Hey everyone, I recently finished building a few APIs and decided to publish them on the RapidAPI marketplace. I’m pretty new to this whole thing and wondering if it’s actually worth spending time on.
Has anyone here had good results with RapidAPI? I’m trying to figure out if I should focus my energy on promoting my APIs there or look for other options. The platform seems popular but I’m not sure how much effort I should put into optimizing my listings and marketing.
Any insights from people who have actually used RapidAPI would be super helpful. Did you see decent traffic and sales? How long did it take to get traction?
Having spent around 18 months on RapidAPI, I’ve seen a range of outcomes, but mostly positive. The platform significantly boosts visibility, which is crucial when starting out. For my first API, it took about 4-5 months before it gained consistent traction. However, it’s essential to diversify your efforts; I still engage directly with enterprise clients while using RapidAPI for smaller development projects and prototypes. The commission rates are reasonable, considering the infrastructure and exposure they provide. A key takeaway is to focus on high-quality documentation and practical examples, as these are critical in converting casual browsers into paying subscribers. With the growing competition on the marketplace, clear and concise documentation can greatly enhance your visibility and conversion rates.
I put three APIs on RapidAPI last year with mixed results. My weather data API did great - steady revenue within two months. But my text processing API flopped despite putting in the same work. Turned out market demand mattered way more than the platform itself. RapidAPI handles billing and infrastructure smoothly, which saves tons of dev time. But their search algorithm pushes established APIs first, so new ones struggle to get noticed. I got way better traffic promoting through dev communities and tech blogs than waiting for RapidAPI’s discovery to work. Use it as part of your distribution plan, not your only option. The commission fees are reasonable for what you get, but don’t expect quick wins without doing your own marketing.
depends on ur niche. ive been there 8 months - my payment processing api gets 20-30 daily requests but barely breaks even after their cut. onboarding’s smooth and support responds quickly when problems pop up. my biggest mistake? not checking competitor pricing first. i priced way too high initially. if u go for it, write solid api descriptions and consider a generous free tier to hook users.