Software Alternatives & Startups

Mockoon VS Public API

Compare Mockoon VS Public API and see what are their differences

Mockoon

Mockoon is the easiest and quickest way to design and run mock REST APIs. No remote deployment, no account required, free and open-source.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source Paid Free trial $15 / Monthly (5 API mocks synchronized accross your devices, 1 mock deployed)
Public API

Discover, compare, and integrate public APIs using real-time health monitoring, OpenAPI documentation, and live availability signals.

No screenshot yet
Rating
0 reviews

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Mockoon seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 35 times since March 2021.

social mentions
35 vs 0
Developer Tools popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
124 vs 8

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Mockoon
PAP
Public API
Website mockoon.com public-api.org
Pricing
Open source Paid Free trial $15 / Monthly (5 API mocks synchronized accross your devices, 1 mock deployed) Official pricing
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Platforms
Windows Linux Mac
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Company Startup from Luxembourg · 1 - 9 employees · 2017 —
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Mockoon 5 features
PAP
Public API 5 features
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Mockoon offers an intuitive and easy-to-navigate graphical user interface, making it accessible even for those who are not deeply familiar with API mocking.
  • Quick Setup
    Enables quick creation and running of mock servers locally, allowing developers to simulate API responses without complex configuration.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source tool, Mockoon benefits from community contributions and transparency, which can lead to faster bug fixes and feature enhancements.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Available on multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, and Linux, offering flexibility for diverse development environments.
  • Advanced Features
    Supports advanced features like HTTPS, CORS, custom headers, and support for various response types, catering to complex API mocking needs.
  • Free to Use
    Public API is completely free, making it accessible to developers of all levels without any financial barrier to entry. This is particularly beneficial for hobbyists, students, and those working on personal projects.
  • Comprehensive Directory
    The platform provides a well-organized directory of hundreds of free public APIs across numerous categories such as animals, finance, weather, games, and more, making it easy to discover useful APIs for various projects.
  • Simple and Clean Interface
    The website offers a straightforward, easy-to-navigate interface that allows developers to quickly browse, search, and filter APIs by category, HTTPS support, CORS availability, and authentication requirements.
  • Open Source
    The project is open source, meaning the community can contribute to it, suggest new APIs, report issues, and help maintain the directory, ensuring it stays up-to-date and relevant.
  • Useful Metadata
    Each API listing includes helpful metadata such as whether it supports HTTPS, requires authentication, and supports CORS, which helps developers quickly assess if an API meets their technical requirements before diving deeper.

Possible disadvantages

  • No Quality Assurance
    The platform acts as a directory and does not verify or guarantee the reliability, uptime, or quality of the listed APIs. Some APIs may be outdated, broken, or poorly maintained without any indication on the listing.
  • Limited API Details
    The listings provide only basic information about each API. Developers often need to visit the actual API documentation separately to understand endpoints, rate limits, response formats, and other critical details.
  • Outdated Listings
    Some APIs listed on the platform may no longer be active or may have changed their terms, endpoints, or availability. The directory doesn't always reflect the current status of every listed API in real time.
  • No User Reviews or Ratings
    The platform lacks a community feedback system such as user reviews, ratings, or usage statistics, making it harder for developers to gauge the real-world reliability and usefulness of a listed API before committing to it.
  • Limited Search and Filtering
    While basic category browsing is available, the search and filtering capabilities are relatively limited compared to more advanced API marketplaces. There is no ability to filter by popularity, response speed, or data format, for example.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Mockoon
PAP
Public API

Overall verdict

  • Mockoon is a valuable tool for developers who need to create mock APIs swiftly and efficiently. Its combination of ease-of-use, flexibility, and powerful features makes it a strong choice for API testing and development.

Why this product is good

  • Mockoon is considered a good tool because it provides a user-friendly interface for creating and managing mock APIs. It allows developers to simulate endpoints quickly without writing code, facilitating testing and development processes. Additionally, Mockoon is open-source, lightweight, and can be used locally without the need for an internet connection, making it secure and efficient for local development.

Recommended for

    Mockoon is recommended for developers, QA testers, and software teams who require fast and reliable mock APIs for testing or development, as well as those who prefer a lightweight, standalone solution that can be run locally on their machines.

Overall verdict

  • Public API (public-api.org) is a useful directory and aggregator site that helps developers discover free and public APIs across many categories, but it is a curation/listing service rather than an API provider itself, so its value depends on the quality and reliability of the third-party APIs it links to.

Why this product is good

  • Offers a centralized, searchable directory of numerous free and public APIs across diverse categories
  • Saves developers time by aggregating API options instead of searching individually across the web
  • Often includes brief descriptions, categories, and links to documentation for quick evaluation
  • Useful for discovering lesser-known or niche APIs that might not be found through mainstream searches
  • Generally free to browse and use as a discovery tool

Recommended for

  • Developers looking to quickly find free or public APIs for a project
  • Students and hobbyists exploring API integration for learning purposes
  • Startups seeking cost-effective third-party API options during early development
  • Researchers or hackathon participants needing rapid access to varied data sources
  • Anyone wanting a starting point for API discovery rather than a guaranteed production-grade API provider

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Mockoon
PAP
Public API
100% 100%
0% 0%
88% 88%
12% 12%
91% 91%
9% 9%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using Mockoon and Public API. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Mockoon 35 mentions
PAP
Public API 0 mentions

View more

Tracking Public API since Jan 2026.

Alternatives to Mockoon and Public API

When comparing Mockoon and Public API, you can also consider the following products.