Free APIs
Free Government & open data APIs
| Free tier | Docs | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Shared key for many US federal APIs
Catch: Default hourly limit per key | Free key: default 1,000 requests/hour | API key | docs |
Population, economic and demographic data
Catch: Heavy use requires a free API key | Free; key recommended | API key | docs |
Development indicators for countries over decades
Catch: Pagination limits per request | Free, no key | No key | docs |
Bills, members, committees and votes
Catch: Hourly cap | Free key: 5,000 requests/hour | API key | docs |
US campaign finance data
Catch: Rate limit per key | Free key with hourly rate limit | API key | docs |
US debt, spending, exchange rates and more
Catch: Fair-use limits | Free, no key | No key | docs |
US federal contracts, grants and awards
Catch: Large queries may time out | Free, no key | No key | docs |
US labor statistics and CPI series
Catch: Unregistered use has lower daily limits | Free; registered key gets higher limits | API key | docs |
Historical US weather and climate records
Catch: Token via email | Free token: 5 requests/second, 10,000 requests/day | API key | docs |
UK crime, outcomes and neighborhood data
Catch: Rate limited | Free, no key; 15 requests/second | No key | docs |
UK company register data
Catch: Rate limit per key | Free key: 600 requests per 5 minutes | API key | docs |
Open data portals for many US cities and agencies
Catch: Throttled without an app token | Free; app token raises limits | No key | docs |
FAQ
What is the best free government & open data API?+
api.data.gov, US Census Bureau API, World Bank Indicators API are good places to start. Compare the free tiers and catches in the table; they differ mostly in limits and whether commercial use is allowed.
Is there a government & open data API without an API key?+
Yes: World Bank Indicators API, Treasury FiscalData API, USAspending API, UK Police Data API, Socrata Open Data API (SODA) work without a key.
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