TMDB API alternative

Which API to pick

TMDB offers a free API for qualifying use under its own terms, with API v3 keys and v4 tokens. Read those terms for commercial use and attribution before you ship. Pick an alternative when you want a paid agreement, a limit you can plan around, or more data in each reply. amodb is an independent API that speaks the TMDB v3 protocol for reads, so a switch means a new base URL and a new key. It is read only, and a few TMDB paths are not offered, as listed below.

Stay on TMDB if the free terms fit your project and nothing in the next section applies to you.

Signals that you need an alternative

Five checks help you decide. Run them against your own traffic and your own contract, not against a feature list.

Cache hits count too. The key check and the rate limit run before the edge cache, so a repeated request still uses one of your requests per minute. Plan for total requests, not for cache misses.

Feature comparison

Where amodb differs

• Limits you can read. Every keyed reply carries X-RateLimit-Limit, X-RateLimit-Remaining and X-RateLimit-Reset in seconds. A 429 adds Retry-After. The numbers are explained on rate limits.
• Extra blocks in one call. Ratings from five sources, mood meters, soundtracks, Wikidata facts and cinema showtimes arrive through append_to_response, so one title page can use a single request.
• More external id sources. /3/find resolves imdb_id, tvdb_id, wikidata_id and kinopoisk_id, and also facebook_id, twitter_id and instagram_id. See find by external id.
• OMDb on the same key. https://api.amodb.dev/omdb/ answers OMDb style calls with an apikey parameter, which helps when two systems of yours use different protocols.
• Known cache times. Details and credits stay 6 hours at the edge, trending and discover 30 minutes, search 10 minutes, configuration 24 hours and images 30 days.

Where TMDB is a better fit

• Free projects. If your use qualifies under the free terms, TMDB costs nothing and amodb cannot match that.
• User write methods. TMDB offers account, session, rating and list write methods. amodb answers them with 405 and status_code 37, so an app that lets people sign in and rate titles should keep TMDB for that part.
• Changes feeds. TMDB lists the ids that changed. amodb has no such feed, so you refresh on your own schedule.
• Languages beyond 14. amodb does not serve German, Japanese or Korean interface text and falls back to English. Original titles still arrive in original_title and original_name. For other languages on TMDB, check their docs.
• Terms you have already accepted. If legal review is done for TMDB, a switch costs you another review.

What amodb does not offer

Check your code against this list before cutover. The full table is on amodb vs TMDB.

Two behaviors are quiet. An append_to_response name that amodb does not know, such as aggregate_credits, is ignored without an error. The include_adult parameter is ignored too, because adult titles and people are never served.

Migrate to amodb

1. Choose a plan on pricing and create a key in your account dashboard.
2. Replace the base URL and the key in one place, as below.
3. Read images.secure_base_url from /3/configuration so image links use img.amodb.dev.
4. Remove calls to write methods and to the paths in the table above.
5. Handle 429 by waiting the Retry-After seconds.

const config = {
  // before: baseUrl held your current TMDB v3 base URL
  baseUrl: 'https://api.amodb.dev/3',
  apiKey: process.env.AMODB_KEY,
};

const res = await fetch(`${config.baseUrl}/movie/550?language=en-US`, {
  headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${config.apiKey}` },
});
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`request failed with status ${res.status}`);
const movie = await res.json();
console.log(movie.title, movie.release_date);

Run your existing tests against both base URLs before cutover. A shared shape does not guarantee identical values, so compare a sample of your own titles. The full walkthrough is in the quickstart, and a head to head table is on amodb vs TMDB.

Error handling carries over

Failed calls return the TMDB body {"success": false, "status_code": N, "status_message": "..."}, so code that branches on status_code needs no rewrite.

Treat 402 as a signal to renew by hand, because nothing renews automatically. The complete list is on errors.

Pricing

amodb is prepaid. Choose a period of 1, 3, 6, 12 or 24 months, which takes 0, 10, 20, 30 or 40 percent off, and one of three plans at 20, 40 or 120 requests per minute. Every plan gets all data and nothing renews automatically. There is no free tier and no trial. Current amounts are on pricing.