specification: API Commons Plans
specificationVersion: '0.1'
schema: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/interface-research/main/schema/api-commons.yml#/$defs/Plans
provider: TheMealDB
providerId: mealdb
created: '2026-06-13'
modified: '2026-06-13'
reconciled: false
tags:
  - Food
  - Recipes
  - Meals
  - Open Data
  - Freemium
description: >-
  TheMealDB offers two tiers of API access. The free tier uses the public test key "1" embedded
  directly in the V1 API URL path and provides access to the full meal search, lookup, filtering,
  and category endpoints with no sign-up required. The premium Supporter tier is a one-time
  lifetime upgrade (£10) that unlocks the V2 API endpoints including multi-ingredient filtering,
  10-random-meal retrieval, latest-meal feeds, and the ability to add custom meals and images.
  The site and core API will always remain free at point of access.
sources:
  - https://www.themealdb.com/api.php
  - https://www.themealdb.com/docs_api_guide.php
  - https://www.themealdb.com/
plans:
  - id: mealdb-free
    name: Free
    type: free
    description: >-
      Open access using the public test key "1". No sign-up or API key required. Covers all V1
      endpoints including search, lookup, random meal, category listing, and single-ingredient
      filtering. Suitable for development, education, and personal projects.
    entries:
      - label: API access
        name: api_access
        type: flat
        metric: month
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: month
        geo: global
        unit: 1
        price: '$0 USD'
        userMultiplied: false
      - label: Meal database access
        name: meal_database
        type: quota
        metric: meals
        limit: 669
        timeFrame: static
        geo: global
        unit: 1
        price: 'included'
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: Search meals by name
      - name: Browse meals by first letter
      - name: Lookup meal by ID
      - name: Random single meal
      - name: All meal categories
      - name: Filter by ingredient
      - name: Filter by category
      - name: Filter by area / cuisine
      - name: List categories, areas, and ingredients
      - name: Meal and ingredient images
  - id: mealdb-supporter
    name: Supporter
    type: one-time
    description: >-
      Lifetime one-time upgrade that unlocks V2 API endpoints. Supporters receive a personal API
      key replacing the "1" test key in the URL path, plus multi-ingredient filtering, random
      sets of 10 meals, the latest-meals feed, and the ability to submit custom meals and images.
    entries:
      - label: Lifetime supporter upgrade
        name: lifetime_upgrade
        type: one-time
        metric: one-time
        limit: 1
        timeFrame: lifetime
        geo: global
        unit: 1
        price: '£10 GBP one-time'
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: All Free tier features
      - name: Personal production API key
      - name: V2 API endpoint access
      - name: Multi-ingredient filtering
      - name: 10 random meals in a single call
      - name: Latest 10 meals feed
      - name: Custom meal upload
      - name: Custom meal image upload
      - name: Beta endpoint access