9 Free API Development Tools to Build REST APIs | TechAffinity
As there is a growing need for RESTful APIs, you now have various tools to create, manage, and test the APIs. Whenever you are on a tight deadline for API development, you can leverage these tools and their services to build your API right away without spending much on the initial setup.
Below are 9 free and easy to use API development and testing tools to build your API.
1. Amazon AWS Free Tier and Amazon API Gateway
AWS Free Tier offers free access to Amazon API Gateway and many other such services to you. With the free access comes limitations and the constraints limit you to 1 million API calls per month or 750,000 connection minutes. For the initial set up these numbers would suffice your needs.
The paid version of the AWS API Gateway lets you develop front-end APIs for apps on EC2, Lambda, etc. Also, with the paid version, it offers tools such as API version control, traffic management, and tracking of all parts of the package.
2. IBM Cloud API Management
Though IBM Cloud offers only a minuscule of the available services in its free version, it allows you to know the features that are available on the platform. Hence, you can’t develop a complete product application on it. On the other hand, similar to the offerings of AWS, IBM offers API Connect, which is an API management tool.
Initially, IBM’s API Connect was only a tool to develop APIs but later on, it came up with other supporting tools. These tools play a vital role in developing composite API design, encouraging discovery, integrating cloud services with enterprise systems, and more. IBM Cloud offers 50,000 API calls per month in its free version.
3. Runscope
Runscope is an API monitoring tool that helps to make sure that APIs are working correctly, returning the correct data, and can be debugged. With Runscope, you can import the Swagger 2.0 (in JSON format) API definition standard and also other common test formats. This includes the standard format used by Runscope to test its products as well. As there is no free version for Runscope, you have to opt for the free trial that lasts for 14 days, which can be chosen from any of their pricing options.
4. APImetrics
APImetrics is a data-driven API monitoring tool that oversees security, compliance, and performance. Also, you can set alerts for your APIs, and it will alert you when something goes out of hand. The best part about APImetrics is that it supports both SOAP and REST APIs. APImetrics comes with a visual API designer out of the box and a workflow system that helps to trigger API calls in a sequence. If you have made up your mind to choose APImetrics, you need to go with the “Grande level.” It is so because only when you select Grande, you can grab the trial version for 14 days and it offers 300,000 API calls per month (10,000 API calls per day).
5. JsonStub
With JsonStub, you can fake the backend while you develop the front-end. It is quick and checks if the static text can be used for checking endpoints of APIs. Also, it acts as an interface for querying and displaying data by regularly testing the front-end. It is an effective and involved tool that can be used when needed. Its home page helps you with the back end while you focus on building the front end.
6. Mockable
It is a fast tool for SOAP and REST endpoints. The basic tier is free and can be used without any service fee, but certain restrictions come with this tool. The logs remain for about 24 hours, size cannot exceed 5MB, and only 10 mockups per team are available. You can register for free, and you get instant access to the admin console as temporary accounts are created instantly.
7. Httpbin.org
Httpbin offers support with HTTP responses, which are in the form of an array of API endpoints. They are especially effective when testing requests sent with front ends. They configure your response using URL parameters and not through a web interface.
8. Loader
Stress or load testing your API with a little more capacity is a good way to see if your host can handle heavy loads under extreme situations. You can configure a host’s API web interface using this endpoint, and get the results in real-time delivering to you. It also includes a free trial in which you can test one host for up to a minute for up to 10,000 clients.
9. BlazeMeter
This API service is a load-testing tool that gives users the privilege of using options such as interactive features like real-time reporting, location-distributed load, and support tests. It offers a free trial for 14 days, upon which you are charged as per your testing needs and requirements.
With all the above-mentioned API development and testing tools, you can build your REST APIs quickly and use them in your projects. Also, you save a lot of development and testing time when you use all these tools from the beginning of the development process.
We, at TechAffinity, have wide exposure in developing and testing APIs while working on mobile app development. Feel free to line up your queries to media@techaffinity.com or schedule a meeting with us to further discuss this.
Originally published at https://techaffinity.com on January 24, 2020.
