Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

API List VS Packer

Compare API List VS Packer and see what are their differences

API List logo API List

A collective list of APIs. Build something.

Packer logo Packer

Packer is an open-source software for creating identical machine images from a single source configuration.
  • API List Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-21
  • Packer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-15

API List features and specs

  • Variety
    API List provides a diverse range of APIs in various categories such as entertainment, data, weather, and more, making it easy to find APIs that suit different needs.
  • Ease of Access
    The platform is user-friendly and allows users to quickly browse and discover APIs without complex navigation or extensive searches.
  • Free APIs
    Many of the APIs listed on the site are free to use, which is a great advantage for developers who are looking for cost-effective solutions.
  • Updated Content
    The list appears to be maintained and updated regularly, ensuring that users have access to current and functional APIs.

Possible disadvantages of API List

  • Quality Variation
    The quality and reliability of the listed APIs can vary significantly since they come from different sources and may not all be thoroughly vetted.
  • Limited Information
    Some API listings may lack detailed descriptions or documentation links, which can make it harder for developers to assess their suitability.
  • No User Reviews
    The site does not provide a mechanism for user feedback or reviews, which could help other users to determine the usefulness and reliability of an API.
  • Possible Downtime
    There is no guarantee of uptime for the APIs listed, and some may experience downtimes or discontinuation without prior notice.

Packer features and specs

  • Multi-Provider Support
    Packer supports a wide variety of providers such as AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, VMware, and more. This allows for flexibility and the ability to create machine images across different environments.
  • Automation
    Packer automates the creation of machine images, eliminating the need for manual image configuration and reducing the potential for human error.
  • Script Reusability
    Packer allows for the reuse of scripts and configuration files, enabling a consistent and repeatable process for image creation.
  • Parallel Builds
    Packer can build multiple images in parallel, which can significantly speed up the provisioning process.
  • Idempotency
    Packer ensures that the output machine image is always an identical result given the same input configuration, reducing the risk of inconsistencies.

Possible disadvantages of Packer

  • Steep Learning Curve
    The variety of features and flexibility that Packer offers can make it complex and challenging to learn, especially for beginners.
  • Limited Debugging Tools
    Packer's debugging tools are not as mature or as integrated as those found in some other DevOps tools, making troubleshooting more difficult.
  • Configuration Complexity
    Complex configurations with multiple builders and provisioners can become hard to manage and maintain, leading to potential errors.
  • No State Management
    Unlike Terraform, Packer does not manage state, which means users need to handle state management separately if required.
  • Dependency on External Tools
    Packer often relies on external scripts and tools for provisioning, which can introduce additional dependencies and complexities.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to API List and Packer)
APIs
100 100%
0% 0
DevOps Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Web App
100 100%
0% 0
Continuous Integration And Delivery

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare API List and Packer

API List Reviews

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Packer Reviews

Introduction to Top Open Source Virtualization Tools
Packer is notably light, high performing, and operates on every major operating system. It assembles and configures all the necessary components for a virtual machine then creates images that run on multiple platforms. Packer doesn’t replace configuration management tools like Puppet or Chef; as a matter of fact, when creating images, Packer can utilize tools like Puppet or...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, API List should be more popular than Packer. It has been mentiond 18 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

API List mentions (18)

  • How to Promote and Market your API: API Directories
    This simple and intuitive website categorizes APIs (and allows for multiple categories per API). Some social aspects are introduced; like upvotes, comments, list of companies using the API. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Promises in JavaScript: Understanding, Handling, and Mastering Async Code
    If you haven’t tried it yet, I recommend writing a simple code snippet to fetch data from an API. You can start with a fun API to experiment with. Plus, all the examples and code snippets are available in this repository for you to explore. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • What’s the most exciting API you discovered?
    I don't know any good ones specifically, but https://apilist.fun was helpful back when I was playing around. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Boost Your Next Project with My Comprehensive List of Free APIs – 1000+ and Counting!
    Public-api Github Repo : https://github.com/public-apis/public-apis Rapid API : https://rapidapi.com/collection/list-... API House : https://apihouse.vercel.app/ Free APIs: https://free-apis.github.io/#/ Dev Resources : https://devresourc.es/tools-and-utili... AnyApi: https://any-api.com/ Public Apis : https://public-apis.io/ API List : https://apilist.fun/ Public APIs: https://public-apis.xyz/ Public... - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • A Beginner Developer's Guide to APIs (with Example Project)
    There are hundreds of APIs available for you to use in your projects. API List is a comprehensive list of publicly available APIs and links to the documentation and other important information for each API. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
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Packer mentions (9)

  • Failed to connect to the host via SSH on Ubuntu 22.04
    If you have just upgraded to Ubuntu 22.04, and you suddenly experience either errors when trying to ssh into hosts, or when running ansible or again when running the ansible provisioner building a packer image, this is probably going to be useful for you. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Create a minimalist OS using Docker Containers and Hashicorp Packer
    I am already using Hashicorp Packer at work and for personal projects and I wanted to test This idea out by wrapping it a single Packer Template file. This reduces the level of maintaining a lot of small scripts, Dockerfiles and configurations and the user can simply trigger a couple of Commands to get a minimalist OS at the end of the process. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • After self-hosting my email for twenty-three years I have thrown in the towel. The oligopoly has won.
    And while it is a slight increase in complexity, it can be an overall net gain in functionality, configurability and reliability. Much like Packer is far more reliable and practical than manually making VM images sitting in front of a terminal, even though making the initial configuration takes some time. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Customized Ubuntu Images using Packer + QEMU + Cloud-Init & UEFI bootloading
    Hashicorp Packer provides a nice wrapper / abstraction over the QEMU in order to boot the image and use it to set it up on first-boot. Instead of writing really long commands in order to boot up the image using QEMU, Packer provided a nice Configuration Template in a more Readable fashion. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • The journey of sharing a wired USB printer over the network
    Packer seemed like the perfect tool for the job. I have never used it before and wanted to get familiar with the tool. It doesn't come with ARM support out of the box, but there are two community projects to fill that niche. - Source: dev.to / about 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing API List and Packer, you can also consider the following products

PublicAPIs - Explore the largest API directory in the galaxy

Terraform - Tool for building, changing, and versioning infrastructure safely and efficiently.

Abstract APIs - Simple, powerful APIs for everyday dev tasks

Puppet Enterprise - Get started with Puppet Enterprise, or upgrade or expand.

JSONREPO - JSONREPO is an API platform created for developers seeking fast, reliable, and scalable APIs

Rancher - Open Source Platform for Running a Private Container Service