I’ve been developing several APIs and I’m contemplating whether I should release them on RapidAPI to potentially earn some revenue. Has anyone had recent experiences with publishing their APIs on that platform? I’m curious about its profitability and if there are too many APIs already competing for user interest.
I would like to understand if developers continue to purchase APIs from that marketplace or if it has become oversaturated. I’m also interested in learning about their revenue sharing model and if the effort required to maintain and support an API there justifies the possible earnings.
Any insights or suggestions would be greatly appreciated before I make a decision.
I launched two APIs on RapidAPI last year and there’s still solid money to be made if you’re smart about it. Don’t just build a good API - target underserved markets and stay engaged with your users. Fintech and data analysis APIs crushed it for me compared to general utility stuff. The 80/20 revenue split is fair, but pricing strategy makes or breaks you. I started way too low thinking volume would save me. Wrong. Raising prices actually boosted revenue without losing many subscribers. Their discovery system works great if you nail your tagging and documentation. Here’s what caught me off guard - the community side matters huge. I got active in their forums and responded fast to user questions. My API rankings shot up. Yeah, competition’s fierce, but there’s room for quality solutions that tackle specific problems.
it really comes down to your api quality. i tried rapidapi about 8 months back and made decent money, nothing crazy tho. the platform isn’t as oversaturated as people claim - good apis still get noticed. my biggest mistake? underestimating how much time customer support takes. you’ll be answering questions every day. the 80/20 revenue split is fair, but nail your pricing from day one. it’s way easier than changing it later.
I put three APIs on RapidAPI about 18 months ago - results were mixed. There’s definitely an active user base, but success really depends on your niche and how good your API is. My weather data API started strong but revenue dropped as more competitors showed up. RapidAPI takes 20% commission, which isn’t bad compared to other marketplaces. But you’ll spend way more time than expected answering developer questions and keeping docs updated - the support workload caught me off guard. Whether you’ll make money depends on how unique your API is and how you price it. Generic stuff struggles, but specialized APIs with solid docs can bring in steady income. The marketplace isn’t oversaturated yet, but competition has definitely ramped up since 2022. If your APIs solve problems that existing solutions miss, it’s worth a shot.