Guides, Software

20 Free APIs for Testing (With Use Cases & References)

June 9, 2025 No comments yet

Whether you’re testing your API connector, experimenting with frontend integrations, or building a side project, having access to free and open APIs can save you time and headaches. These APIs offer real-world data for prototyping, debugging, and learning—all without authentication or complex setup.

🌐 1. JSONPlaceholder

A fake online REST API for testing and prototyping.

 

    • Base URL: https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/

    • Example: /posts, /users, /comments

    • Use Case: Test GET/POST/PUT requests with structured fake data.

📰 2. NewsAPI (Free Tier)

Retrieve headlines from top news sources.

 

    • Base URL: https://newsapi.org/v2/

    • Requires Key: ✅ Free key required

    • Use Case: Practice fetching filtered lists with parameters like country, q, or category.

🐱 3. GitHub REST API

Interact with public GitHub data.

 

    • Base URL: https://api.github.com/

    • Example: /users/octocat, /repos/octocat/hello-world

    • Use Case: Real-world public repo data and user profiles.

🪙 4. CoinGecko API

Cryptocurrency prices and market data.

 

    • Base URL: https://api.coingecko.com/api/v3/

    • No Auth Needed: ✅

    • Use Case: Test dynamic pricing, sorting, and coin lookup.

📷 5. Unsplash Image API

Get free high-resolution images.

 

    • Base URL: https://api.unsplash.com/

    • Free Key: ✅

    • Use Case: Integrate free photos with attribution into apps.

🐶 6. Dog CEO API

Random images of dogs.

 

    • Base URL: https://dog.ceo/api/

    • Example: /breeds/image/random

    • Use Case: Simple JSON image API for UI testing.

📅 7. Bored API

Returns random activities to beat boredom.

 

    • URL: https://www.boredapi.com/api/activity

    • Use Case: Learn parameter filtering (type, participants) and simple JSON parsing.

🧙‍♂️ 8. Harry Potter API

Data from the Wizarding World (Characters, Spells, etc.)

 

    • URL: https://hp-api.onrender.com/api/characters

    • Use Case: Great for beginner projects or themed demos.

📚 9. Open Library API

Book data from the Internet Archive.

 

    • Base URL: https://openlibrary.org/api/

    • Example: /books?bibkeys=ISBN:0451526538

    • Use Case: Search and display metadata like title, authors, publish year.

🎞 10. The Movie Database (TMDB)

Search movies, actors, and genres.

 

    • Base URL: https://api.themoviedb.org/3/

    • Key Required: ✅ Free signup

    • Use Case: Filtering, pagination, image paths.

🌤 11. Open-Meteo Weather API

Global weather data for any location.

 

    • URL: https://api.open-meteo.com/v1/forecast?latitude=52.52&longitude=13.41&hourly=temperature_2m

    • Use Case: Map-based forecasts or hourly weather widgets.

🧠 12. Random User Generator

Fake users for UI testing.

 

    • URL: https://randomuser.me/api/

    • Use Case: Profile cards, dropdown demos, form pre-fills.

🚀 13. SpaceX API

Data from SpaceX missions and launches.

 

    • URL: https://api.spacexdata.com/v4/launches/latest

    • Use Case: Educational data, rocket launch apps.

🏀 14. balldontlie Basketball API

NBA stats and players (1980–present).

 

    • URL: https://www.balldontlie.io/api/v1/

    • Use Case: Build sports dashboards or stat viewers.

💻 15. ReqRes API

Fake users & auth for testing login flows.

 

    • Base URL: https://reqres.in/api/

    • Use Case: Practice POST/PUT/DELETE, error handling.

💬 16. Quotable API

Famous quotes with authors.

 

    • URL: https://api.quotable.io/random

    • Use Case: Rotating quote widgets or motivational apps.

🏙 17. GeoDB Cities API

Find city data by name, country, population.

 

    • URL: https://wft-geo-db.p.rapidapi.com/v1/geo/cities

    • Key Needed: ✅ (Free via RapidAPI)

    • Use Case: Build location-based apps.

🧑‍🍳 18. TheMealDB

Browse meals by cuisine, ingredient, or area.

 

    • Base URL: https://www.themealdb.com/api/json/v1/1/

    • Use Case: Build recipe finders or food apps.

🎮 19. RAWG Video Games API

Data on thousands of video games.

 

    • Base URL: https://api.rawg.io/api/games

    • Free Key: ✅

    • Use Case: Search, filter, and paginate game results.

📈 20. Public-apis.io

Search across hundreds of free APIs.

 

    • URL: https://public-apis.io/

    • Use Case: Find APIs by category (e.g. science, music, education).

You didn’t find the right API, you may check here for more!

🔚 Final Thoughts

Free APIs are essential tools for learning, development, and even launching MVPs. Whether you’re integrating them into Google Sheets via APIParser.com or testing with Postman or Python, these APIs give you the playground you need.

💡 Pro Tip: Use tools like Hoppscotch or API Connector to quickly test these endpoints before integrating them.

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