Free APIs for PHP developers

PHP powers a large share of the web, and calling a public API takes only cURL or file_get_contents plus json_decode, with no framework required.

Call a public API in PHP

This example calls the Econdb API, which needs no API key. It's a live endpoint: our health check got JSON back from it on Oct 24, 2026.

PHP

<?php
$ch = curl_init("https://www.econdb.com/api/");
curl_setopt_array($ch, [CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true, CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 10]);
$data = json_decode(curl_exec($ch), true);
curl_close($ch);
print_r($data);

Sending an API key in PHP

Most free tiers need a key. Read it from an environment variable and send it as a header:

PHP

<?php
$ch = curl_init("https://api.example.com/v1/items");
curl_setopt_array($ch, [
  CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
  CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => ["Authorization: Bearer " . getenv("API_KEY")],
]);
print_r(json_decode(curl_exec($ch), true));

Best free APIs for PHP in 2026

1
Bidledger API
Online · 279 ms
Every open public tender in the European Union, rebuilt daily from the official TED data.
- No API key needed
- Fast: 279 ms response
- Callable from the browser (CORS)
- HTTPS
No authHTTPSCORS
2
Dog Facts API
Online · 342 ms
Random dog facts. A free animals API by dukengn.github.io.
- No API key needed
- Fast: 342 ms response
- Callable from the browser (CORS)
- HTTPS
No authHTTPSCORS
3
Dog Facts API
Online · 356 ms
Random facts of Dogs. A free animals API by Dog API by kinduff.
- No API key needed
- Fast: 356 ms response
- Callable from the browser (CORS)
- HTTPS
No authHTTPSCORS
4
Econdb API
Online · 802 ms
Download economic and shipping data using Python.
- No API key needed
- Returns JSON at its URL
- Callable from the browser (CORS)
- HTTPS
No authHTTPSCORS
5
Icanhazip API
Online · 278 ms
The family of icanhaz sites help you get more information about your network connection.
- No API key needed
- Fast: 278 ms response
- Callable from the browser (CORS)
- HTTPS
No authHTTPSCORS
6
Index Agentica API
Online · 382 ms
Agent-first directory of skills, MCP servers, tools, protocols and APIs as JSON, markdown, llms.txt.
- No API key needed
- Fast: 382 ms response
- Callable from the browser (CORS)
- HTTPS
No authHTTPSCORS
7
ipwhois API
Online · 226 ms
IP geolocation with country, city, coordinates, ISP, timezone and flag data.
- No API key needed
- Fast: 226 ms response
- Callable from the browser (CORS)
- HTTPS
No authHTTPSCORS
8
Microlink.io API
Online · 378 ms
Extract structured data from any website.
- No API key needed
- Fast: 378 ms response
- Callable from the browser (CORS)
- HTTPS
No authHTTPSCORS
9
NASA POWER API
Online · 228 ms
Global solar and weather data for energy and agriculture.
- No API key needed
- Fast: 228 ms response
- Callable from the browser (CORS)
- HTTPS
No authHTTPSCORS
10
Open VSX API
Online · 270 ms
Search and access VS Code extensions from the Open VSX registry.
- No API key needed
- Fast: 270 ms response
- Callable from the browser (CORS)
- HTTPS
No authHTTPSCORS
11
OpenSanctions API
Online · 343 ms
Data on international sanctions, crime and politically exposed persons.
- No API key needed
- Fast: 343 ms response
- Callable from the browser (CORS)
- HTTPS
No authHTTPSCORS
12
PayCrunch API
Online · 278 ms
US wages for 1,008 occupations and by state, from BLS OEWS May 2025, static JSON, CC BY 4.0.
- No API key needed
- Fast: 278 ms response
- Callable from the browser (CORS)
- HTTPS
No authHTTPSCORS
13
Presend API
Online · 399 ms
Security and developer utility API -- malware, vulnerability, and domain checks, no signup.
- No API key needed
- Fast: 399 ms response
- Callable from the browser (CORS)
- HTTPS
No authHTTPSCORS
14
RubyGems API
Online · 360 ms
Ruby gem metadata, versions, dependencies and search.
- No API key needed
- Fast: 360 ms response
- Callable from the browser (CORS)
- HTTPS
No authHTTPSCORS
15
Statically API
Online · 324 ms
A free CDN for developers.
- No API key needed
- Fast: 324 ms response
- Callable from the browser (CORS)
- HTTPS
No authHTTPSCORS
16
BirkinBagStock API
Online · 1011 ms
Independent Hermès resale index: inventory, market prices, auction calendar and results.
- No API key needed
- Returns JSON at its URL
- Callable from the browser (CORS)
- HTTPS
No authHTTPSCORS
17
DefiLlama API
Online · 178 ms
Open and transparent DeFi data, TVL, coin prices, volumes, and yields.
- No API key needed
- Fast: 178 ms response
- Callable from the browser (CORS)
- HTTPS
No authHTTPSCORS
18D
DocStruct API
Online · 190 ms
AI extraction of invoices, receipts, bank statements & contracts into structured JSON/CSV.
- No API key needed
- Fast: 190 ms response
- Callable from the browser (CORS)
- HTTPS
No authHTTPSCORS
19
GBIF API
Online · 115 ms
Global Biodiversity Information Facility. A free science & math API by gbif.org.
- No API key needed
- Fast: 115 ms response
- Callable from the browser (CORS)
- HTTPS
No authHTTPSCORS
20
Helium API
Online · 377 ms
News with media bias scoring, balanced news synthesis, live market data, AI options pricing.
- No API key needed
- Fast: 377 ms response
- Callable from the browser (CORS)
- HTTPS
No authHTTPSCORS
21
L2 Calendar API
Online · 1046 ms
Lineage 2 private servers list with names, websites, chronicles, rates and opening dates.
- No API key needed
- Returns JSON at its URL
- Callable from the browser (CORS)
- HTTPS
No authHTTPSCORS
22
Legal Sandbox Georgia API
Online · 563 ms
Find verified legal specialists in Georgia from natural-language queries.
- No API key needed
- Returns JSON at its URL
- Callable from the browser (CORS)
- HTTPS
No authHTTPSCORS
23
Macrostrat API
Online · 694 ms
Geologic maps, rock columns and stratigraphy data.
- No API key needed
- Returns JSON at its URL
- Callable from the browser (CORS)
- HTTPS
No authHTTPSCORS
24
Modelfax API
Online · 328 ms
LLM pricing, context windows and deprecation dates, schema-validated and updated daily.
- No API key needed
- Fast: 328 ms response
- Callable from the browser (CORS)
- HTTPS
No authHTTPSCORS
25
RemoteOK API
Online · 861 ms
Remote job board for digital nomads.
- No API key needed
- Returns JSON at its URL
- Callable from the browser (CORS)
- HTTPS
No authHTTPSCORS

Live JSON endpoints to try

These API URLs returned valid JSON in our latest check, so the PHP example above works with any of them.

Econdb APIhttps://www.econdb.com/api/

PHP

<?php
$ch = curl_init("https://www.econdb.com/api/");
curl_setopt_array($ch, [CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true, CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 10]);
$data = json_decode(curl_exec($ch), true);
curl_close($ch);
print_r($data);

BirkinBagStock APIhttps://birkinbagstock.com/.well-known/openapi.json

PHP

<?php
$ch = curl_init("https://birkinbagstock.com/.well-known/openapi.json");
curl_setopt_array($ch, [CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true, CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 10]);
$data = json_decode(curl_exec($ch), true);
curl_close($ch);
print_r($data);

L2 Calendar APIhttps://l2calendar.com/api/servers

PHP

<?php
$ch = curl_init("https://l2calendar.com/api/servers");
curl_setopt_array($ch, [CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true, CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 10]);
$data = json_decode(curl_exec($ch), true);
curl_close($ch);
print_r($data);

Legal Sandbox Georgia APIhttps://legal.ge/api/openapi.json

PHP

<?php
$ch = curl_init("https://legal.ge/api/openapi.json");
curl_setopt_array($ch, [CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true, CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 10]);
$data = json_decode(curl_exec($ch), true);
curl_close($ch);
print_r($data);

Macrostrat APIhttps://macrostrat.org/api

PHP

<?php
$ch = curl_init("https://macrostrat.org/api");
curl_setopt_array($ch, [CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true, CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 10]);
$data = json_decode(curl_exec($ch), true);
curl_close($ch);
print_r($data);

RemoteOK APIhttps://remoteok.com/api

PHP

<?php
$ch = curl_init("https://remoteok.com/api");
curl_setopt_array($ch, [CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true, CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 10]);
$data = json_decode(curl_exec($ch), true);
curl_close($ch);
print_r($data);

Veabird APIhttps://veabird.com/api/v1

PHP

<?php
$ch = curl_init("https://veabird.com/api/v1");
curl_setopt_array($ch, [CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true, CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 10]);
$data = json_decode(curl_exec($ch), true);
curl_close($ch);
print_r($data);

Verif Entreprise FR APIhttps://api-production-24833.up.railway.app

PHP

<?php
$ch = curl_init("https://api-production-24833.up.railway.app");
curl_setopt_array($ch, [CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true, CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 10]);
$data = json_decode(curl_exec($ch), true);
curl_close($ch);
print_r($data);

AI Economics Tools APIhttps://piszczek.pl/tools/api

PHP

<?php
$ch = curl_init("https://piszczek.pl/tools/api");
curl_setopt_array($ch, [CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true, CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 10]);
$data = json_decode(curl_exec($ch), true);
curl_close($ch);
print_r($data);

BlazePhoenix APIhttps://blazephoenix.xyz/api

PHP

<?php
$ch = curl_init("https://blazephoenix.xyz/api");
curl_setopt_array($ch, [CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true, CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 10]);
$data = json_decode(curl_exec($ch), true);
curl_close($ch);
print_r($data);

Block Lottos APIhttps://blocklottos.com/openapi.json

PHP

<?php
$ch = curl_init("https://blocklottos.com/openapi.json");
curl_setopt_array($ch, [CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true, CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 10]);
$data = json_decode(curl_exec($ch), true);
curl_close($ch);
print_r($data);

ConnectMeGuru APIhttps://www.connectmeguru.com/api/mcp

PHP

<?php
$ch = curl_init("https://www.connectmeguru.com/api/mcp");
curl_setopt_array($ch, [CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true, CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 10]);
$data = json_decode(curl_exec($ch), true);
curl_close($ch);
print_r($data);

Other languages: Python · JavaScript · Node.js · Java · Go · Ruby · C#

PHP API FAQ

How do I call a REST API in PHP?

Send an HTTP GET request to the API's URL, check the status code, and parse the JSON body. The working example on this page does exactly that against a live, keyless public API.

Where do I put an API key in PHP?

Read it from an environment variable and send it in a header (usually Authorization: Bearer …), never hard-coded or committed to git.

Which free APIs work best with PHP?

This page ranks 25 free APIs that suit PHP, ordered by ease of access, uptime and developer ratings.