Comparison of football statistics APIs: Soccerstand, BetsAPI, Football-Data

Sports APIs solve a simple yet critical task: they transform «raw» data (results, lineups, statistics) into a program-friendly interface that can be quickly integrated into a website, application, or analytical platform.
For developers, this saves time (no need to manually parse websites), for betting platforms — a source of live lines and odds, for sports media — timely feeds and widgets, for analysts — a reliable database for models and backtests.
In this article, we will compare four solutions: Soccerstand (source of live results), BetsAPI, Football-Data.org, and API-sport — one of the most popular tools for working with football statistics.

What is an API?

API (Application Programming Interface) in the sports field is a set of URL endpoints and response formats (usually JSON or XML) that allow you to obtain schedules, live events, lineups, player statistics, transfers, tables, and bookmaker odds.

API-sport (including the API-Football / API-Sports family) — is a modern platform focused on a wide range of sports and tasks: livescore, match statistics, metrics, archival data, and widgets. It offers both free trial plans and paid subscriptions with extended features.

The API-sport platform emerged in response to the demand from developers and sports media for accessible sports data with a convenient REST interface and good documentation. Due to its ease of integration and a large number of examples, API-sport quickly became popular among small projects, analytical services, and betting applications.

What data is available

• Live results and match events (goals, cards, substitutions).

• Detailed statistics (shots, possession, offsides).

• Lineups, formations, player information.

• Historical data and season tables.

• Bookmaker odds and transfer data.

Features of API-sport

API-sport stands out for its developer-friendliness, simple REST requests, availability of SDK, free starter plan, and extensive support for sports. Unlike major providers, API-sport remains accessible and flexible for small teams and startups.

Comparison of football statistics APIs: Soccerstand, BetsAPI, Football-Data

• Soccerstand is known as a source of live scores and statistics, however, it does not have an official public API, which complicates integration and stability.

• BetsAPI provides live data, odds, statistics, and match history, targeting bookmakers and betting services.

• Football-Data.org specializes in football statistics: results, tables, lineups, tournaments. A great option for analytics and small projects.

Supported sports

Soccerstand was originally created as a platform focused on football, but over time it expanded its coverage to include data on other sports.
BetsAPI, on the other hand, initially positioned itself as a multi-sport service — it offers football matches, tennis tournaments, hockey leagues, basketball games, and even esports disciplines. Football-Data.org adheres to a narrower specialization, fully focusing on football and providing the most detailed data specifically for this sport.
And here API-sport goes the path of universality: its database includes more than fifteen sports — from football and basketball to hockey, volleyball, tennis, and esports, making it especially convenient for projects covering several sports categories at once.

Technologies and formats

Modern APIs provide data via REST with JSON formats.
Some services (for example, API-sport and BetsAPI) support WebSocket, which ensures instant receipt of live events and reduces server load.
The XML format is becoming less common and is usually used in older systems.

Official access – registration, API key, pricing.

Obtaining official access to sports APIs is an important step before starting data integration into the project. Each of the considered services implements this process in its own way.

Football-Data.org offers a simple and transparent registration system. After creating an account, the user receives a unique API key, which is used for request authorization. The free plan provides a limited number of requests and access only to basic match and tournament data. For more active use and obtaining extended statistics, paid subscriptions are available with increased limits and additional features, such as access to archived data and advanced filtering options.

BetsAPI also requires mandatory registration. After confirming the account, the system issues a personal API key, which opens access to data depending on the chosen plan. The free tier is limited in the number of requests and update speed but allows testing the basic capabilities of the API. On paid plans, the user receives priority updates of live events, broader league coverage, player statistics, and real-time bookmaker odds.

Soccerstand, unlike the previous services, does not have an official public API. Access to its data is only available through internal channels or partnership agreements, so direct connection via an open API key is not available. This limits integration capabilities and makes Soccerstand less convenient for developers and analytical systems.

API-sport, On the contrary, it implements one of the most convenient and understandable registration mechanisms. After creating an account, the user is immediately provided with an API key, which can be used both in test mode (on the free plan) and within paid subscriptions. The pricing system is transparent: the free plan is suitable for initial integrations and small projects, while paid tiers offer more requests per minute, priority in updates, access to additional sports, and historical archives.

Thus, while Football-Data.org and BetsAPI are suitable for classic analytics and betting scenarios, API-sport stands out favorably with its ease of access, flexible pricing, and lack of complex restrictions in the initial stages of use.

10. RapidAPI, SportRadar, and other platforms provide access to BetsAPI and Livescore API through their channels. This is convenient for developers who need ready-made integrations and reliable SLAs.

On aggregator platforms like RapidAPI, you can find various APIs from third-party developers, but for stable projects, a direct connection to the official provider is preferable — for example, API-sport or Sportradar.

12. Free plans usually include limited access to historical data and basic statistics. Paid subscriptions unlock:

Free plans are limited in the number of requests and the speed of data updates.
Paid subscriptions provide access to advanced statistical data, odds, and historical archives.
API-sport and Football-Data offer free plans, while BetsAPI focuses on affordable paid tiers.

17. Number of requests per minute/hour

The main limitations include request limits (per minute, hour, or day) and the delay in updating live data. On paid plans, updates occur faster, and limits are higher.

API Integration

Python:

import requests

API_KEY = «YOUR_API_KEY»
url = «https://api.football-data.org/v4/matches»
headers = {«X-Auth-Token»: API_KEY}

response = requests.get(url, headers=headers)
print(response.json())

JavaScript:

const API_KEY = «YOUR_API_KEY»;
fetch(«https://v3.football.api-sports.io/fixtures?date=2025-11-12», {
заголовки: { «x-apisports-key»: API_KEY }
})
.then(res => res.json())
.then(data => console.log(data.response));

Integration into CMS and mobile applications

Plugins are available for WordPress that display sports data via REST requests.
In mobile applications (Android/iOS), data usually goes through a proprietary backend, which enhances security and reduces load on the client.

Using live data via WebSocket

WebSocket provides instant event transmission without the need for regular requests.
This reduces traffic and ensures the correct order of events, which is especially important for live betting and sports analytics.

Where is it used?

• Betting and odds scanners — for calculating lines and arbitrage situations.

• Sports analytics and forecasts — the basis for building models and analytical dashboards.

• Media and fan applications — broadcasting live results and match cards.

• Fantasy Sports and esports — for calculating points and tracking player actions.

• Big Data and BI projects – using historical data for statistics and reporting.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

• Wide coverage of leagues and tournaments.

• High speed of live updates.

• Simple integration via REST and JSON.

• Ability to connect WebSocket.

Cons:

• Cost of extended plans.

• Request limits on free plans.

• Need to optimize architecture for streaming data.

In summary

If you are looking for a universal and reliable tool for working with football statistics, API-sport offers the optimal combination of quality, speed, and cost.
BetsAPI is convenient for betting projects, while Football-Data is suitable for analytics and data visualization in media and applications.

Registration: https://app.api-sport.ru/register

Our TG channel with updates: https://t.me/apisportru.

FAQ

Is there free access?
Yes, many providers offer free plans with request limits and leagues.

What sports are supported?
API-sport and BetsAPI cover dozens of sports, while Football-Data specializes only in football.

Is the API suitable for betting?
Yes, especially BetsAPI and API-sport, which provide live odds and real-time statistics.

How to connect the API to the application?
It is enough to register, obtain an API key, and use REST or WebSocket requests.

Can the API be used for predictions?
Yes, data about matches and players allow building analytical models and predicting outcomes.

What to do if the service does not have an official API?
Use only official providers — this guarantees the stability and legal purity of the data.