API Development ServicesAPIs that are fast, typed, and documented.
REST and GraphQL APIs built to be reliable and easy to consume, with the auth, rate limiting, and docs that production actually needs.
By Parish Khan, senior developer since 2013
Updated
- Starting price
- $3,500
- Typical project
- $8,500 to $10,750
- Typical timeline
- 7 to 8 weeks
What API Development involves
An API is a contract other software depends on. It needs to be consistent, well-documented, authenticated, rate-limited, and fast, whether it powers your own frontend or third-party partners. I build APIs that are a pleasure to consume and safe to depend on.
I also handle the messy middle: integrating third-party APIs, building webhooks that survive retries and duplicates, and deploying on the edge so responses are quick worldwide.
What you actually get
Typed and documented
A clear, versioned contract with docs, so consumers are never guessing.
Secure and rate-limited
Auth, keys, and limits so the API stays safe and stable under load.
Edge-fast
Deployed close to users on Cloudflare for quick global responses.
Estimate your API development cost
Answer three questions and pick any extras. You get a price range and timeline instantly, and can send it straight to me for a fixed quote.
Your estimate
About 3 to 4 weeks
A ballpark to plan with, not a quote. Your answers go along with the brief, so the fixed quote comes back faster.
Or skip the quote
Build it on the Build plan at $2,490/month instead. This estimate equals about 1 month of a plan, and the plan keeps going after launch. Pause anytime.
How the subscription works
API Development cost breakdown
What API development typically costs at three levels of scope. Every project still gets its own fixed quote.
| Scope | Cost | Timeline | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $3,500 to $4,500 | 3 to 4 weeks |
|
| Typical | $8,500 to $10,750 | 7 to 8 weeks |
|
| Advanced | $20,600 to $25,750 | 14 to 18 weeks |
|
Starter
$3,500 to $4,500
3 to 4 weeks
- Up to 10 endpoints
- REST
- API keys
Typical
$8,500 to $10,750
7 to 8 weeks
- 10 to 40 endpoints
- GraphQL
- OAuth or JWT with roles
Advanced
$20,600 to $25,750
14 to 18 weeks
- 40+, or a public developer API
- REST plus webhooks and an SDK
- Multi-tenant with rate limits and audit logs
- All add-ons
What drives the cost
The number of endpoints
Each endpoint needs validation, error handling, tests, and documentation.
- Up to 10 endpointsBase
- 10 to 40 endpoints+$2,500
- 40+, or a public developer API+$6,000
The API style
REST is the default. GraphQL adds schema design, and webhooks with SDKs are a small product in their own right.
- RESTBase
- GraphQL+$1,000
- REST plus webhooks and an SDK+$3,000
Auth and security
Multi-tenant APIs need strict data isolation, rate limits, and audit trails.
- API keysBase
- OAuth or JWT with roles+$1,500
- Multi-tenant with rate limits and audit logs+$3,500
A good fit if
- Teams that need a backend API for their app or mobile client
- Businesses integrating third-party services or building webhooks
- Products exposing an API to partners or customers
What is included
- REST or GraphQL API design
- Auth, API keys, and rate limiting
- Third-party integrations and webhooks
- OpenAPI or GraphQL schema and docs
- Tests and CI
- Edge deployment and monitoring
How it runs
No surprises and no black box. You see a live URL from week one.
- 1
Design
The contract, resources, and auth model.
- 2
Build
Typed endpoints with tests and docs.
- 3
Integrate
Third-party services and webhooks wired in.
- 4
Ship
Deployed to the edge and monitored.
Typically built with
TypeScript
Node.js
GraphQL
Cloudflare Workers
Supabase
Python
Proof, not promises
Two ways to get API Development.
As a fixed-price project with a clear finish line, or as part of a monthly subscription where you add requests and never wait for a quote.
Monthly subscription
A senior developer on call for one flat price. Add unlimited requests, I ship them one by one. The price never moves while the work keeps coming.
- No quotes, ever
- Unlimited requests
- 1 to 2 day turnaround
- Pause or cancel anytime
- Shared request board
- You own all the code
from$990/month
See plansFixed-price project
One defined build with a clear finish line. You get a written scope, a timeline, and one number before any work starts.
- Fixed quote in one business day
- Milestone payments
- Launch, handover, and support window
from$1,500
Start a projectAPI Development FAQ
How much does API development cost?
API Development starts at $3,500. A typical mid-sized project runs between $8,500 and $10,750, and an advanced build between $20,600 and $25,750. You always get a fixed quote before work starts, and the cost estimator on this page gives you a ballpark in under a minute.
How long does API development take?
A starter project takes about 3 to 4 weeks, a typical one 7 to 8 weeks, and an advanced one 14 to 18 weeks. You see a live URL from the first week, so progress is visible the whole way.
What affects the cost of API development?
Three things move the price most: the number of endpoints, the API style, and auth and security. Optional extras such as OpenAPI docs and developer portal or integration with a legacy system add to the total.
REST or GraphQL?
REST for simplicity and caching; GraphQL when clients need flexible queries. I build and have shipped both.
Can you integrate a third-party API?
Yes. Payment, email, AI, CRM, and more, including reliable webhook handling for retries and duplicates.
Where does the API run?
Usually Cloudflare Workers for fast global responses, though I deploy wherever fits your stack.
Often paired with
Need an API?
Tell me what it should power. I will design a clean contract and quote it.
Prefer one fixed price for one defined build? Start a project
You work with me directly, on a monthly plan or a fixed-price project. No agency layer, one person accountable for the build.