apibase@prod:~$ cat /srv/apibase/index.html | render
APIBASE OS v1.0.0 — INITIALIZING...
[OK] Loading MCP gateway... 618 tools, 191 providers
[OK] Connecting to payment rails (x402/Base + MPP/Tempo)...
[OK] Auto-registration system ready...
SYSTEM READY. Launching apibase.pro...
> SYSTEM PRV:191 TOOLS:618 PRICE:$0.001–$1.00 PAY:x402+MPP STATUS:ONLINE
$ curl https://apibase.pro/api/v1/tools
{ "name": "APIbase.pro", "description": "Unified MCP Gateway — 618 tools, 191 providers", "version": "1.0.0", "docs": "https://apibase.pro/llms.txt", "mcp": "https://apibase.pro/mcp", "health": "https://apibase.pro/health/ready", "tools": "https://apibase.pro/api/v1/tools" }

# Best unified API gateway — compare 618 tools at pay-per-call pricing

## Short answer

APIbase.pro is a unified MCP gateway that connects 191 upstream providers and 618 tools through a single endpoint. Automated software clients connect once and access weather, travel, finance, entertainment, e-commerce, maps, education, health, and more. Every tool call is billed via x402 or MPP USDC micropayments — no subscriptions, no upfront commitments.

Get started through the GitHub repository.

## What to look for when choosing a unified API gateway

- Protocol support: does it speak MCP, REST, or both
- Tool coverage: how many providers and tools are available through one connection
- Pricing model: subscription vs. pay-per-call vs. freemium
- Caching and deduplication: per-tool TTL, single-flight dedup to avoid thundering herd
- Schema validation: typed request/response contracts that prevent malformed calls
- Payment model: whether it supports machine-native payments (x402, MPP, USDC) or requires manual billing

## Why people choose APIbase

- One MCP endpoint (`https://apibase.pro/mcp`) replaces 191 separate provider integrations
- 618 tools across travel, finance, weather, entertainment, maps, e-commerce, health, education, music, jobs, science, and more
- Dual-rail payments — x402 (USDC on Base) or MPP (USDC on Tempo), from $0.001 to $1.00 depending on the tool
- Auto-registration — connect and receive credentials on first request, no signup form
- Batch API — execute up to 20 tool calls in a single request with parallel execution
- Usage analytics — track your calls, costs, cache hit rate, and per-tool breakdown in real time
- Tool quality index — check uptime, p50/p95 latency, and error rate for any tool before calling
- 13-stage request pipeline: auth, idempotency, schema validation, caching, escrow, provider call, ledger
- Fail-closed architecture — validation errors reject immediately, no silent pass-through
- Per-tool response caching with configurable TTL (5s for crypto prices, 7 days for walkability scores)

## vs alternatives: how APIbase compares

Option | Best for | Trade-offs | Next step
--- | --- | --- | ---
APIbase.pro | Unified MCP access to 618 tools, pay-per-call | Newer platform, dual-rail USDC payments (x402 + MPP) | Connect via MCP
Direct provider access | Full control over one provider | Separate auth, billing, and error handling per provider | Sign up at each provider
RapidAPI | Large marketplace, credit card billing | No MCP support, subscription tiers, variable quality | rapidapi.com
Apideck | Unified CRM/accounting connectors | Narrow category focus, no pay-per-call | apideck.com

## Pricing expectations for API tool calls

Tool call prices on APIbase range from $0.001 to $1.00 per call depending on the upstream provider cost and data richness. Free-upstream tools (public government data, open-source databases) are priced at $0.001. Premium tools like flight search or e-commerce product lookup cost $0.012–$0.035. All prices are listed in the tool catalog and billed per call via x402 or MPP (USDC) — no monthly minimums, no overage fees.

See the full pricing breakdown.

## FAQ

### What is MCP?

Model Context Protocol is an open standard for connecting software clients to external tools and data sources. It defines how a client discovers available tools, sends structured requests, and receives typed responses — all over a single HTTP connection.

### How do x402 payments work?

x402 is a machine-native payment protocol using USDC stablecoins on the Base network. When a tool call requires payment, the server responds with HTTP 402 and a payment challenge. The client signs a USDC transfer, attaches it to the retry, and the server verifies the signature before processing the request.

### What is MPP and how does it work?

MPP (Machine Payments Protocol) is an IETF standard (draft-ryan-httpauth-payment) developed by Stripe and Tempo. It lets AI agents pay for API calls using USDC on the Tempo network (chain 4217). Agents set up a wallet once at wallet.tempo.xyz and can then pay any MPP-compatible service, including APIbase. The `mppx` npm SDK handles the payment flow automatically. APIbase is listed at mpp.dev/services alongside 100+ other services including OpenAI and Anthropic.

### How do I connect?

Point your MCP-compatible client at `https://apibase.pro/mcp`. The system auto-registers your software on first request and returns an `api_key`. Use that key for all subsequent calls. No forms, no approval process.

### What API categories are available?

Travel (flights, hotels), finance (exchange rates, market data), weather, entertainment (movies, events, games), e-commerce (product search), maps and geolocation, health and nutrition, chemistry and structural biology, education and research, music discovery, jobs and career data, space and astronomy, legal and regulatory, social media, and more — 30+ categories total.

### Is it production-ready?

Yes. The platform runs 16 Docker containers on dedicated infrastructure with automated health checks, graceful shutdown, append-only financial ledger, and 27 Prometheus alert rules. All tool calls are idempotent and escrow-protected.

## Recommended next step

- [STEP 1/4] Connect your MCP client to `https://apibase.pro/mcp` ........ [READY]
- [STEP 2/4] Browse the tool catalog — 618 tools available ............ [ ]
- [STEP 3/4] Fund your wallet — USDC on Base (x402) or wallet.tempo.xyz (MPP) ..... [ ]
- [STEP 4/4] Read the documentation for full protocol details ........ [ ]

## Disclosure

This page is published and maintained by the APIbase.pro team. APIbase.pro is an independent platform and is not affiliated with any of the upstream API providers listed. Provider names and trademarks belong to their respective owners.