Today, images are everywhere, from social media and e-commerce to artificial intelligence applications. But how do developers efficiently manage and manipulate images at scale? The answer lies in image APIs.
Read further to discover the different types of image APIs, how they process images, and why free image APIs can be a game-changer for both individuals and businesses.
What exactly is image API?
Image APIs are Application Programming Interfaces (API) that allow developers to work with images using code. Basically, it serves as a bridge between the apps and image-processing functionalities and doesn’t require manual intervention.
Types of APIs that work with images
APIs for images can be used in different situations. This largely depends on their type. Some like Creative Suite API by Depositphotos and VistaCreate can perform several different tasks at once, while some are more specific.
The main types of APIs for pictures are:
- Paid and free image generation APIs. They are used to create visuals from text prompts using AI. The most common examples are Midjourney API and DALL-E. Since the launch of DALL-E 2, people have used it to generate an average of 34 million images per day.
- Paid and free image manipulation APIs. With their help, you can edit, crop, resize, and enhance images. The most common examples of such tools are Cloudinary and ImageKit.
- Paid and free picture recognition APIs. They can analyze and spot various objects, faces, or text in images. For instance, by transferring text from visual to text editor. The most common examples of these APIs are Google Vision API and Microsoft Azure Computer Vision.
- Paid and free reverse image search APIs. They allow you to find similar images or track image usage across the web. The most common example is TinEye API.
- Paid and free image hosting and delivery APIs. They are used to store and serve images quickly with a CDN (content delivery network). The most common examples of such cool free APIs are Imgix and Unsplash API.
How an API processes images
The whole mechanism of processing images with the help of an API is quite straightforward:
- A client (web, app, or script) sends an API request to the image API. This can be a URL, a file upload, processing instructions, and authentication if necessary.
- Once a paid or free image API receives the request, it starts processing the image based on the chosen task and the tool’s type. For instance, the free image generation API generates visuals based on text descriptions.
- Then the API sends back a response to the client. This response can include a URL to the modified image, image metadata (its dimensions, format, and file size), and analysis results (for instance, if you’re working with AI-based recognition).
- The processed visual can be displayed on a website or app, stored in a database or cloud storage, or downloaded for offline use.
Main reasons to use a free image API
Using such APIs can help both individuals and small businesses that need to work with images without breaking the bank. Here are the main reasons to try working with such tools.
- They help you save costs
When you use an image API that is free instead of paying for expensive software or hosting, you save a lot of money. This can be especially beneficial for startups, hobby projects, or personal websites.
- They are quick and easy to integrate
Most of such solutions can be easily added to websites, apps, or automation tools. This helps you save time on development, especially compared to creating and launching an in-house image processing system, which can cost from $100,000 to $500,000.
- They grant you access to high-quality visuals
The visuals available in free image APIs search are licensed and come in high resolution. They can be a great option for blog posts, social media, and design projects.
- They can automatically process and optimize images
While this isn’t true for any random image API, there are many of them (such as Cloudinary) that offer resizing, cropping, and compression to ensure faster page loads. This can be a useful solution for web developers, designers, and e-commerce platforms.
- They are easily scalable for small projects
Most free plans used in image APIs allow limited usage (such as 50–1,000 requests per month). This can be enough for low-traffic websites or prototypes. As the project grows, you can easily upgrade to a paid plan when necessary.
- They can improve load times (when CDN is used)
When you work with image delivery APIs that work with CDNs, they show images quickly across the globe. This positively affects website speed and SEO rankings.
To sum up
Image APIs can be useful for developers, designers, and businesses that are looking to enhance website performance, improve SEO with optimized images, or automate image recognition tasks. They are a budget-friendly solution for startups and small projects, as they offer high-quality visuals, easy integration, and scalable options.
