Free Alternatives to Microlink and OpenGraph.io in 2026

Need an API to extract Open Graph metadata or generate link previews? Here's a comparison of the main options in 2026, including free alternatives that won't break the bank. Why You Need a Link Preview API If you're building any of these, you need link previews: Chat apps (Slack-style URL unfurling) Social feeds (rich link cards) CMS / blog platforms (embed previews) SEO tools (meta tag analysis) Bookmarking apps You could build your own scraper, but you'll quickly run into: Handling JavaScript-rendered pages Timeout and redirect chains Character encoding issues Rate limiting and caching Maintenance overhead An API handles all of this for you. The Comparison 1. Microlink ($20-76/mo) What it does: URL metadata extraction, screenshots, PDF generation, and more. Pricing: Free: 50 requests/day Pro: $20/mo (10,000 req/mo) Business: $76/mo (100,000 req/mo) Pros: Feature-rich, good documentation, screenshot support Cons: Expensive, limited free tier, complex pricing 2. OpenGraph.io ($12-79/mo