> **For coding agents and LLMs:** This is one Social Fetch marketing page (markdown export). For API orientation start with [`/llms.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.txt); for auth and crawl rules use [`/agents.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/agents.txt); for every operation use [`/llms-endpoints.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms-endpoints.txt).

## This page

- **On-site (HTML):** [https://www.socialfetch.dev/answers/official-github-rest-api-vs-social-fetch-what-is-the-difference](https://www.socialfetch.dev/answers/official-github-rest-api-vs-social-fetch-what-is-the-difference)
- **Markdown (.mdx) URL:** [https://www.socialfetch.dev/answers/official-github-rest-api-vs-social-fetch-what-is-the-difference.mdx](https://www.socialfetch.dev/answers/official-github-rest-api-vs-social-fetch-what-is-the-difference.mdx)

---

# Official GitHub REST API vs Social Fetch — what is the difference?

Official GitHub APIs handle authenticated apps, webhooks, private data, and writes. Social Fetch is hosted public lookup with the same envelope as TikTok and LinkedIn. Choose official for deep GitHub integration; choose Social Fetch for public enrichment beside other social sources on one key.

Source: [GitHub data API](https://www.socialfetch.dev/platforms/github)

## Related questions

- [Is there a GitHub scraper API that works without a personal access token?](https://www.socialfetch.dev/answers/is-there-a-github-scraper-api-that-works-without-a-personal-access-token)
- [How do I fetch a GitHub profile with an API?](https://www.socialfetch.dev/answers/how-do-i-fetch-a-github-profile-with-an-api)
- [What GitHub data does Social Fetch cover?](https://www.socialfetch.dev/answers/what-github-data-does-social-fetch-cover)
- [Can I get trending GitHub repositories and developers?](https://www.socialfetch.dev/answers/can-i-get-trending-github-repositories-and-developers)
- [How much does the GitHub API cost on Social Fetch?](https://www.socialfetch.dev/answers/how-much-does-the-github-api-cost-on-social-fetch)