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DunkAPI vs BallDontLie
BallDontLie is a multi-sport API with a free tier and plans per sport. DunkAPI is basketball only, with shot locations, a decade of per-book lines and our own ratings.
BallDontLie is a sports data API with a free tier and paid plans sold per sport, roughly $9.99 to $39.99 a month at the time of writing. DunkAPI covers basketball only: the NBA, the WNBA and men's and women's Division I college basketball, with the location of every shot, per-sportsbook lines and our own team ratings, over REST and an MCP server.
If you want one vendor and one key across several sports, BallDontLie is built for that. If your work is basketball, and especially shot charts, expected points or backtests against sportsbook lines, DunkAPI is the narrower tool and the data is deeper in those areas.
Side by side
| DunkAPI | BallDontLie | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 500 free credits, no card, then paid plans | Free tier; paid plans about $9.99 to $39.99 a month per sport (check their pricing page) |
| Sports | Basketball only: NBA, WNBA, NCAAM, NCAAW | Several sports, each priced separately |
| Shot locations | x/y for every field goal attempt in the play-by-play, NBA since 2004 | Check their documentation for play-by-play and location fields |
| Sportsbook lines | 4 to 12 books per regular-season NBA game from 2013-14 to 2023-24 (10 to 12 from 2020-21), usually one since | Odds are offered; check their docs for depth and history |
| Ratings and models | Our Elo, expected points per shot, clutch and team ratings | Raw stats; models are yours to build |
| AI assistants | MCP server | Check their documentation |
| Data source | Public ESPN data only | Their own collection; see their site |
Use BallDontLie instead if
- You need several sports from one vendor and one key.
- You want an established API with a free tier and an SDK in your language, and basketball depth is not the point.
- You need a field we do not carry: confirm it in their documentation before you commit.
Questions
Is DunkAPI a BallDontLie alternative?
For basketball, yes. DunkAPI covers the NBA, WNBA and Division I college basketball with shot locations and per-book lines. It does not cover other sports, which BallDontLie does.
Does DunkAPI have a free tier?
Yes: 500 free credits, and we do not ask for a card.
Sources
Checked October 7, 2026.
See the data
Try it with 500 free credits
No card. REST or MCP.