When to Use Free APIs:
Prototyping & Learning ??? Great for testing ideas, student projects, or experimenting.
Low Usage Applications ??? If you don???t expect high traffic, free APIs might be enough.
Public/Open Data Needs ??? Government APIs (e.g., weather, census, maps) often provide reliable data.
Backup or Supplementary Data ??? Can be useful as a secondary source of information.
When to Avoid Free APIs:
Mission-Critical Applications ??? If your business relies on it, don???t risk downtime or limits.
Heavy Traffic & Scaling ??? Most free APIs have rate limits, so they might fail under high load.
Data Accuracy & Freshness ??? Many free APIs provide delayed or incomplete data.
Long-Term Stability ??? Free APIs can shut down or change terms without notice.