Zillow API alternative: 7 options that work in 2026

The Zillow API is gone. It died on September 30, 2021, and it’s not coming back.

If you’re here, you probably just discovered that your ZWSID key returns 403 errors, or you’re starting a new project and found out the signup page at zillow.com/howto/api redirects to a dead end. Either way, you need a working alternative. Here are the 7 real options developers are using in 2026, ranked by how fast you can go from zero to making API calls.

What happened to the Zillow API?

Zillow retired the public Web Services API (ZWSID) on September 30, 2021. Every existing API key stopped working that day. The old endpoints like GetSearchResults, GetZestimate, and GetComps returned errors immediately. Zillow took down the developer signup page and replaced it with a redirect to their developer portal, which points to Bridge Interactive.

The shutdown wasn’t a temporary outage. It was a strategic decision. Zillow wanted to control how property data flows to third parties, and a free public API didn’t fit that model.

There is no waiting list. There is no reactivation process. If you Google “Zillow API key,” you’ll find tutorials from 2019 and 2020 that walk through a signup process that no longer exists.

So what are your actual options? Seven of them.

1. Zillapi — the fastest path to Zillow data

Zillapi is a self-serve REST API that returns the same property data developers used to get from Zillow’s API: Zestimates, tax records, price history, photos, school ratings, and 300+ fields across 160M+ U.S. properties. JSON responses. Bearer token auth. No MLS affiliation required. No approval process.

You sign up with your email, get 100 free credits (no credit card), and make your first API call in under 60 seconds.

curl "https://api.zillapi.com/v1/properties/by-address" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ZILLAPI_KEY" \
  --data-urlencode "address=17 Zelma Dr, Greenville, SC 29617" \
  -G

That returns a JSON response with the property’s Zestimate, beds, baths, sqft, tax assessment, listing status, and 290+ other fields.

Zillapi is the closest thing to a drop-in replacement for the old Zillow API. The data is the same. The delivery mechanism is modern REST instead of legacy XML. If you want Python code examples, check out our Zillow API Python tutorial.

2. Bridge Interactive — Zillow’s official replacement

Bridge Interactive is what Zillow built to replace the public API. It’s a RESO Web API designed for MLS-affiliated partners: brokerages, IDX vendors, and approved proptech companies.

You apply by emailing api@bridgeinteractive.com. Approval takes days to weeks. You need MLS affiliation.

Here’s the catch that surprises most developers: Bridge does not expose Zestimates. The data set is MLS listings, not the full Zillow property page. If you need Zestimates in your application, Bridge won’t help.

Bridge is the right choice if you’re building an MLS-powered brokerage tool. For everyone else, it’s a dead end.

3. APIllow — ongoing free tier with smaller data set

APIllow is another third-party REST wrapper for Zillow property data. Their main selling point is an ongoing free tier of 50 requests per month, compared to Zillapi’s one-time 100 credits.

The trade-off is a smaller field set and lower rate limits. APIllow returns 50+ fields per property versus Zillapi’s 300+. Their free tier rate limit is 5 requests per minute, which makes bulk operations slow.

APIllow works well for very low-volume use cases where you need a few property lookups per month without paying anything. Once you need speed or scale, the rate limits become a bottleneck.

4. ATTOM Data — enterprise property records

ATTOM is the enterprise player in property data. They aggregated public records, MLS feeds, and tax assessor data across the U.S. and acquired Estated in 2024, consolidating two APIs into one platform.

ATTOM covers data that Zillow-focused wrappers don’t: foreclosure filings, building permits, environmental risk scores, mortgage records, and ownership transfers. If you need to know who owns a property, what liens exist, or what the flood risk is, ATTOM has it.

The trade-off is price and complexity. Plans start at $95 per month for 5,000 API calls. No free tier. No self-serve signup. You fill out a form and talk to a sales rep, according to multiple review sites.

ATTOM is not a Zillow API replacement. It’s a different product for a different use case. If you need Zestimates and listing data, look elsewhere. If you need county recorder filings and flood zone data, ATTOM is the answer.

5. Realty Mole — lightweight property lookups via RapidAPI

Realty Mole is available on RapidAPI and focuses on property attributes, owner details, and rental estimates. It’s popular with developers who want basic property data without building a full real estate application.

The API covers property characteristics (bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, lot size), owner information, and historical data. It does not include Zestimates.

Pricing runs through RapidAPI’s subscription model. A limited free tier exists for testing. Paid plans vary but are generally affordable for low-volume use.

Realty Mole is a decent option if you’re already in the RapidAPI ecosystem and need simple property attributes. It’s not a full Zillow replacement since it lacks Zestimates and the deep listing data.

6. BatchData — bulk property data at scale

BatchData focuses on bulk property data delivery and skip tracing. Their Property Search API starts at $500 per month for 20,000 records, scaling to $5,000+ per month for 750,000 records, per their published pricing.

This is not a developer testing tool. This is enterprise infrastructure for lead generation companies, real estate investors running portfolios, and skip tracing operations that need millions of property records.

If you’re looking for a Zillow API alternative to build an app or prototype a feature, BatchData is overkill. If you need to enrich 500,000 property records per month with owner contacts, it’s worth evaluating.

7. Apify Zillow scrapers — the DIY path

Apify hosts web scrapers wrapped in an API. Several actors scrape Zillow property pages and return structured data. They work, but with important caveats.

Response times are 2 to 10 seconds per property (versus ~1 second cached for a REST API). The response schema varies by actor and can change without warning. Zillow actively fights scrapers, so an actor that works today might break tomorrow.

Pricing runs through Apify’s platform credits. A free tier exists for small volumes.

Apify scrapers are fine for a one-off data pull. They’re bad for production applications that need reliable, fast responses. If a scraper breaks at 2 AM and your users see empty pages, that’s your problem.

How do these alternatives compare?

Here’s every option side by side. Sorted by how quickly you can start making API calls.

Three things stand out from this table.

First, Zestimates are only available through third-party wrappers. Zillow’s own Bridge Interactive doesn’t expose them. If Zestimates matter to your use case, your options narrow to Zillapi, APIllow, or scrapers.

Second, the startup time gap is huge. You can make your first API call with Zillapi in 60 seconds. Bridge Interactive takes weeks. For prototyping, that difference is everything.

Third, the per-call cost spans a 10x range. From $0.003 (APIllow) to $0.025 (BatchData) for similar data. Volume discounts matter.

Which alternative should you pick?

The answer depends on what you’re building.

If you need Zestimates and listing data for an app, use Zillapi. Fastest signup, most fields, best documentation. Get your API key here.

If you need a handful of free lookups every month and speed doesn’t matter, APIllow’s ongoing free tier works.

If you’re building for an MLS-affiliated brokerage and need official data, Bridge Interactive is the only option.

If you need public records beyond Zillow (foreclosures, liens, permits), ATTOM covers that.

If you need to enrich hundreds of thousands of records per month, evaluate BatchData.

If you’re doing a one-time research project and don’t care about reliability, an Apify scraper gets you data cheaply.

For basic property attributes and owner lookups without Zestimates, Realty Mole on RapidAPI is lightweight and quick.

Start testing in 60 seconds

Don’t pick an alternative based on a comparison table. Pick it based on 20 minutes of testing.

Go to zillapi.com. Sign up. Get 100 free credits. Look up a property you know. See if the data matches what you need.

If it doesn’t, try APIllow’s free tier next. Then Realty Mole. Test each one with your actual use case before committing to a paid plan.

The best alternative is the one where the data actually matches your use case. No comparison table can tell you that. Twenty minutes of testing can.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Zillow API alternative in 2026?

For most developers, Zillapi is the best Zillow API alternative in 2026. It returns the same property data as the old Zillow API (Zestimates, tax records, price history, photos, and 300+ fields) through a REST API with JSON responses. Signup takes 60 seconds with no credit card. You get 100 free credits. Paid plans start at $5 per month for 1,000 API calls.

Why was the Zillow API shut down?

Zillow retired the public Web Services API (ZWSID) on September 30, 2021 to shift data distribution to Bridge Interactive, their enterprise RESO Web API for MLS-affiliated partners. The move gave Zillow tighter control over how third parties accessed property data. There was no warning period for existing developers. Every ZWSID key stopped returning data that day.

Does Zillow have an API in 2026?

Not a public one. Zillow offers Bridge Interactive, an enterprise RESO Web API that requires MLS affiliation, a formal application, and weeks of approval. It does not expose Zestimates. For developers who need quick access to Zillow property data including Zestimates, third-party REST wrappers like Zillapi and APIllow are the working alternatives.

What replaced the Zillow ZWSID API?

Zillow officially replaced the ZWSID API with Bridge Interactive, a RESO Web API designed for MLS-affiliated brokerages and approved proptech partners. For the 99% of developers who are not MLS-affiliated, third-party REST wrappers filled the gap. Zillapi, APIllow, and various RapidAPI providers now serve the same property data through independent infrastructure.

Can I still get Zestimates through an API?

Yes, but not from Zillow directly. Bridge Interactive does not expose Zestimates. Third-party wrappers like Zillapi and APIllow return Zestimates, rent Zestimates, and Zestimate history as part of their standard property response. Zillapi includes the zestimate field as an integer (dollars) in every property lookup across all 160M+ U.S. properties.

Which Zillow API alternative has a free tier?

Three alternatives offer free tiers. Zillapi gives 100 one-time credits at signup with no credit card required. APIllow gives 50 requests per month on an ongoing basis. Realty Mole on RapidAPI offers a limited free tier. ATTOM, BatchData, and Bridge Interactive have no free access. For testing and prototyping, Zillapi’s 100 credits cover a complete integration test.