTCG.io has a deadline. New registrations are closed, and existing API keys work only through March 1, 2027. Its own docs point users to Scrydex.
• 💳 Scrydex is the paid successor. Credit-based plans start at $29/month with no free plan, IDs from the old API stay compatible, and CardMarket isn't supported yet.
• 🆓 TCGdex is the free, no-key option. Card data in 10 languages, REST and GraphQL, and CardMarket plus TCGplayer prices inside card responses.
• 💰 PokéWallet is built around prices. TCGplayer (USD) and CardMarket (EUR) on every card on the free plan, with price history and set analytics on Pro (€20/month).
• 🎴 Only PokéWallet covers 12 games with one key, including One Piece, Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Lorcana. Scrydex covers six games, and TCGdex focuses on Pokémon.
• 🏅 Need graded prices? Scrydex is the only one of the four that offers PSA, BGS and CGC data.
• 🔁 Migrating off PokémonTCG.io is a one-time mapping job. Map sets, look cards up by set ID and number, and store the new ID next to the old one.

At a Glance

PokémonTCG.io: Deprecated, With a Deadline

For years PokémonTCG.io was the default answer to "is there a Pokémon card API?". Its documentation now opens with a deprecation notice:

• New account registrations are no longer available. You can't get a new API key.
• Existing API keys keep working until March 1, 2027.
• Users are asked to migrate to Scrydex, the official successor built by the same team.

Until then, existing keys get 20,000 requests a day, or 1,000 a day and 30 per minute without a key. Card objects include TCGplayer prices by version (low, mid, high, market, directLow) and Cardmarket prices (averageSellPrice, trendPrice, lowPrice, avg1, avg7, avg30 and reverse holo equivalents).

If your app runs on PokémonTCG.io today, plan the move now. Every integration still pointing at it will stop working on March 1, 2027.

What about Scrydex?

Scrydex is the natural next step for many PokémonTCG.io users, and it's worth knowing what it is:

• Official successor: IDs from the old API remain compatible, with a slightly updated JSON schema.
• Paid, credit-based plans from $29/month (Starter, 5,000 credits), with no free plan. A basic card lookup usually costs 1 credit.
• More than Pokémon: Lorcana, Magic: The Gathering, One Piece, Gundam and Riftbound.
• Graded prices, price history and population reports. Its pricing page lists them on every plan, while its FAQ describes graded data and historical trends as Growth and Professional features, so confirm with Scrydex before choosing Starter for them.
• Cardmarket is not included yet: its FAQ says European sources like Cardmarket are "currently being evaluated".

If you need graded card prices and can pay per request, Scrydex is a strong fit. If you need European prices, or want to start for free, read on.

TCGdex: Free, Open Source and Multilingual

TCGdex is the most generous option on this list, and for many projects it's the right one:

• Free, with no API key. There are no published hard rate limits; the project asks users to cache responses and be considerate.
• Card data in 10+ languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, Indonesian and Thai.
• REST and GraphQL, with official SDKs for Java, Kotlin, PHP, JavaScript, TypeScript and Python.
• Prices inside card responses: Cardmarket (EUR, updated daily) and TCGplayer (USD, hourly to daily), whenever a card is listed there.
• Open source card database, plus Pokémon TCG Pocket data.

What TCGdex doesn't document is market history beyond Cardmarket's rolling averages, or set-level price endpoints. If your app needs those, you'll collect and store them yourself.

PokéWallet: Built Around Market Data

PokéWallet is designed for apps where prices are the product: portfolio trackers, market dashboards, price alerts, shop tools.

• Both marketplaces on every card. TCGplayer (USD) and Cardmarket (EUR) prices come side by side in /search and /cards/:id, each row with an updated_at timestamp.
• Price history and analytics (Pro). /cards/:id/price-history returns TCGplayer and Cardmarket series over time; set statistics, set completion value, trending sets and top cards complete the picture. All Pro endpoints can be tried free for 7 days.
• A whole set's prices in one call (Pro). /prices/:setCode returns every card of a set as a flat list.
• Cardmarket-only cards. Japanese sets and European promos that TCGplayer doesn't list come with their own IDs, one per printing, and a direct Cardmarket product link.
• Sealed products. Booster boxes, elite trainer boxes, tins and displays, with TCGplayer prices, flagged by product_type.
• One key for 12 card games. One Piece sits under /op/... on the same plans as Pokémon. Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Lorcana, Riftbound and six more games share the key too: their catalog is free, and their prices need the Ultra plan (€29/month). The TCG price API hub covers all twelve.

The plans, limits and what each one unlocks are explained in our article on the free Pokémon card price API and its plans.

And its limits, honestly:

• An API key is required, even on the free plan.
• REST only, with no GraphQL and no official SDK (docs examples in JavaScript, Python, Node.js and Go).
• English-first card data. Card text isn't translated; only card images come in Italian, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese where a localized print exists.
• No graded prices. PSA, BGS and CGC prices aren't integrated.

Which One Should You Choose?

Migrating From PokémonTCG.io to PokéWallet

PokémonTCG.io IDs (like base1-4) are not PokéWallet IDs, so the move is a one-time mapping job:

1. Map your sets. Call /sets to get every PokéWallet set with its set_code and numeric set_id, and match them to the PokémonTCG.io set IDs you use.
2. Map your cards. Look each card up by set ID and card number, the most precise search: /search?q={set_id} {number}.
3. Store the PokéWallet id next to your old ID, so the mapping runs once.
4. Rewrite your price reads using the table below.

// Look up one card by PokéWallet set ID + card number
const response = await fetch('https://api.pokewallet.io/search?q=24541%20148', {
  headers: { 'X-API-Key': process.env.POKEWALLET_API_KEY }
});
const { results } = await response.json();
const pokewalletId = results[0]?.id;

If you're rebuilding the app around the new data at the same time, our architecture guide for TCG collection apps covers caching, sync jobs and storage.

Two differences to handle in code: PokéWallet returns prices as arrays of rows instead of objects keyed by version, and tcgplayer or cardmarket can be null when a card isn't listed on that marketplace.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is PokémonTCG.io shutting down?

It's deprecated. New registrations are closed, and existing API keys keep working until March 1, 2027. The team recommends migrating to Scrydex.

Can I still get a PokémonTCG.io API key?

No. New account registrations are no longer available.

What is Scrydex?

The official successor to PokémonTCG.io, from the same team: a paid, credit-based API (from $29/month, no free plan) covering Pokémon, Lorcana, Magic: The Gathering, One Piece, Gundam and Riftbound, with raw and graded prices, price history and population reports.

What is the best free Pokémon TCG API in 2026?

TCGdex if you want no API key and multilingual card data. PokéWallet if you want a free plan built around TCGplayer and Cardmarket prices, with a path to price history and analytics on Pro.

Which Pokémon APIs include Cardmarket prices?

TCGdex and PokéWallet both include Cardmarket (EUR) prices. PokémonTCG.io includes them too, for existing keys until March 1, 2027. Scrydex says Cardmarket is currently being evaluated.

Does PokéWallet have graded card prices?

No. PokéWallet covers TCGplayer and Cardmarket prices; PSA, BGS and CGC prices aren't integrated.

Sources

Facts checked on 21 October 2026. All three APIs change quickly: if something here is out of date, tell us on Discord and we'll fix it.

• PokémonTCG.io — documentation and deprecation notice
• PokémonTCG.io — rate limits
• PokémonTCG.io — card object
• Scrydex — FAQ
• Scrydex — pricing
• TCGdex — homepage
• TCGdex — FAQ
• TCGdex — Markets and prices
• PokéWallet — API documentation
• PokéWallet — Pricing

Moving off PokémonTCG.io, or starting fresh? PokéWallet's Free plan includes 100 requests/hour and 1,000 requests/day, no credit card required.

• 🚀 Create your free account
• 📚 Read the API docs
• 🛠️ Build a Pokémon card price tracker