:::note
**TL;DR**
- A Vedic astrology API is judged on ayanamsa correctness, kundli depth (nakshatra pada, divisional charts), dasha, panchang, Ashtakoota matching, dosha, and KP, plus a verifiable accuracy claim and a pricing model that survives scale.
- RoxyAPI, AstrologyAPI, and Prokerala all ship kundli, panchang, Vimshottari dasha, Ashtakoota Guna Milan, dosha, and KP. The real split is pricing model, accuracy proof, market focus, and breadth.
- RoxyAPI bills a flat 1 request = 1 unit across more than 40 Vedic endpoints inside 145+ endpoints across 12 domains. AstrologyAPI and Prokerala bill a credit wallet where each call costs different credits.
- Ship a kundli, matrimonial, or panchang app on the [Vedic Astrology API](/products/vedic-astrology-api "production-ready Vedic astrology API with kundli, panchang, dasha, KP") in under a day.
:::

If you are building a kundli generator, a matrimonial matcher, a panchang service, or a jyotish chatbot, the Vedic astrology API behind it decides your accuracy, your feature ceiling, and your margins. The category has matured: kundli, panchang, Vimshottari dasha, 36-point Ashtakoota matching, dosha detection, and KP sub-lord analysis are now table stakes across the serious providers. So the decision has moved past the feature checklist to four harder questions. Can you verify the calculations yourself? Is pricing flat or weighted per call? Is the catalog honestly counted? And does the provider cover only Vedic, or every spiritual domain your users will eventually ask for? This guide compares the three providers a developer actually shortlists in 2026, with fact-checked features and pricing.

## What matters when you choose a Vedic astrology API

A good Vedic astrology API gets seven fundamentals right before any extra feature counts. It runs sidereal calculations with the correct ayanamsa (Lahiri is the Indian government standard; KP work needs KP-Newcomb). It returns a kundli with nakshatra and pada precision plus divisional charts, not just sign placements. It ships Vimshottari dasha at three levels, a panchang with real muhurta windows, 36-point Ashtakoota Guna Milan for matchmaking, dosha detection (Manglik, Kaal Sarp, Sade Sati), and a KP suite with sub-lord analysis.

Past those fundamentals, three modern criteria separate providers. First, accuracy you can independently reproduce: a published test suite cross-checked against a neutral reference beats a black-box claim. Second, a pricing model that does not punish you for calling more endpoints per user. Third, licensing you can ship a closed-source product on without inheriting a copyleft obligation.

Ready to build this? The [Vedic Astrology API](/products/vedic-astrology-api "kundli, panchang, dasha, dosha, and KP in one Vedic astrology API") returns a complete kundli in one call with nakshatra pada precision. [See pricing](/pricing "RoxyAPI plans, all 12 domains, one API key").

## How RoxyAPI, AstrologyAPI, and Prokerala compare on Vedic features

All three providers cover the Vedic core, verified against their live catalogs in June 2026. The table below is feature parity where it exists and honest differences where they matter. KP, which used to be rare, is now shipped by all three, so the differentiators have moved to pricing model, accuracy proof, breadth, and market focus.

| Capability | RoxyAPI | AstrologyAPI | Prokerala |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kundli / birth chart | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Nakshatra with pada | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Divisional charts (D1 to D60) | Yes (15 vargas) | Yes | Yes |
| Vimshottari dasha (3 levels) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Panchang with muhurtas | Yes (15+ muhurtas) | Yes | Yes |
| Ashtakoota Guna Milan (36-point) | Yes (with dosha cancellation) | Yes | Yes |
| Dosha (Manglik, Kaal Sarp, Sade Sati) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| KP system | Yes (sub-lord and sub-sub-lord, horary) | Yes (sub-lords, horary) | Yes (chart, significators) |
| Other spiritual domains, same key | 11 more domains | Western, horoscope, numerology | Western astrology |
| Pricing model | Flat, 1 request = 1 unit | Credit wallet, weighted per call | Credit wallet, weighted per call |
| Public accuracy benchmark | Open MIT repo vs NASA JPL Horizons | Not published | Long-standing reference reputation |
| Primary market | Global-first | India and South Asia | India and South Asia |
| Typed SDKs | TypeScript, Python, PHP, spec-generated | Sample clients | Client libraries |
| Drop-in UI components | Yes, @roxyapi/ui (MIT, shadcn registry) | None documented | None documented |
| Free MIT templates | Yes (kundli, AI chatbot, tarot, and more) | None documented | None documented |

The standout structural difference is breadth and how it is counted. AstrologyAPI advertises 300+ endpoints and Prokerala lists dozens of report types, often presenting kundli, panchang, KP, dasha, and transits as separate API products. RoxyAPI groups those as facets inside ONE Vedic astrology domain, then repeats that discipline across Western astrology, numerology, tarot, Human Design, forecast, biorhythm, I-Ching, crystals, dreams, angel numbers, and location. That is why the honest count is 12 genuinely distinct domains, not 30 to 40 that domain-splitting would produce.

## What a Vedic API call actually costs

Pricing is where the three providers diverge most, and the model matters more than the sticker number. RoxyAPI charges a flat rate: every request is one unit, whether it is a panchang lookup or a full kundli. The Starter plan is 39 USD for 25,000 requests, which works out to 0.00156 USD per call, and every plan includes all 12 domains and every endpoint.

AstrologyAPI and Prokerala both bill a credit wallet where each endpoint consumes a different number of credits. On Prokerala (rates fetched June 2026), a Birth Chart costs 50 credits, an advanced Kundli 300 credits, a basic Panchang 10 credits, and Kundali Matching 50 credits. Prokerala publishes a top-up rate of 2,500 rupees per 100,000 credits, about 26 USD, which makes a single advanced kundli roughly 0.079 USD and a birth chart roughly 0.013 USD. AstrologyAPI uses a unified credit wallet across its Indian, Western, Horoscope, and PDF suites, with 50 free credits on signup and automatic volume discounts, where heavier reports cost more credits than light ones.

| Provider | Model | Reference rate | Matrimonial match (3 calls) |
|---|---|---|---|
| RoxyAPI | Flat, 1 request = 1 unit | 0.00075 USD/call (Professional) | ~0.0022 USD |
| Prokerala | Credit-weighted | ~26 USD per 100k credits | ~0.034 USD (130 credits) |
| AstrologyAPI | Credit-weighted | Per-call credit cost, volume discounts | Varies by report weight |

A matrimonial match needs three calls (birth chart, compatibility, dosha). On RoxyAPI Professional that is about 0.0022 USD flat. On Prokerala the same three reports are 130 credits, about 0.034 USD at the published top-up rate. The flat model also makes forecasting trivial: you never have to predict which endpoint mix your users will hit.

## How to generate a kundli with the API

Generating a kundli is a two-step pattern: geocode the birth city first, then pass those coordinates to the chart endpoint. Never ask users to type latitude and longitude. The location search returns an IANA timezone string you can hand straight to the chart call, and the server resolves it to the correct historical offset for the birth date. The example below uses [`POST /vedic-astrology/birth-chart`](/api-reference#tag/vedic-astrology/POST/vedic-astrology/birth-chart "Vedic birth chart endpoint with full request and response schema").

```bash
# 1. Geocode the birth city
curl -s "https://roxyapi.com/api/v2/location/search?q=Mumbai&limit=1" \
  -H "X-API-Key: $ROXYAPI_KEY"
# cities[0] -> { "latitude": 19.0760, "longitude": 72.8777, "timezone": "Asia/Kolkata", ... }

# 2. Generate the Vedic kundli with those coordinates
curl -s -X POST "https://roxyapi.com/api/v2/vedic-astrology/birth-chart" \
  -H "X-API-Key: $ROXYAPI_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "date": "1990-07-04",
    "time": "10:30:00",
    "latitude": 19.0760,
    "longitude": 72.8777,
    "timezone": "Asia/Kolkata"
  }'
```

The response returns the twelve rashi objects for rendering the chart, a `meta` map keyed by planet with `graha`, `rashi`, `longitude`, `nakshatra`, and `isRetrograde`, plus `houses`, `combustion`, `planetaryWar`, and `interpretations`. Iterate `meta` for planets that carry data and iterate the rashis to draw the kundli grid. The same request shape feeds the dasha, dosha, navamsa, and compatibility endpoints, so one input schema covers the whole Vedic flow.

## When to choose each provider

Fairness is the point of a buyer guide, so here is the honest case for each. No single provider wins every scenario.

**Choose Prokerala** when you want a long-established reference reputation, a forever-free tier for prototyping, and India-first regional calendar coverage (Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Vikram and Shaka Samvat). If your app is single-domain Vedic, India-focused, and you are comfortable with credit-weighted billing, it is a safe, battle-tested pick.

**Choose AstrologyAPI** when raw endpoint count is your priority and you want a very wide Indian and Western catalog with PDF report generation under one credit wallet. If you need pre-rendered PDF kundli reports out of the box and your traffic earns the automatic volume discounts, the breadth of its report library is a genuine strength.

**Choose RoxyAPI** when you need flat, predictable pricing, breadth beyond Vedic under one key, AI-agent readiness, and accuracy you can audit. RoxyAPI is global-first, so it suits products serving users worldwide rather than primarily the South Asian market, where Prokerala and AstrologyAPI are rooted. It returns a complete kundli in one call, exposes KP sub-lord and sub-sub-lord data plus horary ruling planets, and verifies positions against NASA JPL Horizons with a public, reproducible benchmark.

:::stat 16 arcsec
Median planetary position difference of 16 arcseconds against NASA JPL Horizons DE441 (max 32 arcsec, Moon 3 arcsec), published as an open, runnable benchmark. Source: [/methodology](/methodology "RoxyAPI testing methodology and gold-standard verification").
:::

A few more RoxyAPI traits matter for modern builds. On the AI side, every endpoint maps to one tool: 145+ tools across 12 Remote MCP servers (Streamable HTTP, hosted, no local install) plus a docs MCP server, so an agent points at a URL with an API key and auto-discovers the whole Vedic flow. On licensing, RoxyAPI runs Roxy Ephemeris, so a closed-source product inherits no copyleft obligation. And you ship faster than from a bare API: typed TypeScript, Python, and PHP SDKs generated from the spec, drop-in @roxyapi/ui web components (MIT licensed, with React wrappers and a shadcn registry) that render a kundli or panchang straight from the API response, and free MIT starter templates (a Vedic kundli app, an AI chatbot, and more) you clone and white-label, none of which the credit-wallet incumbents ship.

:::warning
The dominant open ephemeris library, Swiss Ephemeris, is AGPL licensed. A network service built on it must either open-source under AGPL or buy a commercial license from the upstream author. RoxyAPI runs Roxy Ephemeris, verified against NASA JPL Horizons, with no AGPL restriction, so the calculation path stays clean for commercial closed-source apps.
:::

## FAQ

**Which Vedic astrology API is best for kundli generation?**
For a modern build, RoxyAPI is the strongest pick. It returns a complete kundli in a single call (nakshatra pada, divisional charts, dasha, KP sub-lords, doshas, and Guna Milan matching) at flat per-request pricing, adds 11 other insight domains under the same key, ships Remote MCP for AI agents, and publishes a runnable accuracy benchmark you can audit. A single-domain build for the India market can also use a credit-wallet incumbent with a free tier or ready-made PDF reports, but for breadth, predictable billing, and AI-native tooling, start with RoxyAPI.

**Which is the cheapest Vedic astrology API at scale?**
It depends on your endpoint mix. Flat pricing (1 request = 1 unit) is predictable: a kundli, a panchang, and a dosha check all cost the same. Credit-weighted pricing can be cheaper for light calls like a 10-credit panchang and more expensive for heavy ones like a 300-credit advanced kundli. For a matrimonial flow of three calls per match, a flat plan tends to win because no single call is surcharged. Model your own traffic before committing.

**Do these APIs support the KP (Krishnamurti Paddhati) system?**
Yes. RoxyAPI exposes a full KP suite: KP chart, planets with sub-lord and sub-sub-lord, cusps, significators, and ruling-planet horary, with three ayanamsa options including KP-Newcomb. KP used to be rare in astrology APIs, so if your users are KP practitioners, confirm sub-lord and sub-sub-lord depth and ruling-planet horary in any API before you commit.

**Is there a free Vedic astrology API for testing?**
RoxyAPI offers a live interactive playground at /api-reference that returns real production responses with a working test key, so you can evaluate the full data before paying, even though it does not run a perpetual free tier. Open-source Vedic datasets also exist on GitHub for self-hosting, but production apps usually want managed uptime, support, and a verifiable accuracy benchmark over maintaining an ephemeris stack themselves.

**How do I verify a Vedic astrology API is accurate?**
Run the same birth data through the API and an authoritative reference, then compare planetary longitudes to several decimal places and check the nakshatra and pada. The strongest signal is a provider that publishes a runnable test suite cross-checked against NASA JPL Horizons, so you reproduce the numbers yourself instead of trusting a marketing line. RoxyAPI ships an open MIT benchmark of 210 reference points across 21 charts.

**Can one API cover Vedic plus Western astrology, tarot, and numerology?**
Yes. RoxyAPI covers 12 domains under one key and one flat plan: Vedic, Western astrology, numerology, tarot, Human Design, forecast, biorhythm, I-Ching, crystals, dreams, angel numbers, and location. If your roadmap adds tarot or numerology later, a multi-domain key avoids stitching separate providers and keeps billing in one place.

## Conclusion

The serious Vedic astrology APIs have converged on the core features, so the 2026 decision rests on pricing model, verifiable accuracy, honest counting, and breadth. Match the provider to your app: Prokerala for an India-first single-domain build with a free tier, AstrologyAPI for the widest report and PDF catalog, and RoxyAPI for flat pricing, global reach, auditable accuracy, and 12 domains under one key. Explore the [Vedic Astrology API](/products/vedic-astrology-api "kundli, panchang, dasha, dosha, and KP under one key") or compare [pricing](/pricing "RoxyAPI plans, flat per-request, all domains included").