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CollegeFootballData.com vs DunkAPI (2026)
Short answer: CollegeFootballData.com scores clearly higher overall (57 vs 49). DunkAPI is the better pick for basketball apps and models that need NBA play-by-play, shot charts, injuries and player props with a free monthly credit allowance.
From public data checked . How we know
Choose CollegeFootballData.com if you…
Free / open data
Best for: College football analysts, hobbyists and apps that need games, play-by-play, recruiting and betting-line history through a free key.
- ✓ need American football
- ✓ value a large open-source ecosystem of wrappers and examples
Not ideal for: Projects that need other leagues, redistribution of the data, or live data on the free tier; higher tiers run through Patreon.
What developers say
Free college football API behind a Python wrapper and the cfbfastR R package, shown in public-API lists, tutorials and BI-tool walkthroughs. Used for scores, betting lines and play-by-play. One user notes plays lack formation data. Little direct opinion beyond that, so assessment is mostly adoption-based.
Choose DunkAPI if you…
Sports data API
Best for: Basketball apps and models that need NBA play-by-play, shot charts, injuries and player props with a free monthly credit allowance.
- ✓ build a betting product and need that allowed in the public terms
Not ideal for: Projects that need raw data or odds redistribution, official league data, or sports beyond basketball.
What developers say
Basketball data API (NBA, WNBA, college) with REST and remote MCP access, offering play-by-play, shot locations and odds. Digest contains only the maker's own registry submissions and repos; no independent feedback on pricing, quality or reliability.
Side by side
| CollegeFootballData.com | DunkAPI | |
|---|---|---|
| SportDex Score | 57/100 (#25) | 49/100 (#56) |
| Popularity | 46 | 12 |
| Community & reliability | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Transparency | 65 | 100 |
| Developer experience | 68 | 62 |
| Type | Free / open data | Sports data API |
| Starting price | Free tier | from $19/mo |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| Sports | College sports, American football, Basketball | Basketball, College sports |
| Data | Fixtures, Historical data, Odds, Play-by-play, Player stats, Results, Team stats | Fixtures, Historical data, Injuries, Odds, Play-by-play, Player props, Player stats, Live scores, Standings, Team stats |
| Delivery | Polling only (REST) | Polling only (REST) |
| Protocols | REST, GraphQL | REST |
| Live / in-play | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Commercial use | Commercial: Allowed | Commercial: Allowed |
| Betting products | Betting: not disclosed | Betting: Allowed |
| Documentation | Docs | Docs |
| Developer discussions | 2 | 0 |
| GitHub repos | 1.1k | 3 |
| Community tone | Neutral | Too little discussion |
Empty fields mean the provider does not say, not that the feature is missing.
Quick answers
- Is CollegeFootballData.com or DunkAPI better?
- CollegeFootballData.com scores clearly higher overall (57 vs 49). DunkAPI is the better pick for basketball apps and models that need NBA play-by-play, shot charts, injuries and player props with a free monthly credit allowance.
- Which is cheaper, CollegeFootballData.com or DunkAPI?
- CollegeFootballData.com: Free tier. DunkAPI: from $19/mo. Entry plans differ in limits and coverage, so compare what each plan includes.
- Do CollegeFootballData.com and DunkAPI have a free tier?
- CollegeFootballData.com: yes. DunkAPI: yes.