Zillow API Alternative: Free Property Data (2026)

Zillow shut down its public real-estate API in 2021, and developers have been looking for a replacement ever since. If you need bulk property data or a simple lookup API, an open public-records dataset is the most direct route — free, redistributable, and without a gated application process.

What the Zillow API did (2006–2021)

Zillow launched its public Web Services API in 2006. For about 15 years it was free to use with an approved ZWSID (Zillow Web Services ID), capped at roughly 1,000 calls per day (higher only after a Zillow audit). Endpoints like GetSearchResults, GetZestimate, and GetDeepSearchResults returned a property's Zestimate and Rent Zestimate, address, beds/baths, lot size, year built, taxes, price history, and comparable sales — with a requirement to attribute and link back to Zillow.

Zillow retired that public API on September 30, 2021, and existing keys stopped working that day. Its successor, Bridge Interactive, is aimed at MLS members and enterprise partners (multi-week approval, roughly $500/mo and up) and generally does not expose the Zestimate. That left independent developers who just want property facts — characteristics, sale history, and location — without an open option.

Facts, not the Zestimate

One honest distinction: the Zestimate was Zillow's proprietary valuation model. No open dataset reproduces it. What an open public-records dataset gives you is the underlying facts — beds, baths, square footage, lot size, year built, property type, status, and the actual sale and tax history. If you were using the old API for those facts (most integrations were), an open dataset covers them directly. If you specifically need Zillow's estimated value, that remains proprietary to Zillow.

The open alternative: public property records

U.S. property facts are public records. RealEstateDataset compiles them into one standardized, openly-licensed dataset: ~146M properties with address, beds, baths, square footage, lot size, year built, property type, listing status, last sold price and date, plus nested price and tax history in Parquet. It's CC0 — free for any use, including commercial, with no application to fill out.

For always-current, one-property-at-a-time lookups, every record carries an id that's a live endpoint on Straply's API. Download the bulk file to seed a database; call the API to keep a single property fresh.

Zillow API vs. an open dataset + API

	Retired Zillow API	Open dataset + API
Public access	Discontinued (2021)	Yes — no application
Bulk download	No	Yes (Parquet + CSV, per state/county/ZIP)
License	Restricted	CC0 (public domain)
Live lookup	Retired	Yes — every row is an API endpoint
Cost	—	Free bulk; self-serve API tiers

See exactly what's included in the data dictionary, or compare every option in real estate data sources.

Frequently asked

What replaced the Zillow API?

Zillow retired its public API in 2021 and did not replace it with an open equivalent. For property facts, the common alternatives are open public-records datasets (free bulk download) and self-serve property-data APIs. RealEstateDataset provides both: a free CC0 bulk dataset of ~146M U.S. properties and a live API.

When did the Zillow API shut down?

Zillow retired its public Web Services API on September 30, 2021. Existing API keys stopped working that day, ending about 15 years of open access that began in 2006.

How much did the Zillow API cost?

The old Zillow Web Services API was free to use with an approved ZWSID, capped at roughly 1,000 calls per day (higher limits required a Zillow audit). It is no longer available at any price; the successor program, Bridge Interactive, is enterprise/MLS-only.

What data did the Zillow API return?

Its endpoints returned the Zestimate and Rent Zestimate, address, beds/baths, lot size, year built, taxes, price history, and comparable sales. An open dataset reproduces the factual fields (characteristics + sale/tax history) but not the proprietary Zestimate.

Is there a free Zillow API alternative?

Yes. The RealEstateDataset bulk files are free to download under CC0 with no sign-up, and the Straply API has a free tier for live lookups. You get address, characteristics, sale history and location without a gated application.

Can I get Zillow-like property data?

You can get the underlying public property facts — beds, baths, square footage, lot size, year built, property type, status, and sale/tax history — for ~146M U.S. homes. These are public records compiled into a standardized dataset, not Zillow's proprietary content.

How do I download the data?

Pick the whole U.S. or a single state, county, or ZIP on the homepage and download Parquet (for analysis) or CSV (for spreadsheets). See how to download property data for a step-by-step walkthrough.

Isn't Bridge Interactive the Zillow API replacement?

Bridge Interactive is Zillow Group's data platform, but access is aimed at approved partners and MLS members and generally isn't open to individual developers. If you need property data without an approval process, a free public-records dataset plus a self-serve API is the more accessible route.

Need always-current data, one property at a time?

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