Free Public APIs for Developers

A lot of services depend on the use of APIs allowing software systems communicate efficiently between each other. APIs assist developers by providing methods and tools to interact with external and internal software or services.

Developers use APIs to get things done faster. For example, by using a Map API in an application like a cab-hailing service, the developer doesn't have to build the map from scratch, allowing them focus on other parts of the applications.

Just as a refresh, we’ll discuss the importance of APIs, the types of APIs used in web services, and also look at examples of free public APIs for developers.

Application programming interface or API as it’s commonly called is a set of rules and protocols that allows communication between software applications. APIs allow developers add features and functionality to applications by leveraging services created by other developers.

There are various APIs with protocols and architectures that vary based on the needs of the application. API protocols and architecture determine how APIs work and communicate with systems.

Protocols are set of rules that determine how data is sent, processed and received between the client (application or software) and the server (where data is stored). Architecture refers to the structure of the API, which dictates how the request (from the client) and responses (from the server) is executed. They can be used interchangeably. Common types of API architecture include REST, SOAP, GraphQL, gRPC, etc.

Here’s an article that talks more about APIs you should definitely checkout.

There are four common types of APIs used in web services;

Public APIs: Public or open APIs are APIs available and accessible to developers and the public for integration into systems or applications. However, they may require registration, API keys or authentications.

Internal APIs: Internal or private APIs are developed for use within an organization. They are the bridge of communication between different component, services or applications within an organisation, and are not intended for external use.

Partners APIs: Partner APIs are APIs available to business partners, they are not open to the public this allows more control and customization.

Composite APIs: Composite APIs combine multiple API request into a single request. Instead of taking multiple round trips to the server, a client can make several requests with one call.

There are a ton of reasons why APIs are crucial to development of applications, such as;

Rapid Development: APIs allow developers to integrate functionalities or software’s already built by other companies into their applications avoiding the need to build those features from scratch saving time and energy.

Communication between Systems: APIs enable communication between systems or components built using various technologies.

Reusability: APIs promote reusability, it promotes reusability because it can be used across multiple projects by multiple developers without its effort being reduced.

Collaboration: APIs allow developers to work simultaneously. For example, the frontend developer can focus on frontend APIs while the backend developer works on backend APIs within the same project. This allows developers work independently yet in sync towards a common goal.

Cross-Platform Compatibility: APIs allow applications to work across various platforms and devices by providing a structured way of exchanging data.

Scalability: APIs are used to scale applications by enabling the integration of external application or services (third-party services) without modifying the main application or services.

Extend Applications: APIs can be used to add functionality to an application. For instance, they can integrate a secure payment system, weather app, gps tracking, and more.

Examples of common API use cases include;

Payment APIs: Payment APIs simplifies the process of secure payment by integrating payment gateways like PayPal or stripe.

Social Media APIs: Allow integration with social media platforms to perform actions like posting, embedding content and more.

Contend Delivery and Management APIs: Enables access to content management systems and deliver content across platforms.

Widget and Service APIs: These APIs offer ready-made widgets or tools for embedding features like maps or analytics into applications.

Developers often need free public APIs for easy integration and testing. APIs can easily integrate features into projects, and provide readily available data without the need to pay for it. Free APIs are great for learning and development, this allows individuals or small teams work without incurring any cost.

Some APIs require authentication and authorization to secure access and data protection. For instance, to use certain API you would need an API key, the API key is a unique identifier provided to a developer after registration. The API key is sent alongside user request during an API call to authenticate and monitor usage.

Others require;

OAuth (Open Authorization): A secure protocol that allows users grant access to resources without the need to share username or password.

JSON Web Tokens (JWTs): A secure method of representing information between client and server. Users’ login to receive a JWT which is included in the authorization header of every request to authenticate and validate users’ access.

Custom Headers: APIs often require specific headers in addition to query parameters to ensure authentication and functionality.

There are various methods and protocols necessary to protect resources from unauthorised access.

Here are a few public APIs that developers can use in their development project including;

JSONPlaceholder

JSONPlaceholder is a free and public fake API for testing and prototyping. It provides dummy data like comments, users, photos used by developers to manage data in applications without needing to set up a backend server. It is supported by different companies and sponsors like Better STACK, Mercury Media, StoryBlok, and more.

Unsplash API

Unsplash API provides developers with free high-quality images to use within applications. These images are royalty-free and are contributed by photographers and creators worldwide. It is a developer-friendly API and there's a documentation to guide users.

Free Dictionary API

Free Dictionary API is a public API that provides developers access to definitions, synonyms, parts of speech, and more. The API can be used to build learning applications, speech and text technology, games and more. There's also an option for users to donate and keep the server running.

Rest Countries API

Rest Countries API enables developers get information about countries using RESTful API. It's used for applications that require country specific data like location-based services or ecommerce sites.

TheSportsDB

TheSportsDB is a free sports database with events, scores data for developers to integrate into their applications. To get started, you need to register to get the API key. The free plan has a limit rate; however, the paid and premium plan has a higher limit and additional features.

JokeAPI

JokeAPI is a REST API that delivers varieties of joke for developers who want to integrate humour into their applications. It doesn't require API token, authorization or payment to work. However, there's a hard limit of 120 requests per minute due to DDOS attacks.

YouTube API

The <a href="https://developers.google.com/youtube/v3/getting-started" target="_blank">YouTube Data API allows developers to interact with and integrate YouTube's functionalities into their applications. It enables features such as searching for videos, fetching videos, uploading videos, managing playlist, and more.

An API key is required for basic operations like fetching public data and Oauth 2.0 is required for accessing user-specific data, e.g., managing playlists.

This API is free for developers but it only allows a daily API request quota of 10,000 units per day where the type of API call consumes certain number of units

OpenWeather

OpenWeather provides developers with easy-to-work weather APIs in their projects. It provides real-time weather reports such as temperature, wind speed, and humidity for various locations. To use the API, developers must sign up and obtain an API key to authenticate request.

The service offers different subscription plans, with a free version offer that provides limited forecast features.

Other notable mentions include; OpenSky Network, The Movie DB API, Open Food Facts, Zen Quotes, Deepgram AI API, etc. These APIs may have rate limit and other restrictions. It's important to read the documentation for more information regarding usage.

APIs are necessary for connecting software applications. They are convenient to use and they make the process of development faster, especially when the project requires features that cannot be built easily by a small team or features that may consume a lot of time to build and manage.