Houski vs. Zillow API: one property data API for the United States and Canada
Zillow's API was built to power Zillow, not to be a general property data source. It stops at the American border, it caps how often you can call it, and its terms forbid you from keeping what you pull.
Houski takes the opposite approach. One property data API covers the United States and Canada under a single schema, with terms that let you store and analyse everything you retrieve.
The limitations of Zillow
1. Coverage stops at the border
Zillow focuses on the United States. Canadian coverage is spotty and inconsistent, so anything that has to work in both countries needs a second vendor and a second schema.
2. Restrictive usage terms
Hard limit of 1,000 API calls per day for Home Valuations and Property Details (higher limits possible after review). Difficult for applications needing frequent access.
3. Data storage prohibitions
Zillow's API Terms of Use state "You may not retain any copies of the Zillow Data" and require that data be distributed to end users "immediately upon receipt by your servers." This rules out local caching, derived analysis, and consistent user experiences.
4. Limited data points
Zillow focuses on Zestimates and basic characteristics, missing many data points needed for sophisticated applications.
5. Limited historical data
Historical access is severely restricted, making trend analysis difficult.
Houski's advantage
Houski's property data API covers both countries:
1. Comprehensive coverage across the United States and Canada
108+ million properties with consistent quality from Seattle to Miami and from Vancouver to Halifax.
2. Generous usage policies
Flexible terms with ample standard tier capacity and straightforward scaling.
3. Freedom to store and analyze data
Houski lets you store and analyze retrieved data for sophisticated applications and offline functionality.
4. Rich, detailed property information
200+ data points per property: physical characteristics, history, permits, zoning, and more.
5. Historical data access
Historical property data enables trend analysis and longitudinal comparisons.
Beyond basic property details: The full picture
Zillow offers a current snapshot. Houski delivers a complete platform:
Complete property lifecycle data
- Construction details and building materials
- Permit records in twelve cities and states across the United States and Canada
- Listing history and price changes over time
- Assessment values (where the city publishes them)
- Zoning and land use data
Neighborhood context
- Detailed demographics
- School accessibility scores
- Community amenities
- Market trends by area
- Geographic features and boundaries
Market intelligence
- Valuation estimates
- Similar nearby properties from the automated valuation model (AVM) endpoint
- Price trends by region
- Investment metrics
- Rental market data
A foundation for applications far beyond simple lookups.
Built for developers
Houski's API was designed by developers, for developers:
- Comprehensive documentation
- Consistent data formats
- Logical endpoint design
- Flexible filtering
- Predictable error handling
- One schema across the United States and Canada
Faster integration and less maintenance vs. Zillow.
Technical Implementation Comparison
The block below is a live call against the real Houski API, the request code and the JSON response are generated every time this page is rendered. Access 200+ data points per property in a single call:
const houski_data = async (): Promise<PropertiesResponse> => {
// You must copy the PropertiesResponse type declarations from the
// Houski API documentation to strongly type the response
const url = new URL('http://127.0.0.1:8080/properties');
url.searchParams.set('api_key', 'YOUR_API_KEY');
url.searchParams.set('city', 'calgary');
url.searchParams.set('country_abbreviation', 'ca');
url.searchParams.set('province_abbreviation', 'ab');
url.searchParams.set('select', 'interior_sq_m,bedroom,bathroom_full,construction_year,property_type,heating_type_first,foundation_type,assessment_value,assessment_year,latitude,longitude');
const response = await fetch(url);
const data = await response.json();
return data;
}
(async () => {
let data: PropertiesResponse = await houski_data();
// Log the response
console.log(data);
})();
{
"cache_hit": false,
"cost_cents": 5.100000381469727,
"data": [
{
"address": "31 Hawkside Park NW",
"assessment_value": 648500,
"assessment_year": 2026,
"bathroom_full": 2,
"bedroom": 2,
"construction_year": 1988,
"foundation_type": "Poured concrete",
"heating_type_first": "Gas furnace",
"interior_sq_m": 126.34708404541016,
"latitude": 51.12946319580078,
"longitude": -114.17919921875,
"property_id": "10000f97f5cb7b9f",
"property_type": "Apartment"
},
{
"address": "6 1744 7 Street SW",
"bathroom_full": 2,
"bedroom": 3,
"construction_year": 2006,
"foundation_type": "Poured concrete",
"heating_type_first": "Gas furnace",
"interior_sq_m": 126.4869613647461,
"latitude": 51.03611755371094,
"longitude": -114.0792007446289,
"property_id": "10004f7afe0c1946",
"property_type": "House"
},
{
"address": "384 Copperpond Landng SE",
"bathroom_full": 2,
"bedroom": 3,
"construction_year": 2006,
"foundation_type": "Poured concrete",
"heating_type_first": "Gas furnace",
"interior_sq_m": 126.4869613647461,
"latitude": 50.925743103027344,
"longitude": -113.92975616455078,
"property_id": "10007f9761f49940",
"property_type": "House"
},
{
"address": "239 Dalhurst Way NW",
"assessment_value": 1110000,
"assessment_year": 2026,
"bathroom_full": 2,
"bedroom": 4,
"construction_year": 1971,
"foundation_type": "Poured concrete",
"heating_type_first": "Gas furnace",
"interior_sq_m": 112.41268157958984,
"latitude": 51.110740661621094,
"longitude": -114.1513900756836,
"property_id": "100086f6bc064d3f",
"property_type": "House"
},
{
"address": "52 Cedargrove Way SW",
"assessment_value": 662000,
"assessment_year": 2026,
"bathroom_full": 1,
"bedroom": 2,
"construction_year": 1984,
"foundation_type": "Poured concrete",
"heating_type_first": "Gas furnace",
"interior_sq_m": 119.8449249267578,
"latitude": 50.95145034790039,
"longitude": -114.12571716308594,
"property_id": "1000c277cd905d3b",
"property_type": "House"
},
{
"address": "28 Sundown Gr SE",
"assessment_value": 692500,
"assessment_year": 2026,
"bathroom_full": 3,
"bedroom": 4,
"construction_year": 1988,
"foundation_type": "Poured concrete",
"heating_type_first": "Gas furnace",
"interior_sq_m": 178.2809295654297,
"latitude": 50.899044036865234,
"longitude": -114.04895782470705,
"property_id": "1001109ab2aebbc0",
"property_type": "House"
}
],
"error": "",
"pagination": {
"current_page": 1,
"has_next_page": true,
"has_previous_page": false,
"page_total": 110573
},
"price_quote": false,
"result_total": 663436,
"time_ms": 90,
"ui_info": {
"city": "Calgary",
"city_id": "6ec95b53075d062c",
"city_link": "ca/ab/calgary",
"city_slug": "calgary",
"country": "Canada",
"country_abbreviation": "CA",
"country_abbreviation_id": "9ace2b6431b7f1be",
"country_abbreviation_link": "ca",
"country_slug": "canada",
"province": "Alberta",
"province_abbreviation": "AB",
"province_abbreviation_id": "aae1f05a0f89d2c7",
"province_abbreviation_link": "ca/ab",
"province_slug": "alberta"
}
}
Compared with Zillow:
- Coverage: 108+ million properties across the United States and Canada, vs. the United States with spotty Canadian data.
- Daily limits: scalable usage-based pricing, vs. a 1,000-call cap that may be raised after review.
- Data storage: permitted for analysis and caching, vs. display-only.
- Data points: 200+ attributes per property, vs. limited property characteristics.
- Focus: a general property data API you can build on, vs. an API built to power Zillow's own site.
Real-world advantages:
- Coverage: every property in the United States and Canada vs. limited Zillow data
- Flexibility: Store and analyze vs. display-only
- Rich data: 200+ fields vs. basics
- Developer freedom: Advanced features vs. restrictive terms
- One schema: both countries in one API vs. a second vendor for Canada
Conclusion
Zillow's API wasn't built to be a general property data source. Coverage, usage, and data limitations create significant challenges.
Houski's property data API is built for the United States and Canada with developer needs first: comprehensive data, flexible usage, modern design.
Ready to see the difference? Explore our property API documentation.