TheMealDB API alternatives

TheMealDB is a free database and JSON API of recipes that is easy to use and quick to get started. If it doesn't fit your project, here are the 10 best free Food & Drink APIs to use instead in 2026, out of 34 in the directory.

For reference, TheMealDB API: Callable from the browser (CORS) · HTTPS.

1. 1

   BaconMockup API

   Online · 908 ms

   Resizable bacon placeholder images. A free food & drink API by baconmockup.

   • No API key needed
   • Callable from the browser (CORS)
   • HTTPS

   No authHTTPSCORS
2. 2

   CalorieNinjas API

   Online · 347 ms

   Nutrition and calorie data for foods and recipes.

   • Fast: 347 ms response
   • Callable from the browser (CORS)
   • HTTPS

   apiKeyHTTPSCORS
3. 3

   Daily Food Recalls API

   Online · 780 ms

   U.S. FDA and USDA food recalls, merged and normalized, updated daily.

   • No API key needed
   • Callable from the browser (CORS)
   • HTTPS

   No authHTTPSCORS
4. 4

   ExactCup API

   Online · 576 ms

   Cooking ingredient densities: grams per US cup, tablespoon, teaspoon and mL.

   • No API key needed
   • Callable from the browser (CORS)
   • HTTPS

   No authHTTPSCORS
5. 5

   FiberUp Fiber Database API

   Online · 898 ms

   Dietary fiber per serving and per 100 g, split into soluble and insoluble, for ~200 common foods.

   • No API key needed
   • Callable from the browser (CORS)
   • HTTPS

   No authHTTPSCORS
6. 6

   Foodish API

   Online · 676 ms

   Random pictures of food dishes.

   • No API key needed
   • Callable from the browser (CORS)
   • HTTPS

   No authHTTPSCORS
7. 7

   Open Brewery DB API

   Online · 6466 ms

   Breweries, Cideries and Craft Beer Bottle Shops.

   • No API key needed
   • Callable from the browser (CORS)
   • HTTPS

   No authHTTPSCORS
8. 8

   Racion API

   Online · 1613 ms

   Weekly meal plans with grocery prices and shopping lists, 22 countries.

   • No API key needed
   • Callable from the browser (CORS)
   • HTTPS

   No authHTTPSCORS
9. 9

   Fruityvice API

   Online · 1001 ms

   Data about all kinds of fruit.

   • No API key needed
   • HTTPS

   No authHTTPSCORS ?
10. 10

    RecipeAPI

    Online · 1523 ms

    Recipes, ingredients, nutrition data and cooking instructions.

    • Callable from the browser (CORS)
    • HTTPS

    apiKeyHTTPSCORS

TheMealDB API vs alternatives

TheMealDB API compared with its alternatives

API	API key	HTTPS	CORS	Uptime	Response	Rating
TheMealDB	Required	Yes	Yes	Up	1573 ms	Not rated
BaconMockup	No	Yes	Yes	Up	908 ms	Not rated
CalorieNinjas	Required	Yes	Yes	Up	347 ms	Not rated
Daily Food Recalls	No	Yes	Yes	Up	780 ms	Not rated
ExactCup	No	Yes	Yes	Up	576 ms	Not rated
FiberUp Fiber Database	No	Yes	Yes	Up	898 ms	Not rated
Foodish	No	Yes	Yes	Up	676 ms	Not rated
Open Brewery DB	No	Yes	Yes	Up	6466 ms	Not rated
Racion	No	Yes	Yes	Up	1613 ms	Not rated

See also: best Food & Drink APIs · all Food & Drink APIs