specification: API Commons Plans
specificationVersion: '0.1'
schema: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/interface-research/main/schema/api-commons.yml#/$defs/Plans
provider: Flickr
providerId: flickr
created: '2026-05-30'
modified: '2026-05-30'
reconciled: true
tags:
  - Photography
  - Photos
  - Social Media
  - Developer API
description: >-
  Flickr offers a single, free-of-charge developer API. There is no metered
  or tiered commercial pricing surface for API usage itself: any developer can
  request an API key online and use the API to build a non-commercial app at
  no cost. Commercial use of the API is allowed only with prior permission
  from Flickr; commercial keys are reviewed manually by Flickr staff and have
  no published price list. End-user Flickr accounts (Free / Pro) have a
  separate consumer pricing surface that is unrelated to API access.
sources:
  - https://www.flickr.com/services/api/
  - https://www.flickr.com/services/api/misc.api_keys.html
  - https://www.flickr.com/services/developer/
  - https://www.flickr.com/services/api/tos/
plans:
  - id: flickr-noncommercial-api-key
    name: Non-Commercial API Key
    type: freemium
    description: >-
      Free API key for personal, artistic, free, or non-commercial projects.
      Standard option; granted on request with a short usage description.
    entries:
      - label: API Key Cost
        name: api_key_cost
        type: flat
        metric: key
        limit: 1
        timeFrame: usage
        geo: global
        unit: 1
        price: 'free'
      - label: API Calls
        name: api_calls
        type: metered
        metric: request
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: usage
        geo: global
        unit: 1
        price: 'free (subject to documented rate limits)'
    elements:
      - name: All flickr.* methods (read + write)
      - name: OAuth 1.0a HMAC-SHA1 authentication
      - name: Photo upload (synchronous and asynchronous)
      - name: PubSubHubbub push subscriptions
      - name: Flickr Commons access
  - id: flickr-commercial-api-key
    name: Commercial API Key
    type: enterprise
    description: >-
      Permission-only commercial API key. Required for any commercial use of
      the Flickr API. Submitted via the same online application portal as
      non-commercial keys but with a commercial-use description; reviewed and
      approved by Flickr staff. No published price list — terms are negotiated.
    entries:
      - label: Commercial License
        name: commercial_license
        type: flat
        metric: key
        limit: 1
        timeFrame: usage
        geo: global
        unit: 1
        price: 'contact flickr (negotiated)'
      - label: API Calls
        name: api_calls
        type: metered
        metric: request
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: usage
        geo: global
        unit: 1
        price: 'contact flickr (negotiated)'
    elements:
      - name: All flickr.* methods
      - name: Commercial-use rights subject to Flickr's API Terms of Use
      - name: OAuth 1.0a HMAC-SHA1 authentication
      - name: Photo upload (synchronous and asynchronous)
      - name: PubSubHubbub push subscriptions