The Muse API vs TheirStack: curated jobs, no key to test or job data for market research
The Muse API is a public JSON API for job and company listings posted on The Muse. TheirStack is a job postings data API (with company and technographic data) aimed at sales and market intelligence as well as job search.
The short answer
- The Muse API: A free, no-key way to pull The Muse's curated job listings with company context.
- TheirStack: Bulk, filterable job-posting data for market research and sales signals, with history back to 2021.
Side by side
| The Muse API | TheirStack | |
|---|---|---|
| Searches | Jobs listed on The Muse, filterable by company, category, level and location (including flexible/remote). | Aggregated postings from career pages, job boards and ATS platforms across about 363k websites in 195 countries, since 2021. |
| Returns | JSON pages of 20 results; each job has name, contents (description), publication_date, locations, levels, categories, company and refs.landing_page. | JSON jobs with title, description, url, final_url, source_url, company and company_object, location fields, min/max salary (plus annual USD) and salary_string. |
| Before the first call | Nothing for testing; an api_key from registration is required for any use beyond testing. | A TheirStack account and API key (Bearer token); each search must include at least one date or company filter. |
| Free | 500 requests per hour without a key; 3,600 per hour with a registered key. No price is stated. | 200 API credits and 50 company credits every month, free (1 credit per job returned); free tier rate limit 4/second, 10/minute, 50/hour, 400/day. |
| Paid | Not stated on its pages | From $49 per month for 1,500 API credits (1 credit per job). |
| Acting on a result | refs.landing_page points to the job page on themuse.com. | url, plus final_url with the original career-page URL when available (filterable with final_url_exists). |
| Limits on keeping or showing results | Content shown via the API must link back to The Muse; on termination you must destroy stored Muse Content (terms last modified 7/25/2015). | Not stated on its pages |
| Coverage | The location filter lists cities worldwide; no stated country coverage. | 195 countries. |
| MCP server | No official server listed | Official TheirStack MCP server (search_jobs tool), OAuth or API key; uses the same API credits: https://theirstack.com/en/docs/mcp |
Where Openpath fits
If the agent needs a job to apply for in Austin, Texas, or a remote one, Openpath returns the listings themselves, free and with no key. See Openpath vs The Muse API and Openpath vs TheirStack.
Questions people ask
What do I need before I can use The Muse API?
Nothing for testing; an api_key from registration is required for any use beyond testing.
Is The Muse API free?
500 requests per hour without a key; 3,600 per hour with a registered key. No price is stated.
What do I need before I can use TheirStack?
A TheirStack account and API key (Bearer token); each search must include at least one date or company filter.
Is TheirStack free?
200 API credits and 50 company credits every month, free (1 credit per job returned); free tier rate limit 4/second, 10/minute, 50/hour, 400/day.
Sources
Every line about another company comes from its own pages. Prices and terms change, so check the source before you rely on one.
The Muse API, read on October 15, 2026:
- themuse.com/developers/api/v2: “Registration is required for any use beyond testing.”
- themuse.com/developers/api/v2: “you're limited to 500 requests per hour”
- themuse.com/developers/api/v2: “This will allow you to make up to 3600 requests per hour.”
- themuse.com/api/public/jobs: “https://www.themuse.com/jobs/dmcsinaigracehospital/registered-nurse-registered-nurse-medsurg-telemetry-full-time-nights-6ec354”
- themuse.com/developers/api/v2/terms: “any Muse Content provided through the Apps by utilizing the Muse API will link back to The Muse Website”
TheirStack, read on October 15, 2026:
- theirstack.com/en/job-posting-api: “253M of jobs across 195 countries since 2021”
- theirstack.com/en/job-posting-api: “career pages, job boards, and ATS platforms”
- theirstack.com/en/docs/pricing/plans: “Start exploring with 50 company credits and 200 API credits every month - completely free, forever.”
- theirstack.com/en/docs/api-reference/rate-limit: “4/second, 10/minute, 50/hour, 400/day”
- theirstack.com/en/pricing: “1,500 API credits — $49 per month”
- theirstack.com/en/docs/api-reference/jobs/search_jobs_v1: “1 API credit for each job returned in the response”
- theirstack.com/en/job-posting-mcp: “Your AI assistant calls the search_jobs tool to find jobs by title, location, salary”