Mungfali Image Search API

Hi Indie Hackers 👋

I turned my image search engine into an API — because existing ones are just too expensive.

I've been running Mungfali.com an image search website, for years. Over time, I built and maintained the entire search infrastructure behind it — indexing, ranking, retrieval, the works.

When I started talking to other developers, I kept hearing the same thing: "I need image search in my app, but the popular APIs get expensive fast."

So I did the obvious thing — I opened up the same infrastructure as an API.

What it is

Mungfali Image Search API is a simple, affordable REST API that lets you add image search to any app in minutes. JSON responses, a large and continuously updated index, fast response times, and pricing that won't punish you for growing.

There's a free plan to get started, no credit card required.

Who it's for

Indie hackers, SaaS founders, AI developers, and agencies who need image search without enterprise-level pricing. A few use cases I've seen come up most:

• AI assistants that pull relevant images

• Stock photo or visual inspiration platforms

• Blog tools that auto-suggest images for content

• Visual discovery and e-commerce apps

Why I think this is worth building

Most teams either pay a lot for a big-name API or spend weeks building their own crawler. Neither is a great option at the indie/startup stage. My goal is to give you a practical third option — production-ready infrastructure, simple integration, affordable pricing.

Looking for honest feedback on:

• Pricing — does it make sense for your stage?

• API docs — clear enough to integrate in under an hour?

• Missing features — what would make this a no-brainer for you?

Drop your thoughts below or try it out: 🔗 API: Mungfali Image Search API 🔗 Demo Mungfali.net

Happy to answer anything — about the API, the infrastructure, or the journey of turning a search engine into a SaaS. AMA 👇