Where JSONPlaceholder's free tier stops
JSONPlaceholder JSONPlaceholder's free tier does not describe a usage cap, signup step, or credit-card requirement. What it does give is a public REST surface for posts, comments, albums, photos, users, and todos, plus individual record fetches, collection lists, query filtering, one-level nested routes, and fake create, update, patch, and delete responses. The practical limit is not volume but fit: it is a fixed mock backend with a defined set of resources and behaviors, so once you need custom schemas, collaboration, or broader API testing workflows, you need another tool.
Switch table
| JSONPlaceholder | Mockfly | mockapi.io | Beeceptor | Mockaroo | Apidog | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public endpoints | Public REST endpoints | Hosted mock endpoints | Hosted REST endpoints | Public endpoint | Downloadable files and API responses | Mocking and API workflows |
| Distinct resource types | 6 resource types | 4 endpoints | 2 resources | Up to 10 small CRUD objects | All features | All core mocking and testing features |
| Request limit | No stated cap | 500 requests per day | No stated cap | 50 requests/day per endpoint | 200 API requests per day | Unlimited test and collection runs |
| Project limit | Not applicable | 1 project | 1 project | Not stated | Not applicable | Up to 4 users |
| Response customization | Fixed sample responses | Multi-response endpoints | Custom response unavailable on free tier | Dynamic and conditional responses | All features | Basic docs and collaboration features |
| Collaboration / team seats | Not applicable | Not stated | No collaboration on free tier | Not stated | Not stated | Up to 4 users |
| Card required | - | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| First paid tier | - | Profesional, 8€ per month | Pro, $5/month | Individual, $10/month | Silver, $60/year | Basic, $9 per user / month |
The alternatives
Mockfly
FTV 47 / 100Mockfly gives you a hosted mock API with 500 requests per day, 1 project, 4 endpoints, and 2 responses per endpoint on the free Starter plan. That is enough for small frontend flows, contract checks, and a few endpoint-specific tests. It also adds request logging, version history, auto-generated docs, and fake JSON generation, which makes it more of a project-based mock server than a fixed sample API. The main tradeoff is that the free tier is tightly bounded, so it works best when you want to shape and observe a few endpoints rather than browse a large public dataset. Switch if you need a configurable mock server with logs and docs.
- Beats JSONPlaceholder: Request logging, version history, and configurable endpoints.
- Falls short: JSONPlaceholder has no described usage cap, while Mockfly is limited to 500 requests/day, 1 project, and 4 endpoints.
- Who should switch: Switch if you want a small hosted mock server you can tune and inspect rather than a fixed public REST sample.
mockapi.io
FTV 45 / 100mockapi.io's free plan includes 1 project and 2 resources, which is enough for a very small REST mock with defined schemas and CRUD-style behavior. Its workflow is better suited to building a custom API shape than JSONPlaceholder's fixed public resources. The platform also supports relations, pagination, sorting, filtering, and customizable responses on paid plans, so it is a natural next step if you want to grow beyond a canned demo backend. The free tier is simple, though it leaves out custom responses and collaboration, so it is most useful for solo work or early prototyping. Switch if you need to model your own resource structure instead of relying on predefined sample data.
- Beats JSONPlaceholder: Custom resource modeling for your own API shape.
- Falls short: JSONPlaceholder offers a broader always-free public REST surface, while mockapi.io is capped at 1 project and 2 resources.
- Who should switch: Switch if your prototype needs your own resource schema more than it needs a large built-in sample dataset.
Beeceptor
FTV 53 / 100Beeceptor's free plan gives you 50 requests per day per endpoint, 3 mock rules per endpoint, a public endpoint, dynamic and conditional responses, AI-powered mock creation, test data generation, live traffic inspection, multi-step stateful behavior, CRUD routes with up to 10 small objects, and an ephemeral local tunnel. That makes it a strong fit when you need to watch traffic, branch responses, or simulate stateful API behavior instead of just returning fixed JSON. Compared with JSONPlaceholder, it is much more control-oriented, but the free tier is also much more restrictive in volume. Switch if your main need is request inspection and response logic, not an always-open sample API.
- Beats JSONPlaceholder: Dynamic rules, live inspection, and stateful mock behavior.
- Falls short: JSONPlaceholder has no described request cap, while Beeceptor limits you to 50 requests/day per endpoint and small CRUD storage.
- Who should switch: Switch if you need to test branching, stateful, or conditional API behavior on a hosted mock server.
Mockaroo
FTV 46 / 100Mockaroo's free offering includes up to 1,000 rows per file, 200 API requests per day, no daily limit on browser downloads, 1x generation speed, and access to all hosted features. It is built for generating realistic test data in CSV, JSON, SQL, and Excel formats, then serving that data as downloads or API responses. That makes it better than JSONPlaceholder when your problem is not a stable fake REST backend, but a repeatable source of generated datasets with schemas you control. The downside is that the free tier is volume-capped and requires a different workflow than browsing a fixed REST resource tree. Switch if you need data generation first and API mocking second.
- Beats JSONPlaceholder: Generated datasets and schema-driven fake data.
- Falls short: JSONPlaceholder is an unbounded public mock API, while Mockaroo is limited to 1,000 rows per file and 200 API requests/day.
- Who should switch: Switch if your test data needs to look realistic and vary by schema rather than follow a fixed sample API.
Apidog
FTV 57 / 100Apidog's free plan includes core API design, mocking, testing, documentation, and client features for up to 4 users, plus unlimited test and collection runs, basic documentation with unlimited views, real-time collaboration, unlimited sprint branches and versions per project, SQL database operations, and scheduled import every 3 hours. It is the strongest fit here when the goal is a shared API workflow instead of a standalone mock endpoint. Compared with JSONPlaceholder, it gives you collaboration and a fuller API lifecycle, but it is built around team usage and platform workflows rather than a public no-signup sample service. Switch if you need a small team to design, mock, test, and document APIs together.
- Beats JSONPlaceholder: Collaboration, API lifecycle tooling, and unlimited test runs.
- Falls short: JSONPlaceholder is a simple always-free public API, while Apidog is capped at 4 users and is more workflow-heavy.
- Who should switch: Switch if you need an all-in-one API workspace for a small team, not just a mock backend.
Two quick picks
mockapi.io
mockapi.io is the closest drop-in for basic REST mocking because it still centers on simple hosted resources and CRUD-style API behavior. It changes less of your workflow than the more feature-heavy tools, while giving you a straightforward path to custom resource modeling when JSONPlaceholder's fixed endpoints are not enough.
Apidog
Apidog gives the most free-room for a growing team because it combines mocking, testing, docs, and collaboration with unlimited test runs and support for up to 4 users. It is not the simplest replacement, but it leaves the most room before a builder has to pay.
Frequently asked questions
Which alternative is best if I just need a few customizable mock endpoints?
Mockfly is the best fit for that use case because its free plan is centered on a small number of endpoints and responses, which is closer to hands-on mock setup than to JSONPlaceholder's fixed public data.
Which one is best for generating realistic test data?
Mockaroo is the better fit if your priority is schema-driven fake data in CSV, JSON, SQL, or Excel formats rather than a fixed REST sample API.
Which alternative is most suitable for a small team?
Apidog is the strongest team option because its free plan includes collaboration and up to 4 users, along with mocking, testing, and documentation features.
Which free plan is closest to JSONPlaceholder's simple REST style?
mockapi.io is the closest in spirit because it is still a straightforward hosted REST mocking service with projects and resources, even though its free tier is much smaller.
Bottom line
For most builders who have outgrown JSONPlaceholder's fixed sample data, mockapi.io is the best next step. It stays closest to the same mental model, a simple hosted REST API with resources you can shape yourself, while still being easy to start on the free plan. If you need more control over mocking logic, Beeceptor is stronger, but for the common case of replacing a public fake backend with a small custom one, mockapi.io is the cleanest move.
Read the full listing for JSONPlaceholder. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more alternatives on /alternatives, or head-to-head comparisons on /compare.