The modern sports market is unimaginable without instant data. In the era of digitalization, not only the fact of the event itself is valued, but also the speed of its display. When the ball goes into the net or a player scores a point, users want to see it in the app or on the website literally within seconds. This is exactly the task that sports APIs solve — they transform «raw» data from venues and official sources into structured information that can be easily integrated into any digital product.
Real-time score updates, extended statistics on players and teams, match archives, bookmaker odds, transfer information — all of this is transmitted via APIs. Without such solutions, the operation of betting platforms, sports analytics services, fan applications, and even major media cannot be imagined.
For developers, sports APIs become a tool that saves months of work: instead of creating their own data collection and processing system, they receive a ready-made «channel» of information. For betting platforms, this guarantees the relevance of odds and the transparency of bet calculations. For media and fan resources — the ability to retain the audience through live content and analytics. And for specialists in Big Data and forecasting — access to the vast amounts of information necessary for building accurate models.
Among the many solutions on the market, two services stand out: BETTERY API and API-sport. At first glance, they perform similar functions, but upon detailed comparison, it becomes clear that their approaches and ease of use differ significantly. BETTERY API is primarily focused on betting and odds, while API-sport offers a more universal and flexible tool for different categories of users.
What is a sports API and the features of API-sport
An API is an interface that allows programs to exchange data. In the sports industry, this means access to live results, odds, statistics, and match archives.
API-sport — one of the most popular services in this field. It provides:
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real-time data;
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extended statistics for players and teams;
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archives of matches and tournaments;
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the ability to receive data via REST and WebSocket.
The history of API-sport shows its growth to a global level: today it is used by both startups and major media. Its main advantage over competitors is the ease of integration, ready-made SDKs, and flexible pricing.
BETTERY API
BETTERY API is focused on betting and bet calculations. It provides match results, real-time odds, team lineups, transfers, and player statistics. However, in terms of data coverage depth, BETTERY falls short of API-sport, especially in terms of archives and analytics.
Supported sports
BETTERY API covers football, hockey, basketball, tennis, and a number of esports disciplines. But API-sport supports a wider list — from volleyball and cricket to rare regional leagues.
Technologies and formats
Both services offer standard protocols: REST, WebSocket, JSON, XML. However, API-sport better implements WebSocket connections, making it more convenient for live betting and streaming applications.
How to access BETTERY API?
To start working with BETTERY API, you need to register on the official website and obtain a personal API key. This key is used with each request and allows the system to identify the client as well as track their activity. Access to data directly depends on the chosen tariff plan: the higher the tariff, the broader the capabilities — from simply obtaining match results to working with odds and complete statistics.
Unlike API-sport, where the connection process is maximally simplified and supplemented with detailed documentation and SDKs for different languages, in BETTERY API, a newcomer will have to spend more time studying the integration. This makes API-sport it a more convenient choice for developers who value the speed of project launches.
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.
BETTERY API can also be found with third-party aggregators, for example, on RapidAPI, as well as through partner platforms. This is convenient if there is no opportunity or desire to work directly with the official website. However, BETTERY has a limited selection of such channels, and they do not always provide full functionality.
For comparison, API-sport it is available both through the official website and through major aggregators, plus it has ready-made SDKs and integrations, which reduces setup time and lowers the risk of errors.
12. Free plans usually include limited access to historical data and basic statistics. Paid subscriptions unlock:
BETTERY offers a basic free plan, but it is more suitable for testing. A limited number of requests and slow updates make it inconvenient for commercial solutions. To access key data — odds, live results, extended statistics — the user will have to subscribe to a paid plan.
У API-sport The free plan is more flexible: it allows working with real data and testing the API on small projects, and when the load increases, switching to PRO plans. This flexibility is especially important for startups and small teams that do not want to spend large budgets at the start.
17. Number of requests per minute/hour
On the free plan, BETTERY API has strict limits — a limited number of requests per day, low information update speed, and sometimes even the absence of some statistical data. This seriously restricts developers’ capabilities when it comes to real products with a live audience.
API-sport offers a more transparent system of restrictions: clear limits on the number of requests, flexible pricing, and fast data updates. Thanks to this, the service is suitable for both small applications and large-scale projects where stability and speed are important.
API Integration
Connection examples (Python, JavaScript)
Working with the BETTERY API is based on a classic scheme: the developer needs to form a request to the server, add their API key to the header or parameters, and process the received response. The response most often comes in JSON or XML format, which makes it easy to integrate data into web services, mobile applications, or analytical dashboards.
For example, in Python Connecting to the BETTERY API may look like this:
import requests
url = «https://api.bettery.com/v1/matches»
headers = {«Authorization»: «Bearer YOUR_API_KEY»}
response = requests.get(url, headers=headers)
if response.status_code == 200:
data = response.json()
print(data)
else:
print(«Error:», response.status_code)
В JavaScript (Node.js) the basic example is similar:
const fetch = require(«node-fetch»);
const url = «https://api.bettery.com/v1/matches»;
const options = {
headers: {
«Authorization»: «Bearer YOUR_API_KEY»
}
};
fetch(url, options)
.then(res => res.json())
.then(data => console.log(data))
.catch(err => console.error(«Error:», err));
This request structure is used in almost all sports APIs, including API-sport. However, BETTERY lacks ready-made libraries for popular programming languages, so developers have to manually describe all requests and error handling.
API-sport wins in this regard:
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it has ready-made SDKs for Python, JavaScript, PHP, and other languages;
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code examples with step-by-step instructions are available;
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built-in documentation right in the developer’s personal account.
This means that if connecting to the BETTERY API requires writing everything «from scratch,» in the case of API-sport, integration can take literally a few minutes.
Integration into CMS and mobile applications
API-sport has plugins for WordPress and SDKs for Android/iOS, which BETTERY practically lacks. This saves developers’ time and lowers the entry threshold.
Using live data via WebSocket
WebSocket allows for instant score updates without constant polling of the server. The API-sport mechanism is more stable and reacts faster, which is especially important in betting.
Where is it used?
Both APIs find application in different areas:
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In betting — odds calculation and scanners.
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In analytics and forecasts — player and team statistics.
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In media and fan applications — broadcasts and widgets.
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In Fantasy Sports and esports — dynamic data for games.
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In Big Data and BI systems — analytical processing of match arrays.
However API-sport covers more scenarios and is better documented, which simplifies its use in corporate projects.
Advantages and disadvantages
BETTERY API:
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✅ Data for bets and odds;
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✅ Support for popular sports;
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❌ Limited archives and statistics;
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❌ Fewer integration tools.
API-sport:
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✅ Wide coverage of sports;
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✅ Fast updating of live data;
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✅ Ready-made SDKs and plugins;
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❌ Paid PRO plans can be expensive for beginners.
Compared to BETTERY API, API-sport is more versatile and suitable not only for betting but also for analytics, media, and amateur projects.
Alternatives to sports APIs
In addition to BETTERY API and API-sport, the market includes SportRadar, TheSportsDB, and RapidAPI. They can be useful if rare data or special formats are needed. However, in terms of price balance, coverage, and convenience, API-sport appears to be the optimal choice.
In summary
BETTERY API is a working solution for betting, but it is limited in functionality and coverage. API-sport, on the other hand, excels in update speed, data breadth, ease of integration, and developer convenience. If you need a service that scales for different tasks—from a startup to a large analytical platform—the choice is obvious: API-sport.
You can register here: https://app.api-sport.ru/register
Our Telegram channel with updates: https://t.me/apisportru.
FAQ
Is there free access to the API?
Yes, both BETTERY and API-sport have free plans, but API-sport’s are more flexible and useful for testing.
What sports are supported?
BETTERY is limited to top leagues, while API-sport supports over 30 sports.
Is the API suitable for betting?
Yes, the BETTERY API is tailored for betting, but API-sport is also actively used by betting platforms.
How to connect the API to the application?
In both cases, an API key is required. API-sport has ready-made SDKs for Python, JavaScript, and mobile applications.
Can the API be used for predictions?
Yes, API-sport is especially convenient due to match archives and extensive statistics.
Is the API suitable for fan applications?
BETTERY is limited to betting, while API-sport is versatile and convenient for media and fan services.
