ISBN Lookup APIs
An ISBN is the most dependable key for pulling book metadata, and all three APIs here accept one. Open Library is free with no key and returns edition, author and cover data crowdsourced by the Internet Archive. ISBNdb goes further on commercial detail, with binding, page counts, synopses and list prices, on a free trial. Google Books API adds previews and availability from Google's catalog.
| API | Pricing | Auth | Format | Free tier | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Google Books APISearches Google's book catalog for metadata, previews and availability by title, author or ISBN. Data & Knowledge › Books | API key | JSON | — | Degraded | |
ISBNdbBook metadata by ISBN, title or author: publisher, binding, pages, subjects, synopsis, covers and list prices. Data & Knowledge › Books | Free trial | API key | JSON | — | Live |
Open LibraryBook, edition, author and cover data crowdsourced by the Internet Archive; free lookups by ISBN or title. Data & Knowledge › Books | Free | None | JSON | 10k+/day | Live |
Google Books APIDegraded
Searches Google's book catalog for metadata, previews and availability by title, author or ISBN.
API key · JSON
—
no machine-readable spec
ISBNdbFree trialLive
Book metadata by ISBN, title or author: publisher, binding, pages, subjects, synopsis, covers and list prices.
API key · JSON
—
no machine-readable spec
Open LibraryFreeLive
Book, edition, author and cover data crowdsourced by the Internet Archive; free lookups by ISBN or title.
None · JSON
10k+/day
no machine-readable spec
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Choosing an ISBN Lookup API
Is there a free ISBN Lookup API?
Yes. Open Library is free to use.
Which ISBN Lookup APIs work without an API key?
Open Library needs no key or sign-up, so you can try it with a plain request.
Can I call an ISBN Lookup API from front-end JavaScript?
Open Library allows cross-origin requests and needs no key, so it works straight from the browser. For the others, call them from your server so your key stays private.
Can I use ISBN Lookup APIs in a commercial project?
Open Library and ISBNdb permit commercial use.
Broader: Books APIs · Data & Knowledge APIs