9 Free API Development Tools to Build REST APIs | TechAffinity (2024)

APIs are the building blocks of modern applications. With API testing, you can test all your APIs in a single place—before and after production deployment. Then, combine API monitoring with functional testing, performance testing, and load testing to have a 360-degree view of your API’s quality and performance.

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 APIAPIAn application program interface (API) is a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications. Basically, anAPIspecifies how software components should interact. Additionally,APIsare used when programming graphical user interface (GUI) components. development, you can leverage these testing 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 EC2EC2EC2 is a web service that provides secure, resizable compute capacity in the cloud. It is designed to make web-scale cloud computing easier for developers. Amazon EC2’s simple web service interface allows you to obtain and configure capacity with minimal friction. It provides you with complete control of your computing resources and lets you run on Amazon’s proven computing environment., LambdaLambdaLambda lets you run code without provisioning or managing servers. You pay only for the compute time you consume. With Lambda, you can run code for virtually any type of application or backend service - all with zero administration. Just upload your code and Lambda takes care of everything required to run and scale your code with high availability. You can set up your code to automatically trigger from other AWS services or call it directly from any web or mobile app., etc. Also, with the paid version, it offers tools such as APIAPIAn application program interface (API) is a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications. Basically, anAPIspecifies how software components should interact. Additionally,APIsare used when programming graphical user interface (GUI) components. 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.

Viewing and Testing with API Explorer

• Start the gateway service.
• The gateway opens to the “Managed APIs” page.
• On the “Managed APIs” page, click the name of the API that you want to explore.
• In the navigation list, click Review and test.

3. Runscope

Runscope is an API monitoring tool that helps to make sure that APIAPIAn application program interface (API) is a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications. Basically, anAPIspecifies how software components should interact. Additionally,APIsare used when programming graphical user interface (GUI) components.s are working correctly, returning the correct data, and can be debugged. With Runscope, you can import the SwaggerSwaggerSwagger is an open-source software framework backed by a large ecosystem of tools that helps developers design, build, document, and consume RESTful web services. 2.0 (in JSONJSONJavaScript Object Notation is an open-standard file format that uses human-readable text to transmit data objects consisting of attribute-value pairs and array data types. It is a very common data format, with a diverse range of applications, such as serving as the replacement for XML in AJAX systems 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.

Five Steps to API Monitoring Success

• Run API monitors frequently
• Validate response data
• Cover functional use cases
• Include integrations with third-party & partner APIs
• Get a complete performance picture

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 APIREST APIRepresentational state transfer is a software architectural style that defines a set of constraints to be used for creating Web services.s. 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 APIAPIAn application program interface (API) is a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications. Basically, anAPIspecifies how software components should interact. Additionally,APIsare used when programming graphical user interface (GUI) components.s. Also, it acts as an interface for querying and displaying data by regularly testing the front-end. It is an effective and involved testing 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 testing 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 HTTPHTTPHTTP means HyperText Transfer Protocol. HTTP is the underlying protocol used by the World Wide Web and this protocol defines how messages are formatted and transmitted, and what actions Web servers and browsers should take in response to various commands. 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. 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.

9. 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 APIAPIAn application program interface (API) is a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications. Basically, anAPIspecifies how software components should interact. Additionally,APIsare used when programming graphical user interface (GUI) components. 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.

Wrapping Up

With all the above-mentioned API development and testing tools, you can build your REST APIREST APIRepresentational state transfer is a software architectural style that defines a set of constraints to be used for creating Web services.s 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 API development and testing while working on mobile app development. Feel free to line up your queries to [email protected] or schedule a meeting with us to further discuss this.