# WAQI, free: Air quality API

> The JSON API can be used for advanced programmatic integration: Access to more than 11000 station-level and 1000 city-level data

WAQI's air quality API on its Free plan. It costs $0.00 per 1,000 places. It returns 3 of the 6 key fields we check: Particles, Gases, UV index.
WAQI limits how many calls you get but gives no number.
Half of the 94 plans we rank by price cost $0.051 per 1,000 places or less. This plan and 2 others tie for the lowest price per 1,000 places of the 94 plans.
[WeatherAPI.com](https://datacircle.dev/air-quality-apis/weatherapi-com/7-monthly/llms.txt), [Open-Meteo](https://datacircle.dev/air-quality-apis/open-meteo/99-monthly-api-professional-get-v1-air-quality-air-quality/llms.txt) and [Weatherbit](https://datacircle.dev/air-quality-apis/weatherbit/495-monthly-business-get-v2-0-forecast-airquality/llms.txt) are the best air quality API providers in our benchmark.

- This page: https://datacircle.dev/air-quality-apis/waqi/free
- [Best air quality API in 2026: pricing compared](https://datacircle.dev/best-air-quality-api.txt)
- Get it: https://aqicn.org/api/
- Request: `GET https://api.waqi.info/feed/geo:{lat}%3B{lng}/`
- API key: with the plan, on https://aqicn.org/api/
- Its API docs: https://aqicn.org/json-api/doc/#api-Geolocalized_Feed-GetGeolocFeed
- Sold by: WAQI (https://aqicn.org)
- Checked: 2026-10-30

## In the answer

- Completeness: 50%
- Particles: ✓
- Gases: ✓
- UV index: ✓

## Price

- $ per 1,000 places: $0.00
- Per: call
- Billing: free

## Charges

- Also pays for: nothing else

## Not found

- $ per 1,000: $0.00

## In their words

- Their pitch: The JSON API can be used for advanced programmatic integration: Access to more than 11000 station-level and 1000 city-level data

## Data

- Freshness: live
- Keep data: The data can not be redistributed as cached or archived data (where data refers to the data obtained from the APIs)
- Use data: The data can not be sold or included in sold packages. The data can not be used in paid applications or services. The data can not be redistributed as cached or archived data. [...] Attribution to the World Air Quality Index Project as well as originating EPA is mandatory. Public usage by for-profit corporations requires explicit agreement wit the World Air Quality Index team. Public usage by non-profit organization requires prior notification (by email) to the World Air Quality Index team.

## Plan

- Pay: $0

## Rate limit

- Batch: 1

## The call

- You send: lat, lng
- Method: GET
- Path: /feed/geo:{lat}%3B{lng}/

## About the plan

- Plan: Free
- Who can get it: anyone who agrees with the Terms of Service and gives an email and a name for a token, public usage by for-profit corporations requires explicit agreement wit the World Air Quality Index team, and by non-profit organization prior notification (by email) to the World Air Quality Index team

## The 19 fields the plan's answer can hold

overall AQI, station ID, station name, station coordinates, station URL, measurement time, measurement time zone, EPA attributions, PM2.5 AQI, PM10 AQI, nitrogen dioxide AQI, carbon monoxide AQI, sulfur dioxide AQI, ozone AQI, PM2.5 forecast, PM10 forecast, ozone forecast, UV index forecast, status

## WAQI's plans (1)

- [WAQI, free](https://datacircle.dev/air-quality-apis/waqi/free/llms.txt): $0.00 per 1,000, 50% complete, live

## WAQI's calls (1)

- `GET /feed/geo:{lat}%3B{lng}/`: [WAQI, free](https://datacircle.dev/air-quality-apis/waqi/free/llms.txt)

## WAQI's APIs (1)

- [WAQI: air quality API pricing, 1 plan](https://datacircle.dev/air-quality-apis/waqi/free/llms.txt)

## WAQI: air quality API alternatives

- [WeatherAPI.com, free](https://datacircle.dev/air-quality-apis/weatherapi-com/free/llms.txt): $0.00 per 1,000, 33% complete, live
- [Open-Meteo, free, GET /v1/air-quality, Air quality](https://datacircle.dev/air-quality-apis/open-meteo/free-get-v1-air-quality-air-quality/llms.txt): $0.00 per 1,000, 100% complete, live
- [Botoi, free](https://datacircle.dev/air-quality-apis/botoi/free/llms.txt): $0.00 per 1,000, 67% complete, live
- [ReefAPI, free](https://datacircle.dev/air-quality-apis/reefapi/free/llms.txt): $0.00 per 1,000, 50% complete, live

## Sources

From each provider's own pricing page and docs, and from what providers tell us. We read this row from these pages on 2026-10-30.

- https://aqicn.org/api/
- https://aqicn.org/api/tos/
- https://aqicn.org/data-platform/token/
- https://aqicn.org/json-api/doc/