The Rise of the API Economy and a Curated List of Useful API Services

In recent years the API economy has surged worldwide, with many vendors opening their APIs. Since around 2011, developing data‑driven applications via APIs has become a trend and is increasingly a core business for companies. Sites like ProgrammableWeb have cataloged tens of thousands of APIs, and the number keeps growing.

Leveraging abundant third‑party APIs enables developers to build applications quickly and with higher quality. For vendors, promoting APIs through communities and social networks helps market their products and creates a win‑win situation.

Some argue that wherever there are APIs, there are apps, and that APIs are a key factor in successful web application development. This article is a translation of Randall Degges’s blog post “API‑Driven Development”.

As developers, writing code can be rewarding, but deleting unnecessary code is equally valuable because it reveals redundant or overly complex sections, leading to simpler, less error‑prone solutions.

The author’s view: make good use of third‑party APIs to reduce code volume and lower the chance of bugs, allowing more focus on core business logic.

We are not as smart as we think

Even the most capable programmers cannot write error‑free code. Re‑using existing solutions saves time and resources.

The most efficient use of time is not to reinvent the wheel for every project but to continuously deliver impressive applications.

For example, Loggly can save about three years of development time for logging, and Stormpath provides a complete authentication and user‑management solution. If you still prefer to build everything yourself, you will incur extra time, cost, and maintenance overhead.

Therefore, when a suite of ready‑made services is available, it is wise to integrate them rather than reinvent them.

Efficiency First

Do not waste time on unnecessary steps. The goal is to deliver the best application for customers, not to monitor every detail 24/7.

Competitors are unlikely to build non‑core components themselves; thus, allocating resources wisely keeps you ahead.

Tools and Solutions

The author compiled a list of API services across various categories:

Authentication / Authorization

Stormpath – secure user management, permissions, email verification, and password reset.

Analytics

Keen.io – customizable analytics platform.

CDN

CloudFlare – CDN with DDoS protection.

Fastly – fast, highly customizable CDN API.

CRM

Intercom – easy‑to‑use, feature‑rich CRM.

Dashboards

Ducksboard – beautiful UI with efficient API for project data.

Leftronic – sleek design with strong geolocation support.

Database

Bonsai – powerful RESTful search engine ElasticSearch.

Heroku Postgres – top‑tier PostgreSQL hosting.

MongoHQ – preferred MongoDB provider.

OpenRedis – reliable, scalable Redis service.

Deployment / Hosting

Heroku – reputable hosting platform.

Flynn – Docker‑based competitor to Heroku.

Email

Sendgrid – simple API for sending emails.

Logging

Loggly – user‑friendly log management.

Monitoring / Debugging

New Relic – comprehensive performance and monitoring data.

RunScope – useful debugging and monitoring API service.

Payments

Stripe – excellent credit‑card transaction processor.

Coinbase – leading Bitcoin transaction service.

Real‑time Processing

Firebase – powerful real‑time data storage and sync API.

Pusher – simplifies WebSocket communication.

Storage

Amazon S3 – unrivaled file storage and streaming API.

Communication

OpenCNAM – intelligent caller ID and identification.

Twilio – easy‑to‑use voice and SMS platform.

Testing

Travis CI – provides unit and integration testing services, both free and paid tiers.

Conclusion

Building a star‑level product is challenging, but leveraging API services can dramatically improve efficiency and free up time to focus on core business logic.

Source: Stormpath