FreeAPIHub
HomeAPIsAI ModelsAI ToolsBlog
Favorites
FreeAPIHub

The central hub for discovering, testing, and integrating the world's best AI models and APIs.

Platform

  • Categories
  • AI Models
  • APIs

Company

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • FAQ

Help

  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies

© 2026 FreeAPIHub. All rights reserved.

GitHubTwitterLinkedIn
  1. Home
  2. Categories
  3. Books
  4. Gutendex API
published

Gutendex API

Gutendex API offers developers free access to over 70,000 public domain books from Project Gutenberg, with capabilities for searching and downloading texts.

Developed by Gutendex Community

Live API
99.90%Uptime
150msLatency
1.4kStars
No AuthAuth
NoCredit Card
RESTStyle
1.0Version

Reference

API Endpoints

Endpoints

Available routes, request structures, and code examples.

Searches Project Gutenberg's public domain book collection

Endpoint URL
https://gutendex.com/books
Code Example
curl -X GET 'https://gutendex.com/books'
Request Payload
{
  "search": "Sherlock Holmes",
  "languages": "en"
}
Expected Response
{
  "count": 28,
  "results": [
    {
      "id": 108,
      "title": "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes",
      "authors": [
        {
          "name": "Conan Doyle, Arthur"
        }
      ],
      "download_count": 25432
    }
  ]
}
Version:v1

Integration

Quick Start

cURL ExampleREST
curl -X GET "https://gutendex.com/books?search=pride&language=en"

Docs

Technical Documentation

What this API does

The Gutendex API provides developers with seamless access to over 70,000 public domain books sourced from Project Gutenberg. It enables users to search books by title, author, language, and subject, while facilitating download options in multiple formats like EPUB and plain text.

How it works

Developers can utilize simple HTTP GET requests to query the API. The API supports various search filters, allowing developers to narrow down results based on language or specific book attributes. The responses are provided in JSON format for straightforward integration.

Authentication

No authentication is required. The Gutendex API is open and accessible without any API keys or tokens, allowing effortless integration.

Example usage

  • /books?search=Shakespeare - Retrieves books related to Shakespeare.
  • /languages/en - Lists available books in English.
  • /books/{id} - Fetches metadata and download formats for a specific book.
  • /books?subject=history - Searches for books in the subject of history.

Limits

There are no known rate limits for the Gutendex API, allowing for free and unrestricted access to its endpoints.

Ideal use cases

  • Integrating public domain books into educational platforms.
  • Developing mobile applications focused on classic literature.
  • Creating research tools for literary studies.
  • Building applications that require rich book metadata.

Examples

Real-World Applications

  • Building educational platforms centered on classic literature.
  • Creating mobile apps for easy access to public domain books.
  • Developing research tools for accessing large volumes of literary content.
  • Integrating public domain texts into web applications and APIs.

Evaluation

Advantages & Limitations

Advantages
  • ✓ No authentication or API key required.
  • ✓ Unlimited requests with no rate limiting.
  • ✓ Access to a vast collection of over 70,000 public domain books.
  • ✓ Supports multiple download formats like EPUB, Kindle, and plain text.
Limitations
  • ✗ Limited to public domain content from Project Gutenberg.
  • ✗ No official SDKs available.
  • ✗ Response formats limited to JSON only.
  • ✗ Lacks advanced filtering options beyond basic metadata.

Support

Frequently Asked Questions

Important Notice

Verify Before You Decide

Last verified · Apr 30, 2026

The details on this page — including pricing, features, and availability — are based on our last review and may not reflect the provider's current offering. Providers update their products frequently, sometimes without prior notice.

What may have changed

Pricing Plans
Features & Limits
Availability
Terms & Policies

Always visit the official provider website to confirm the latest pricing, terms, and feature availability before subscribing or integrating.

Check official site

External Resources

Documentation Official Website Pricing Details Postman Collection

API Specifications

1.0
Pricing Model
Freemium
Credit Card
Not Required
Response Formats
JSON
Supported Languages
6 Languages
SDK Support
REST Only
Rate Limit

Unlimited

Time to Hello World

Minutes - simple HTTP GET requests without authentication.

Free Tier

Full free access to all API endpoints with unlimited requests and no API key required.

Best For

Developers building literary, educational, or research applications using public domain books.

Not Ideal For

Applications requiring proprietary or copyrighted book content or complex metadata filtering.

Tags

#public-domain#ebooks#gutenberg#gutendex#no-auth#free-api#literature#books

You Might Also Like

More APIs Similar to Gutendex API

A Bíblia Digital API

The A Bíblia Digital API provides free access to various Portuguese Bible translations, enabling developers to integrate scripture features into their applications seamlessly.

publicREST

Open Library API

The Open Library API offers developers free access to over 36 million records, enabling seamless integration of book-related data into applications.

PublicREST

Bible API

The Bible API offers developers free access to Bible verses, chapters, and keyword searches across public domain translations, making it suitable for various applications.

PublicREST