RoxyAPI vs Prokerala Astrology API: Credit-Based Pricing vs All-in-One Access Compared
Compare RoxyAPI and Prokerala Astrology API. See how credit-based pricing stacks up against all-in-one plans, plus coverage gaps in tarot, dreams, I-Ching, and AI agent support.
RoxyAPI vs Prokerala Astrology API: Credit-Based Pricing vs All-in-One Access Compared
Prokerala is one of the most established astrology API providers, especially in the Vedic astrology space. They have been around for years, offer a free tier, and their credit-based pricing starts at just ₹1,000/month. On the surface, that looks like a bargain.
But credit-based pricing has a catch. Every API call costs a different number of credits depending on the endpoint. A basic Panchang call costs 10 credits. A Kundali call costs 300. A Western natal chart costs 500. A Saturn transit PDF report costs 350,000 credits. That ₹1,000/month plan gives you 100,000 credits, which sounds like a lot until you realize a single PDF report can consume more than three times your monthly allowance.
RoxyAPI takes a different approach: flat monthly pricing, all APIs included, no credit math. Your Starter plan at ₹2,999/month ($39) gives you 5,000 requests across six domains (Western astrology, Vedic astrology, tarot, numerology, dream interpretation, and I-Ching), and every request costs the same whether it is a simple planet position or a full birth chart.
Let us break down exactly how these two providers compare on pricing, features, AI readiness, and developer experience.
The Credit System: Simple on Paper, Complex in Practice
Prokerala uses a credit-based pricing model. You buy a plan that gives you a pool of credits, and each API call deducts credits from that pool. The number of credits deducted depends on which endpoint you call.
Here is a sample of actual credit costs from Prokerala's published pricing page:
Vedic Astrology Credit Costs
| Endpoint | Credits per Call |
|---|---|
| Basic Panchang | 10 |
| Mangal Dosh (basic) | 30 |
| Birth Chart | 50 |
| Kundali (basic) | 50 |
| Kundali (advanced) | 300 |
| Dasha Periods | 200 |
| Yoga Details | 200 |
| Ashtakavarga | 200 |
| Sarvashtakavarga | 300 |
| Chandrashtama Periods | 200 |
Western Astrology Credit Costs
| Endpoint | Credits per Call |
|---|---|
| Natal Chart | 500 |
| Transit Chart | 800 |
| Synastry Chart | 800 |
| Composite Chart | 800 |
| Solar Return Chart | 800 |
| Natal Aspect Chart | 500 |
| Planet Positions & Aspects | 500 |
PDF Reports Credit Costs
| Report | Credits per Call |
|---|---|
| Minimum per PDF request | 6,000 |
| Saturn Transit Report | 350,000 |
| Jupiter Transit Report | 350,000 |
| Year Guide Report | 300,000 |
| Rahu-Ketu Transit Report | 200,000 |
What This Means in Practice
The ₹1,000/month plan gives you 100,000 credits. Here is how far that actually goes:
Scenario 1: Basic Vedic astrology app
- 100 birth charts per day = 5,000 credits/day
- 30 days = 150,000 credits/month
- Result: you exceed your plan by day 20
Scenario 2: Multi-feature Kundali app
- 50 birth charts + 50 advanced Kundali + 50 Dasha + 50 Yoga per day
- = 2,500 + 15,000 + 10,000 + 10,000 = 37,500 credits/day
- = 1,125,000 credits/month
- Result: you need 11x your base plan
Scenario 3: Western astrology app
- 100 natal charts per day = 50,000 credits/day
- = 1,500,000 credits/month
- Result: you need 15x your base plan
Scenario 4: One comprehensive PDF report
- Saturn Transit Report = 350,000 credits
- Result: a single PDF request costs 3.5x your entire monthly plan
When you run out of credits, your API stops working. You can buy add-on packs (₹2,500 for 100,000 credits with 3-month validity), but those costs add up quickly. And unused credits expire at the end of each billing cycle with no rollover.
RoxyAPI: Predictable Pricing
With RoxyAPI, every request costs the same. A planet position call and a full birth chart call both count as one request. There is no credit math, no variable costs per endpoint, no surprises on your bill.
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Requests | Cost per Request |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | ₹2,999 ($39) | 5,000 | ₹0.60 |
| Professional | ₹9,999 ($149) | 50,000 | ₹0.20 |
| Business | ₹24,999 ($349) | 200,000 | ₹0.12 |
| Enterprise | ₹49,999 ($699) | 1,000,000 | ₹0.05 |
You know exactly what you will pay every month. No endpoint-level pricing variations. No expired credits. No add-on packs.
Feature Coverage: Depth vs Breadth
This is where the comparison gets nuanced. Prokerala has genuine depth in Vedic astrology. But RoxyAPI covers more domains.
| Domain | RoxyAPI | Prokerala |
|---|---|---|
| Western Astrology (natal, transits, synastry) | Yes | Yes |
| Vedic Astrology (Kundali, dashas, doshas) | Yes | Yes (deep) |
| Vedic Matchmaking (Ashtakoot, Porutham) | Yes | Yes (deep) |
| Daily Panchang | Yes | Yes (deep) |
| Traditional Indian Calendars | No | Yes |
| Tarot (card meanings, spreads, readings) | Yes | No |
| Numerology | Yes | Yes |
| Dream Interpretation | Yes | No |
| I-Ching (hexagrams, readings) | Yes | No |
| PDF Report Generation | No | Yes (credit-heavy) |
| WordPress Plugin | No | Yes |
| MCP for AI Agents | Yes | No |
| AI-Optimized Documentation | Yes | No |
Where Prokerala Wins
Vedic astrology depth. Prokerala offers specialized features that reflect deep knowledge of the Indian astrology tradition. Batch marriage compatibility (up to 500 profiles in a single request), Papasamyam analysis, Thirumana Porutham, Nakshatra Porutham, Bhava positions, and Sudharshana Chakra. If you are building a matrimony platform or a deeply specialized Jyotish application, Prokerala's Vedic coverage is extensive.
Indian language support. Prokerala supports 5 languages: English, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu. For endpoints in non-English languages, credit costs double (a Kundali call costs 100 credits in Tamil vs 50 in English), but the coverage exists. RoxyAPI currently supports English only.
Traditional Indian calendars. Prokerala offers Tamil, Malayalam, Shaka Samvat, Vikram Samvat, Amanta, Purnimanta, Hijri, Gujarati, Bengali, and Lunar calendars. This is a specialized feature set that RoxyAPI does not offer.
PDF reports. Prokerala can generate white-label PDF reports for Vedic and Western astrology, though the credit costs are steep (6,000 minimum per report, up to 350,000 for comprehensive transit reports).
WordPress plugin. Prokerala offers a WordPress plugin for non-developer integration. Useful for content-focused astrology websites.
Where RoxyAPI Wins
Domain breadth. RoxyAPI covers six domains under one API key. Tarot, dream interpretation, and I-Ching are not available on Prokerala at all. If your app combines astrology with tarot or dream analysis, Prokerala cannot cover those needs.
Pricing predictability. No credit math. Every request costs the same regardless of endpoint complexity. You never run out of credits mid-month because a few users requested expensive endpoints.
AI agent integration. RoxyAPI supports MCP (Model Context Protocol) natively, meaning AI agents from OpenAI, Claude, and Gemini can discover and call endpoints as tools without custom wrappers. Prokerala has no MCP support and no AI-optimized documentation.
All-in-one billing. One API key, one subscription, all domains. No per-domain pricing, no add-on packs, no expired credits.
Real-World Cost Comparison
Let us compare costs for realistic usage scenarios across both providers.
Scenario: Vedic Astrology App (5,000 charts/month)
Each user session generates: 1 birth chart (50 credits) + 1 advanced Kundali (300 credits) + 1 Dasha (200 credits) = 550 credits per session.
5,000 sessions = 2,750,000 credits/month on Prokerala.
| Provider | Plan Needed | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Prokerala | ₹1,000 base + ~₹62,500 in add-ons (25 packs) | ~₹63,500/mo |
| RoxyAPI | Professional (50,000 requests) | ₹9,999/mo |
Note: The Prokerala cost depends on which plan tiers are available above ₹1,000/mo. Their Ruby, Emerald, and Sapphire plans likely offer better credit-per-rupee ratios at higher tiers, but exact pricing is dynamically loaded on their site and not publicly listed in static pages. The point stands that credit-based pricing becomes expensive for feature-rich sessions.
Scenario: Multi-Domain App (Astrology + Tarot + Numerology)
| Provider | Coverage | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Prokerala | Astrology + Numerology only (no tarot) | ₹1,000+ (depending on usage) |
| Prokerala + separate tarot provider | Astrology + Numerology + Tarot | ₹1,000+ plus second provider |
| RoxyAPI | Astrology + Tarot + Numerology + Dreams + I-Ching | ₹2,999 (Starter) |
With Prokerala, you cannot build a multi-domain app from a single provider. Tarot, dream interpretation, and I-Ching require sourcing from separate APIs, managing additional integrations, and paying additional bills.
AI Agent Integration
This is not a marginal difference. It is a generational gap.
Prokerala is a traditional REST API built for server-to-server communication. It works well for mobile apps and websites that make direct HTTP calls. But it has no support for AI agents, no MCP tools, no structured tool definitions, and no AI-optimized documentation.
RoxyAPI is AI-native. Every endpoint is available as an MCP tool that AI agents from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google can discover and call directly. The API documentation includes semantic field descriptions designed for both human developers and LLM consumption.
If you are building any product that involves AI, whether a chatbot that answers astrology questions, an agent that generates birth charts on demand, or a copilot that combines tarot with dream analysis, RoxyAPI works out of the box. With Prokerala, you would need to write custom tool definitions, parse responses manually, and maintain wrapper code for every endpoint you want to expose to an AI agent.
Developer Experience
Documentation
Prokerala provides standard API documentation with endpoint descriptions and parameter lists. They also offer sample API clients in PHP, C#, Python, and Ruby, which is a nice touch for getting started.
RoxyAPI uses Scalar for interactive API documentation where every endpoint is explorable and testable directly in the browser. Every response field includes semantic descriptions with examples, designed for both human developers and AI agents. Check the API documentation to see the difference firsthand.
Authentication and Setup
Both providers use API key authentication. Prokerala requires signing up for a free account to get an API key. RoxyAPI generates an API key instantly after checkout.
SDKs and Integration
Prokerala offers sample clients in PHP, C#, Python, and Ruby plus a WordPress plugin. RoxyAPI provides a REST API with comprehensive OpenAPI specs and MCP tool definitions.
When to Choose Each Provider
Choose Prokerala if:
- You are building a deeply specialized Vedic astrology application (matrimony matching, detailed Kundali analysis, Panchang-centric features)
- You need Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, or Telugu language support for astrology content
- You need traditional Indian calendar systems (Samvat, Amanta, Purnimanta)
- You need PDF report generation for client-facing astrology reports
- You need a WordPress plugin for a content-focused astrology website
- Your usage is low enough that the credit system stays affordable
Choose RoxyAPI if:
- You need multiple domains beyond astrology (tarot, numerology, dreams, I-Ching)
- You want predictable monthly billing without credit math or expired credits
- You are building AI-powered products that need MCP integration
- You want a single API key and single subscription for all domains
- You want to add new domains later without new integrations or bills
- You prioritize modern documentation designed for both humans and AI agents
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is Prokerala cheaper than RoxyAPI? A: For very low usage with basic Vedic endpoints, Prokerala's free tier (2,500 credits) or ₹1,000/month plan can be cheaper. But credit costs vary dramatically per endpoint (10 credits for basic Panchang vs 350,000 for a Saturn transit PDF), making total costs unpredictable. For apps that use multiple features per session, costs escalate quickly. RoxyAPI's flat pricing (₹2,999/month for 5,000 requests across all domains) is more predictable for production apps.
Q: Does Prokerala have tarot or dream interpretation APIs? A: No. Prokerala focuses on Vedic astrology, Western astrology, daily Panchang, numerology, and Indian calendars. They do not offer tarot, dream interpretation, or I-Ching APIs. If your app needs these domains, you would need to source them from a separate provider. RoxyAPI includes all six domains on every plan.
Q: Does Prokerala support AI agents or MCP? A: No. Prokerala is a traditional REST API without MCP support, AI-optimized documentation, or agent discovery features. RoxyAPI supports MCP natively, allowing AI agents from OpenAI, Claude, and Gemini to discover and call endpoints as tools without custom integration code.
Q: What happens when I run out of Prokerala credits? A: Your API stops working. You can purchase add-on credit packs (₹2,500 for 100,000 credits with 3-month validity), but unused credits from your monthly plan do not roll over. They expire at the end of each billing cycle. Prokerala does not offer refunds on credits. With RoxyAPI, you get a fixed request quota each month and can upgrade plans at any time without add-on complexity.
Q: Which provider has better Vedic astrology coverage? A: For deep Vedic specialization, Prokerala offers more specialized features like batch marriage compatibility (up to 500 profiles), multiple regional matchmaking systems (Ashtakoot, Porutham, Thirumana Porutham), and comprehensive Panchang with Choghadiya, Tara Bala, and Chandra Bala. RoxyAPI covers Vedic astrology fundamentals (Kundali, dashas, nakshatras, KP, doshas, matchmaking) but does not match Prokerala's depth in specialized Vedic features. If your product is exclusively Vedic, Prokerala's depth may be worth the credit-based pricing trade-off.
Q: Can I use Prokerala for both Western and Vedic astrology? A: Yes, but Western astrology endpoints cost significantly more credits. A basic Vedic birth chart costs 50 credits while a Western natal chart costs 500 credits, 10 times more. Western transit, synastry, and composite charts cost 800 credits each. If your app uses both traditions, the credit costs add up faster than the Vedic-only numbers suggest.
Q: Which astrology API is better for production apps? A: For multi-domain production apps, RoxyAPI's predictable pricing and unified access make it the more practical choice. You know your monthly cost upfront and never worry about credit depletion mid-month. For single-domain Vedic apps targeting the Indian market with regional language needs, Prokerala's specialized features and language support may justify the credit management overhead.
Ready to build with predictable pricing and six API domains? RoxyAPI gives you astrology, tarot, numerology, dreams, and I-Ching under one plan. View pricing or explore the API documentation.