Nat Torkington has a great post about free APIs. Like, the elusive free lunch, there’s no such thing as a free API. Given Google’s decision to deprecate the Search API and the Alexa/Statsaholic situation, Nat’s post is timely and spot-on.

For these reasons, there’s no such thing as a free API if you’re looking to build a business.

This is a basic truth. Businesses don’t do things out of the goodness of their hearts, they do things that benefit them. There’s nothing wrong with that. It would be irresponsible if that weren’t the case. Any business using someone else’s API to deliver services should make sure there’s a Plan B. You’re entitled to what you pay for…