10 APIs Perfect for Your Next No-Code Mobile App Project

Building an app often means connecting to external data sources—pulling information from other applications into your own. APIs make this possible, and there are hundreds of free, open-source options waiting for app creators to explore. Whether you're building a sports dashboard, a food tracking app, or a shipping notification system, these APIs provide the data foundation your app needs.

Adalo, an AI-powered app builder, makes integrating these APIs straightforward. With custom actions and a visual interface, you can connect to external data sources without writing code—then publish your finished app to web, iOS App Store, and Android Play Store from a single build. Here are ten of the best free APIs to power your next project.

ESPN Sports API

Where my sports enthusiasts at? ⚾

This API is more versatile than it sounds—you don't need to be a die-hard fan to create something a large audience would enjoy. ESPN provides facts, figures, statistics, and real-time data that sports lovers dream about. Whether you're building an app for your favorite team or creating a customizable dashboard where users select which sports and teams to follow, this API delivers the information you need.

Consider building a fantasy sports companion, a game-day notification system, or a historical stats explorer. The data depth here supports everything from casual fan apps to serious analytics tools.

Open Food Facts

With food allergies, new diets, restrictions, and misinformation about what we're eating, the Open Food Facts API fills a genuine need. It provides nutrition information and ingredient lists for thousands of food products.

The app possibilities here are substantial. Build an allergen detector that scans products and flags known triggers. Create a diet companion that helps users new to keto, paleo, or plant-based eating find compliant foods. Develop a goal-tracking app for dietary changes that pulls nutritional data automatically.

Ada, Adalo's AI builder, lets you describe what you want and generates your app. Magic Start creates complete app foundations from a description, while Magic Add adds features through natural language.

Adalo is a no-code app builder for database-driven web apps and native iOS and Android apps—one version across all three platforms, published to the Apple App Store and Google Play. The world is your oyster (get it?) with this information at your fingertips. Adalo's Magic Add feature can help you quickly add screens for scanning, searching, and displaying food data—just describe what you want, and it generates the components.

UTelly

I'm always shocked when platforms like Netflix know what shows I'm going to enjoy. Am I that predictable? Or are their algorithms just fantastic? The answer is probably both—and this API can bring that recommendation magic to your app.

Whether you're creating a recommendation engine, a TV ratings platform, or something entirely different, UTelly handles the complex work of figuring out what users might want to watch next.

One implementation approach: let users take a quiz about shows they loved, liked, or didn't care for. Create a custom action to call the UTelly API based on their preferences, then display personalized recommendations. Your users will thank you for quality TV time.

All I'm wondering is—who's going to create this for book recommendations?

Superhero API

Let me tell you—I don't know anything about superheroes. At all. But this API caught my eye because there's serious money in this space. People love superhero movies and Comic Con.

This API is the superhero of superhero information. It includes every type of data about your favorite villains and heroes: appearance details, work history, biographical information, power stats, and more. Your imagination is the only limit.

Could someone please make me an Avengers tell-all app so I can actually follow the movies in some meaningful way? A character relationship mapper, a timeline tracker, or a "who would win" battle simulator would all work beautifully with this data.

Exchange Rate API

There are multiple ways to use an Exchange Rate API. Building an app for travelers? Understanding exchange rates is critical while abroad. Creating an ecommerce app with an international audience? Displaying payment information in local currency increases conversion rates—this API makes that easy.

The API covers over 50 currencies across 70+ countries with up-to-date rates from multiple sources for reliability. For apps that store transaction data or user preferences across currencies, Adalo's platform offers no record limits on paid plans—your international user base can grow without hitting database caps.

Abstract IP Geolocation

IP geolocation unlocks powerful mobile app features. Want to create an interactive map showing where your users are located worldwide? That's a compelling way to encourage new sign-ups. In the matchmaking space, geolocation is essential for identifying nearby users to connect with.

Don't forget GDPR compliance—the EU's data privacy law requires explicit consent for processing personal data. Geolocation helps you identify European users and request appropriate permissions, avoiding hefty fines.

I could keep going, but you get the point. There are countless use cases for IP geolocation, so keep it in mind when prototyping your next mobile app. Adalo's modular infrastructure scales to serve apps with millions of monthly active users, so your location-based app can grow without performance concerns.

Calendarific

We could all use more awareness of the world around us. One way to build that in our interconnected world is knowing which holidays are celebrated outside your own religion or home country. This API delivers exactly that.

Search for specific holidays, populate calendars with important dates, or—if you manage an international team—build an app that ensures you never miss celebrating holidays from around the world. The API covers religious observances, national holidays, and cultural celebrations across dozens of countries.

Open Brewery Database

The craft brewery trend shows no signs of slowing down. Use this API to display breweries from all over—perfect for residents and tourists alike. This API pairs beautifully with the IP Geolocation API to show users which breweries are nearby.

Combine brewery data with a star rating system, a favorites feature, and user reviews to create the ultimate craft brewery app for beer lovers. With Adalo's unlimited database storage on paid plans, you can store as many user reviews, ratings, and brewery details as your community generates. Cheers!

UPS

This API is fairly self-explanatory, but here's how you might use it.

If you're a small business owner shipping goods—clothes, handmade items, custom products—this is the perfect way to keep customers informed about their orders. Provide up-to-date shipping status and delivery estimates directly in your app.

I can't be the only one who gets excited waking up to "Your order has shipped!" Even better: "Your order is out for delivery!" Make your customers' day by improving the shopping experience with real-time tracking. The UPS API handles the logistics data; you focus on the customer experience.

GIPHY API

Yup, I went there. Straight to the Millennials and Gen Xers among us.

Several ideas come to mind for this API. The obvious one: let users search for GIFs and use them in messages or comments. But what about less obvious cases?

What if you created an emotions app where telling it you're feeling sad triggers a funny GIF to cheer you up? Or an app where the only way to communicate is via GIFs? Or a review platform where ratings are given in GIF form?

Now that's what I'm talking about. There are countless unique ways to use this API—those ideas took just a few minutes to brainstorm.

Bringing It All Together

We just covered ten different free APIs, each with ideas for building compelling apps. This is really just the tip of the iceberg—there are hundreds more APIs waiting to power your next project.

The key is connecting these data sources to an app that users can actually download and use. Adalo handles this end-to-end: Magic Start generates complete app foundations from a simple description, custom actions connect to any API, and one build publishes to web, iOS App Store, and Android Play Store simultaneously.

With over 3 million apps created on the platform and infrastructure that's been described as "easy as PowerPoint," you don't need to be a coding genius to build something great. The AI-assisted builder coming in early 2026 promises even faster creation speeds through natural language prompts.

Which APIs do you think would make a great app? As a freelancer, you can use tools like Adalo to build software, connect with clients, and earn recurring income. And there are plenty of free online courses and resources to help you get started. With some grit, imagination, and a little help, you can build a business you love.

FAQ

Why choose Adalo over other app building solutions?

Adalo is an AI-powered app builder that creates true native iOS and Android apps alongside web apps. Unlike platforms that produce web wrappers, Adalo compiles to native code and publishes directly to both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store from a single codebase. This handles the hardest part of launching an app—the technical submission process—automatically.

What's the fastest way to build and publish an app to the App Store?

Adalo's drag-and-drop interface and AI-assisted building let you go from idea to published app in days rather than months. Magic Start generates complete app foundations from descriptions, and the platform handles the complex App Store submission process so you can focus on features and user experience instead of certificates and provisioning profiles.

Can I easily integrate APIs into my app without coding?

Yes. Adalo's visual interface lets you create custom actions that connect to external APIs like ESPN, Open Food Facts, UTelly, and others without writing code. You can pull data directly into your app and display it using drag-and-drop components.

What types of apps can I build using these free APIs?

You can build sports tracking dashboards, food allergy and nutrition apps, TV recommendation platforms, superhero fan apps, currency converter tools for travelers, brewery finder apps, shipping notification systems, and GIF-powered communication apps. Each API opens different possibilities depending on your target audience.

How can I use geolocation in my app?

Geolocation APIs enable features like showing users on an interactive map, matching people based on location for dating or networking apps, finding nearby businesses like breweries, and ensuring GDPR compliance for European users. Combining geolocation with other APIs creates powerful location-aware experiences.

Do I need technical expertise to connect my app to external data sources?

No. Adalo provides visual tools that let you set up API connections and display returned data without writing code. This makes it possible for entrepreneurs, small business owners, and creators to build sophisticated, data-driven apps without a technical background.

Can I combine multiple APIs in a single app?

Yes. Combining multiple APIs creates unique and powerful experiences. For example, pair the Open Brewery Database API with IP Geolocation to show users nearby craft breweries, or use the Exchange Rate API alongside ecommerce features for international customers. Adalo makes it easy to integrate multiple data sources into one cohesive app.

How much does it cost to build an API-powered app with Adalo?

Adalo's paid plans start at $36/month with unlimited usage and no record limits on the database. Unlike some competitors that charge based on usage or limit database records, Adalo offers predictable pricing without bill shock. You can publish unlimited updates to your apps once they're live in the app stores.

Will my app handle growth if it becomes popular?

Yes. Adalo's modular infrastructure scales to serve apps with over 1 million monthly active users, with no upper ceiling. The Adalo 3.0 infrastructure overhaul in late 2025 made apps 3-4x faster, and the purpose-built architecture maintains performance at scale—unlike app wrappers that can struggle under load.

Can I publish my API-powered app to both iOS and Android?

Yes. Adalo creates native iOS and Android apps from a single codebase. Build once, and your app publishes to the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and web simultaneously. Updates you make apply across all platforms automatically.