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The Best Free Public APIs for Developers in 2026
Curated by Musharof Chowdhury · Last reviewed · How we pick
Free public APIs are ideal for side projects, learning and prototypes. The best ones are stable, well documented and either need no API key or give you one instantly.
Before you build a product on a free API, check its rate limits and terms: several are free only for non-commercial use, and a free API can change or disappear without notice.
Our shortlist
Public APIs
Best for finding an API for any topicA large community-maintained directory of free APIs, grouped by category and noting whether each needs a key.
JSONPlaceholder
Best for prototyping and tutorialsA fake REST API with posts, users and comments, perfect for testing front-end code before the real backend exists.
Open-Meteo
Best for weather dataFree weather forecasts and historical data with no API key needed for non-commercial use.
Frankfurter
Best for currency exchange ratesAn open-source API for current and historical exchange rates published by the European Central Bank, with no key required.
REST Countries
Best for country dataNames, flags, currencies, languages and calling codes for every country through a simple REST API.
NASA Open APIs
Best for space imagery and dataFree access to the Astronomy Picture of the Day, Mars rover photos, near-Earth objects and more with a free key.
Open Library API
Best for book dataSearch books, authors and cover images from the Internet Archive's open catalogue, with no key required.
PokéAPI
Best for learning to work with APIsA well-structured, fully documented API that is a popular first project for practising REST and GraphQL.
Google Safe Browsing
Best for checking URLs for malware and phishingChecks links against Google's lists of unsafe sites; free for non-commercial use.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find free public APIs?
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The Public APIs repository on GitHub is the largest free directory, organised by category and noting authentication, HTTPS and CORS support for each API.
Which free APIs do not need an API key?
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JSONPlaceholder, Open-Meteo for non-commercial use, Frankfurter, REST Countries, Open Library and PokéAPI all work without a key, which makes them ideal for tutorials and quick prototypes.
Can I use free APIs in a commercial product?
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Sometimes. Check each API's terms: some, such as Open-Meteo and Google Safe Browsing, are free only for non-commercial use and offer paid plans for businesses. For anything critical, prefer an API with a paid tier and a service level agreement.
How do I test an API?
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Use an API client such as Bruno, Hoppscotch or Postman to send requests and inspect responses, or start with curl in the terminal. Most of the APIs in this list can also be opened directly in a browser.
Browse every API
All 209 listings in this category, submitted by the community.
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ShieldLabs is fraud detection and prevention with traffic quality scoring for websites and web apps. It detects users running multiple accounts, accou...
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