GitHub REST API alternative (2026)
GitHub's public REST API is free and does not require OAuth for public profiles. Captapi is a thin wrap of that API plus two HTML surfaces GitHub does not expose as REST: github.com/trending and the contribution calendar. Call api.github.com directly for GitHub-only jobs.
Is Captapi a good GitHub REST API alternative?
Use Captapi when the same job already talks to Instagram or TikTok through us, or when you need trending (starsGained in a daily/weekly/monthly window) or contributions (days[], currentStreak with today-grace). Those two are HTML, not REST. Use api.github.com (and a personal access token) for GitHub-only production: higher authenticated rate limits (5,000/hour vs 60 unauthenticated), webhooks, Actions, and anything write-side. Captapi does not remove a GitHub OAuth barrier — there isn't one for public reads.
Captapi vs GitHub REST API
| Captapi | GitHub REST API | |
|---|---|---|
| Public profiles / repos / PRs / events | Thin camelCase wrap; same public data; one key with other platforms | First-party REST — prefer this for GitHub-only work |
| Rate limit (public REST) | Captapi credit budget — not GitHub's 60/hour bucket on your IP | 60/hour unauthenticated; 5,000/hour with a PAT |
| github.com/trending | /v1/github/trending-repositories — starsGained + since=daily|weekly|monthly | Not a REST endpoint (search-by-stars is all-time, not the trending page) |
| Contribution heatmap | /v1/github/contributions — days[], currentStreak (today-grace), longestStreak | GraphQL contributionCalendar, or scrape the profile calendar yourself |
| Write / webhooks / Actions | No | Yes |
Comparison of public, documented behaviour as of October 2026. Official APIs change — verify on docs.github.com.
When to use which
Use Captapi when
Use Captapi when the same job already talks to Instagram or TikTok through us, or when you need trending (starsGained in a daily/weekly/monthly window) or contributions (days[], currentStreak with today-grace). Those two are HTML, not REST.
Use GitHub REST API when
Use api.github.com (and a personal access token) for GitHub-only production: higher authenticated rate limits (5,000/hour vs 60 unauthenticated), webhooks, Actions, and anything write-side. Captapi does not remove a GitHub OAuth barrier — there isn't one for public reads.
Matching Captapi endpoints
Thin /users/{login} wrap — email only when the account made it public
/apis/github-repositorywatchers is subscribers_count, not the legacy stars alias
/apis/github-followers~0.1/row; mega-accounts are cheaper on api.github.com
/apis/github-contributionsHTML calendar; currentStreak uses GitHub's today-grace rule
/apis/github-trending-repositoriesReal /trending page — not all-time star search
/apis/github-trending-developersReal /trending/developers + hydrated /users card
Why developers pick Captapi
- github.com/trending as JSON (starsGained, not all-time stars)
- Contribution calendar with currentStreak today-grace — not the 90-event public feed
- Same envelope and field names as every other Captapi profile/list endpoint
- Honest docs: GitHub-only jobs should still call api.github.com
Worked examples
Frequently asked questions
Is Captapi a GitHub API alternative?+
Only in two cases: you already use Captapi for other platforms, or you need trending / the contribution heatmap. Public user, repo, PR, and event payloads are GitHub's own REST with camelCase keys. For GitHub-only jobs, call api.github.com.
Does GitHub trending exist on the official REST API?+
No. /search/repositories?sort=stars is all-time stars. Captapi /v1/github/trending-repositories scrapes github.com/trending and returns starsGained for daily, weekly, or monthly.
Should I page every follower through Captapi?+
No. Followers bill ~0.1 credits/row. A ~250k-follower account is ~25k credits. For full archives use api.github.com with a PAT.
Other official API alternatives
One REST key across 33 platforms — not just this one.
Try Captapi free
Get your API key and 100 free credits in 60 seconds. No credit card.