Big Book vs British National Bibliography
If you need a Books API that's easy to integrate, go with Big Book.
Big Book
The Big Book API allows you to semantically search, filter, sort, and recommend books
Big Book
- Simple API key authentication
- HTTPS supported
- CORS enabled for frontend use
British National Bibliography
- No authentication required
- No HTTPS support
| Feature | Big Book | British National Bibliography |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication | apiKey | None |
| HTTPS | Yes | No |
| CORS | Yes | Unknown |
When to use which?
British National Bibliography is the better choice for quick prototypes and hackathons since it requires no authentication. Big Book works directly from the browser with CORS enabled, making it better for frontend-only apps. Big Book supports HTTPS, which is required for production deployments and secure data handling.