specification: API Commons Plans
specificationVersion: '0.1'
schema: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/interface-research/main/schema/api-commons.yml#/$defs/Plans
provider: The Guardian
providerId: guardian
created: '2026-06-13'
modified: '2026-06-13'
reconciled: true
tags:
  - News
  - Media
  - Content
description: The Guardian Open Platform offers a free developer tier and a commercial tier for businesses. The free tier provides instant access with generous rate limits suitable for non-commercial and personal projects. Commercial use requires a separate key request and negotiated terms.
sources:
  - https://open-platform.theguardian.com/access/
plans:
  - id: guardian-developer-free
    name: Developer (Free)
    type: free
    description: Free instant access for developers and non-commercial projects. Provides access to all article text, metadata, tags, sections, and editions. Images and video require a commercial subscription.
    entries:
      - label: API calls per day
        name: calls_per_day
        type: quota
        metric: api_calls
        limit: 5000
        timeFrame: day
        unit: 1
        price: 0
        userMultiplied: false
      - label: API calls per second
        name: calls_per_second
        type: rate
        metric: api_calls
        limit: 12
        timeFrame: second
        unit: 1
        price: 0
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: Article text and body content
      - name: Article metadata (byline, headline, date, URL)
      - name: Search endpoint with keyword queries
      - name: Sections endpoint (75+ sections)
      - name: Tags endpoint
      - name: Editions endpoint (UK, US, Australia)
      - name: Single item retrieval by article ID
      - name: Date range filtering
      - name: JSON and XML response formats
      - name: Pagination support (1-50 items per page)
  - id: guardian-commercial
    name: Commercial
    type: commercial
    description: Commercial license for businesses and organisations using Guardian content in products or services. Includes access to images, video, and higher rate limits. Pricing negotiated individually with The Guardian Open Platform team.
    entries:
      - label: API calls per day
        name: calls_per_day
        type: quota
        metric: api_calls
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: day
        unit: 1
        price: negotiated
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: All Developer tier features
      - name: Image and multimedia access
      - name: Higher rate limits
      - name: Commercial usage rights
      - name: Dedicated support
      - name: Custom data licensing