Hacker News API vs NewsData.io
Category: News · Updated June 2026
Hacker News API has a more generous free tier (Unlimited, no key, no credit card) and requires no API key, making it the easier choice for getting started. Hacker News API currently leads on reliability with 100% uptime vs NewsData.io's 0% uptime over the last 30 days. Pick Hacker News API for hobby projects; consider NewsData.io if you need its specific feature set.
Side-by-side comparison
Hacker News API
Official Firebase-based Hacker News API providing real-time access to stories, comments, jobs, and user data.
| Status | 🟢 Online |
| 30-day uptime | 100% |
| Response time | 344 ms |
| Free tier | Unlimited, no key, no credit card |
| Auth | No key required |
| Tier score | 1.0 — no friction |
NewsData.io
Global news API aggregating 50,000+ sources across 150+ countries.
| Status | 🔴 Offline |
| 30-day uptime | 0% |
| Response time | 738 ms |
| Free tier | 200 calls/day, free key, email signup |
| Auth | API key |
| Tier score | 0.7 — free key, no card |
Which to choose?
- Pick Hacker News API if…you want zero friction — no account, no key, just call the endpoint. Also good if news data without signup is a hard requirement.
- Pick NewsData.io if…its feature set (200 calls/day, free key, email signup) fits your request volume and you're comfortable with a free API key.
- Use both if…one goes down — they serve the same news use case from different data sources, so you can implement a quick fallback.
Or use these alternatives
Other top-ranked News APIs you might consider:
- DEV Community API — 🟢 Online · 30 calls/30s unauthenticated, no key for reads
- Wikipedia REST API — 🟢 Online · Unlimited, no key, must set User-Agent
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hacker News API or NewsData.io more reliable?
Based on our 30-day tracking, Hacker News API is more reliable with 100% uptime compared to NewsData.io's 0%. Both are measured from the same automated hourly checks — no self-reported data.
Which one has a more generous free tier — Hacker News API or NewsData.io?
Hacker News API has a more generous free tier. Its plan offers Unlimited, no key, no credit card vs NewsData.io's 200 calls/day, free key, email signup. Hacker News API also requires no API key at all, making onboarding instant.
Can I use Hacker News API and NewsData.io together?
Yes, and it's straightforward. Hacker News API needs no key, while NewsData.io needs a free registration. You can use one as primary and the other as fallback without significant complexity.
What's the cheapest paid alternative if both Hacker News API and NewsData.io fail?
If you need a paid fallback, NewsAPI is one of the more affordable options (from $449/mo). You can find the full list of paid alternatives on each API's detail page. Paid tiers typically offer SLA guarantees, higher rate limits, and dedicated support.
See full profiles: Hacker News API · NewsData.io · All News APIs