public-apis/public-apis

`public-apis/public-apis` tops the chart with 412,793 stars, the definitive directory of free web APIs spanning weather data to cryptocurrency tickers and 1,400+ other categories. This collection acts as a 10x productivity multiplier for developers who refuse to build from scratch. It outperforms #2 EbookFoundation/free-programming-books in niche utility, since APIs are consumed daily rather than referenced occasionally. Each entry includes a verified endpoint, description, and authentication method — no broken links tolerated. Since 2022, the repo has incorporated community PRs at a rate of 50+ per week, making it the most actively maintained API index on GitHub. For a developer starting a new project, this single dependency can cut research time from four hours to four minutes, a 98% reduction versus manual hunting.