When it comes to sports APIs, developers and project owners immediately face a choice: which service to use? There are dozens of data providers on the market — from international giants to local companies. Everyone promises «speed,» «reliability,» and «wide coverage,» but in reality, it’s not that simple.
Today we will analyze and compare API-Sport.ru with other popular APIs. We will look at speed, cost, sports types, ease of integration, and support. Most importantly, we will understand how the Russian service differs from its foreign counterparts.
What sports APIs are available on the market?
Developers most often consider:
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API-Sport.ru — a Russian service focused on speed and local support.
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Goalserve — one of the oldest sports data providers.
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TheSports API — an international service with wide coverage.
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Spoyer API — a solution for live results and betting.
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API-Sports.io — a European project popular among beginners.
Each of them solves its own tasks, but let’s compare them based on important parameters.
Criterion 1. Data update speed
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API-Sport.ru: average response time 0.4 sec, 99% of data arrives faster than 1 sec. This is indeed faster than most competitors.
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Goalserve: delay 2–5 sec.
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TheSports: from 1 to 3 sec.
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Spoyer: about 2–3 sec.
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API-Sports.io: on average 2–4 sec.
👉 Conclusion: if you need live scores or data for betting, API-Sport.ru provides a noticeable advantage.
Criterion 2. Coverage of sports
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API-Sport.ru: football, basketball, hockey, volleyball; in 2026 — tennis, esports, UFC, rugby, boxing, and more.
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Goalserve: a wide selection — from football to baseball.
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TheSports: 30+ types of sports, including niche ones.
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Spoyer: focus on football, basketball, and hockey.
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API-Sports.io: football, basketball, tennis, hockey.
👉 Conclusion: in terms of the number of sports, foreign services are currently ahead, but API-Sport.ru is actively expanding its coverage.
Criterion 3. Cost and pricing
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API-Sport.ru: $99/month (football), $249/month (all sports). There is a free trial.
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Goalserve: from $299/month.
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TheSports: individual prices, often more than $300.
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Spoyer: from $250/month.
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API-Sports.io: from €39, but with limitations on requests and speed.
👉 Conclusion: API-Sport.ru is cheaper than most competitors at the same or better speed.
Criterion 4. Ease of integration
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API-Sport.ru: REST API, detailed documentation in Russian, fast support.
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Goalserve: XML and JSON, but the documentation is dry.
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TheSports: rich documentation, but in English.
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Spoyer: basic documentation, support is limited.
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API-Sports.io: good documentation for beginners, in English.
👉 Conclusion: API-Sport.ru wins for Russian-speaking teams — clear examples, live support, you can ask questions in Russian.
Criterion 5. Support and reliability
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API-Sport.ru: 99.9% uptime guarantee, support via Telegram and email, response within an hour.
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Goalserve: slow support, often complaints about responses within 1–2 days.
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TheSports: active support, but in English.
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Spoyer: limited support.
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API-Sports.io: forum and email, average response speed.
👉 Conclusion: API-Sport.ru is better for those who value promptness and communication without a language barrier.
Summary comparison table
| Criterion | API-Sport.ru | Goalserve | TheSports | Spoyer | API-Sports.io |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed | 0.4 sec | 2–5 sec | 1–3 sec | 2–3 sec | 2–4 sec |
| Sports | 4 (+10 in 2025) | 20+ | 30+ | 5 | 10+ |
| Price | from $99 | from $299 | from $300+ | from $250 | from €39 |
| Documentation | Russian, simple | Complex | Rich, English. | Basic | Detailed, English. |
| Support | Fast, RU | Slow | Average | Limited | Average |
Who is API-Sport.ru suitable for?
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Mobile app developers — for live notifications and statistics.
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Bookmakers and analysts — for working with odds without delays.
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Media and news portals – for publishing fresh data in real time.
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Startups and students – thanks to the affordable price and free trial.
Why choose API-Sport.ru?
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Update speed – a leader in Russia.
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Price – more advantageous than competitors.
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Local support and documentation in Russian.
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Constant expansion of the range of sports covered.
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The ability to test the service for free before purchase.
Conclusion
There are many sports APIs on the market, and each has its advantages. But if you value:
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speed (0.4 sec),
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affordable price,
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clear documentation and support in Russian,
then the best choice will be API-Sport.ru.
This service not only competes with global players but also offers local developers what is often lacking in foreign solutions: reaction speed, ease of implementation, and support «in their own language.».
Try the free trial and see for yourself: API-Sport.ru – faster than competitors, cheaper, and more convenient.
