# Programmable Web: 3000 APIs and Growing

**Author:** kinlane  
**Canonical:** https://apievangelist.com/2011/03/08/programmable-web-3000-apis-and-growing/

Congratulations to [ProgrammableWeb for hitting the 3000th API](http://blog.programmableweb.com/2011/03/08/3000-web-apis/ "Programmable Web hits 3000th API") in their directory.

The [ProgrammableWeb API directory](http://www.programmableweb.com/apis/directory "Programmable Web API Directory") has seen some amazing growth:

*   1,000 APIs: over 3 years
*   2,000 APIs: less than 2 years
*   3,000 APIs: about 9 months

Three other noteworthy trends, the ProgrammableWeb team notices:

*   **API as a Company** - More companies launching just as API.
*   **REST and JSON** - Simplification of APIs through REST and JSON.
*   **Internal Usage** - More companies consuming their own APIs.

Some might say the recent explosive growth is part of a "bubble", but if you look at the numbers its been a long 11 year road since [Salesforce first launch their API in February of 2000](http://apievangelist.com/2011/01/28/history-of-apis-salesforce-com/ "Saleforce Launches API").

This is just the beginning of the coming global [API economy](http://apievangelist.com/2011/01/19/the-new-api-economy/ "API Economy").

Related articles

*   [3,000 Web APIs: Trends From a Quickly Growing Directory](http://blog.programmableweb.com/2011/03/08/3000-web-apis/) (programmableweb.com)
*   [API of the Week: Mashery API Discovery Hub](http://www.readwriteweb.com/hack/2011/03/api-of-the-week-mashery-api-discovery-hub.php) (readwriteweb.com)
*   [Weekly Poll: New APIs Doubled in 2010 So What Does That Mean for the Year Ahead?](http://www.readwriteweb.com/cloud/2011/01/weekly-poll-new-apis-doubled-i.php) (readwriteweb.com)