We live in a fast-paced world ruled by smart and effective technologies. We encounter technologies every day that are not just amazing, but also useful. For instance, there was a time when adding a new feature to a website seemed impossible, but today, you can find thousands of free APIs on an API marketplace.
APIs are a great way to add prompt functionalities and features to your websites or mobile apps. They connect you with third-party applications so that you can fetch their data and sources with just a tap. Software companies no longer have to scratch their heads for months hoping to find a solution to add dynamic features to a website.
But Wait, What is an API?
API is an acronym for Applications Programming Interface. It’s a software intermediary that enables websites and mobile applications to communicate with an external source/service to get the desired result. To put things into perspective, you’re using APIs every time you’re using a web browser.
Let’s say you’re using a web browser, and you type www. Youtube.com, it will send a request to Youtube’s remote browser. The moment your browser receives a response, it will interpret the code and display the desired webpage.
If you’re a newbie in software development or a startup owner wondering how you could make your website more convenient and user-friendly, the good news is, that there are thousands of free APIs available on different API marketplaces. Only RapidAPI and ProgrammableWeb offer more than 70,000 APIs. However, developers believe that only 1% of all the available APIs are useful.
Never confuse APIs with Webhooks
So, Who’s Pulling The Strings?
Tech giants like Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Amazon are the leading API developers. In fact, you could argue that these are the organizations that develop the most famous APIs worldwide. However, there are software houses and individual developers as well.
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If you want to develop your own API marketplace, feel free to contact us. We help businesses like yours create and integrate APIs to streamline their web flows and functionality.
An API marketplace is a modern-day solution to all your web integration problems
Here is a list of 13 APIs for web development and design that you can use for free. They provide excellent functionality if integrated into your website.
So, without further ado, let’s jump into it…
Top 15 Most Used APIs
1. Google Analytics – The Most Popular Analytical API for Business Management
Google Analytics is without a doubt, one of the most popular APIs in the world. It’s a great tool to effectively keep track of your website visitors, where they come from, and how long they stay on a particular page.
Having this information at hand, you can establish your organization’s goals in the best way possible. You can get tons of benefits by integrating this API into your website, such as evaluating a customer’s lifetime value and monitoring your website’s dashboard.
Google Analytics API Endpoints
Multiple Date Ranges: This endpoint is extremely useful as it allows you to get data for two different date ranges using a single command.
Metric Expression: The API allows you to request built-in metrics and a combination of metrics expressed in mathematical operations.
Cohort and Lifetime Value: The API has a rich vocabulary to call Cohort and Lifetime value reports.
Multiple Segments: The API is extremely helpful to get multiple segments with a single command.
2. Google Maps – The Go-to App for Geo-Location and Location Tracking
Google Maps is undeniably the leading location-based APIs in the world. Using it, you can get directions from one place to another, find nearby attractions, and get traffic updates in real-time.
Moreover, this API provides you the map view you want i.e. StreetView and Google Earth View.
The Google Map API is a must integration to your website if you want to enrich tons of location-based features without troubling its size and load-time.
Google Maps API Endpoints
Maps SDK for iOS and Android: Incorporate Google maps in your Android or iOS. It’s free.
Maps Static API: The API lets you upload and embed static images to your website/app using simple code.
Maps JS API: You can add an interactive map to your website to make it easier for your customers to track you. Also, you can upload your images and videos to make your website look more customized.
StreetView Static API: Embed this API to your website and get a panoramic 360-Degree view of the world.
Maps URLs: Use a cross-platform URL scheme to launch Google Maps and execute actions, such as directions or searches.
Maps Embed API: Using this API, you can add a map or a StreetView to your website by requesting a simple HTTPS command.
3. Translation by Google – An API for Languages
Google is a leading API marketplace, and Google Translate is a very useful resource for companies that deal with international clients. Google Translation is a key API for you if your business has an international website that serves audiences from various regions.
The API helps people in translating language into their native language. Once you have HTML ready, this API handles the rest on its own.
Google Translation API Endpoints
Translate Many Languages: This API’s pre-trained model supports up to 100 languages from Africans to Zulu. You can build custom models to get language translation suggestions.
Language Detection: This API detects the language when a user is unsure which language he is trying to translate. Google language detection helps in auto-detecting the language with utmost accuracy when a language code is not available.
Glossary Support: You can leverage the Translation API’s glossary in many ways, such as keeping your brand’s products in translated content. Wondering how would you do that? You just have to define glossary content for your prioritized brand’s products and just save the file into project translation and you’re done.
4. Yahoo Finance
Our fourth pick is Yahoo’s Finance API. This is one of the most reliable sources to get financial news and data around the globe and can be customized as well. Also, it’s a world-famous tool for managing personal finance.
Yahoo Finance API Endpoints
Summary: This endpoint enables you to get real-time market summary information in a particular region at a given time.
Get Movers: This endpoint helps in collecting the day’s gains, losses, and other activities in a given time and region.
Quote: The endpoint brings all the information related to a particular stock quote or groups of stock quotes denoted by a symbol.
Get Chart: This endpoint returns all information in the form of a chart with values and their comparisons. The data includes trading periods, timestamps, comparisons, and more to help draw out charts.
5. Skyscanner – The Most Reliable API to Get Flights Data
Skyscanner is an incredible API available on RapidAPI. It has emerged as one of the most reliable and used sources after Google Flights. However, it functions just the same as Google Flights.
With Skyscanner, you don’t have to maneuver to different websites to get cheap flights and accommodation details, all you have to do is integrate this free API into your website and leverage its best features.
It’s basically a metasearch engine that works as a repository for thousands of cheap flights, accommodations, car rentals, and more.
Skyscanner API Endpoints
Browse Dates: This endpoint returns the cheapest flight dates from one given point to another.
Browse Routes: Returns the cheapest route in terms of price from one place to another on a given date.
Browser Quotes: The endpoints retrieve the cheapest flight quotes from the cache prices.
Currencies: Get a list of currencies that your website supports.
List Places: Returns a list of all the flight-enabled places.
List Markets: Return a list of market countries that your website supports. Includes airlines, accommodation partners, car hire dealers, and others.
6. YouTube – Most Famous API for Videos
YouTube API is the world’s most famous video API that frees you from the hassle of uploading videos to your website. Uploading videos every time not only increases your website’s load time but also is an obsolete approach.
Having the Youtube API integrated into your website not only allows you to fetch videos from YouTube to your website, but you can also embed videos from your channel. Besides that, if you want to increase traffic on your channel, choose a reliable source to buy authentic YouTube views. You can divert those views on your website, and eventually, you’ll see a drastic change in traffic to your website.
YouTube API Endpoints
Activity: This endpoint refers to any action or activity that a user performs on Youtube. These activities include but not limited to; sharing, commenting, making a list of videos, and making a video favorite.
Channel: Carries information about a particular YouTube channel.
Banner: This endpoint refers to a URL of the image set as a new channel banner.
Channel Section: The endpoint carries information about a specific channel section. This can be the featured videos section or the most-watched videos section, or the latest uploads.
Playlist: Refers to a particular YouTube playlist. This playlist can either be yours or someone else’s public playlist.
Thumbnail: Retrieves thumbnail associated with a specific YouTube video.
Video: Recalls any YouTube video
7. Open Weather Map – The Most Used API for Weather Forecast
Open Weather Map is a free-to-use API that provides weather forecasts and other weather-bound historical data. It’s a great source that is widely accepted and includes the data of almost every city in the world. You can find this API easily at RapidAPI.
Open Weather Map API Endpoints
Current Weather Data: You can get the latest weather updates in your current location as the app works just fine in any location in the world. With more than 40,000 weather stations worldwide, the accuracy of weather forecasts is unquestionable.
Daily Forecast Weather Data: You can get the weather forecasts for 14 straight days. All-weather data can be obtained in both the JSON or XML formats.
Forecast Weather Data: This request retrieves weather forecasts for cities and countries around the globe and not just your locality. The weather calculation algorithms are mere-perfection that retrieve the latest data after every 3 hours. You can get data forecast after every 3 hours for 5 straight days and daily forecast weather data for consecutive 14 days.
Search Weather Data: If you’re curious about knowing the weather forecast and historical data of any city globally, this endpoint helps you satisfy your curiosity. Just type the name of the desired city, and you’ll get the most accurate weather predictions and previous weather data of that specific location
8. Facebook Messenger – The Best Free Chatbot API
Businesses in today’s world have realized that time is money, and they can achieve great milestones by just automating things that take time. The no.8 on our list is one such API created by Facebook.
What does this API do? The API lets businesses automate their website live chat with the help of an external service aka Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp Business Multiple Users. Unlike many chatbots, this one is free to use and is super-easy to integrate.
9. Twitter API
Twitter is a commonly adopted social media API available for free, just like Facebook Messenger. It works just the same as Facebook, however, it’s much lighter than the Facebook API.
If you want to embed tweets and other Twitter stuff into your website, this API is a great way to do it.
10. Twilio API
Twilio API is designed for integrating text messages and animated icon chatbots into your website. It is not only possible to schedule appointments from the website itself, but also to receive appointment reminders via SMS.
After a visitor provides all the information and fills up the signup form, a sales representative from your company can conduct a follow-up call.
11. Stripe and PayPal API
Why pay manually? When you have access to the most payment-friendly gateways such as Stripe and Paypal. Integrating both or one of them into your website not only facilitates payment processing but keeps your website safe as well.
Furthermore, paying with these two payment gateways allows customers to keep a track of their payments, and in case of any fraudulent activity, they can always request a refund.
12. Dropbox – Globally Renowned API for File Storage
Gone are the days when you end up scratching your head when faced with low storage options. Today, it’s not a problem anymore with the likes of DropBox API existing in the market.
The API is designed to handle complex tasks such as allowing users to upload their gigantic files and also letting them e-sign documents; all in one place.
13. Slack – One of the World’s Best Communication Tools
You should never compromise on your business communication channels, and Slack is here precisely for this reason. It’s is one of the best communication tools available on the internet to streamline internal and external communication.
On top of that, you can post messages, incorporate builds, listen to upcoming events, and post messages on individual and personal channels. Slack is a perfect fit for your company and its customers that is bound to facilitate B2C communication.
How About Getting Your API Marketplace?
We’ve only covered APIs that are free and are widely adopted by companies and individuals in this piece, and if you think you’ll get an API with desired functionality for free and easily, think again!
The article outlined two main types of API developers; tech giants and individuals. The two offer APIs, some of them are free, and others are more customized, therefore they’re paid.
There must be a question popping in your mind, where’s all the API trade happening? There exist API marketplaces where all selling and buying takes place. RapidAPI and ProgrammableWeb are the two notable mentions here. These two platforms are home to more than 70K APIs.
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Our recommendation to web developers and entrepreneurs looking to create custom APIs would be to create their own API marketplace. A platform for thousands of super-functional APIs so that you don’t have to pay big money to third-party developers.
Already have an idea of getting one? Get in touch with us and start over your all-inclusive API marketplace today.
Wrapping Up
The above list carries a handful of APIs that are bound to take your website functionality to the next level. These easily accessible APIs help you get the most out of your website while doing less. However, an all-in-one API marketplace is a perfect solution to meet all your web integration needs.
Wondering how an API marketplace can benefit you? Providing your customers with a delightful user experience and managing them efficiently are some of the perks of it.