Free alternatives to paid APIs
Looking for a free API instead of a paid or closed one? Each page below lists free services that do the same job, with what each needs and what is free.
Free alternatives to the Google Maps API
The Google Maps Platform APIs (geocoding, places, directions) are paid per request, with a monthly free credit. If you need to turn…
Free alternatives to OpenWeatherMap
OpenWeatherMap is one of the best-known weather APIs; its free plan needs a key and has limits per minute and per month. These free…
Free alternatives to the OpenAI API
The OpenAI API is mainly paid per token. These AI APIs have a lasting free plan or free tier for text generation and chat, usually with a…
Free alternatives to ipstack
ipstack, the paid successor of the old freegeoip service, is a well-known IP geolocation API with a small free plan. These IP geolocation…
Free alternatives to paid stock photo APIs
The APIs of stock photo agencies such as Shutterstock and Getty Images are for paying customers. These APIs give free photos,…
Free alternatives to Fixer.io
Fixer.io is a popular exchange-rate API, but its free plan is small. These free currency APIs give daily exchange rates for many…
Free alternatives to SendGrid
Twilio SendGrid retired its free plans in May 2025; new accounts get a trial instead. These e-mail APIs still have a lasting free plan for…
Free alternatives to NewsAPI.org
The free Developer plan of NewsAPI.org is for development and testing only. These news APIs also have a free plan, and some of them may be…
Free alternatives to the Google Custom Search API
Google has closed the Custom Search JSON API to new users. These APIs let your code search the web and read pages, made for AI agents and…