Should I build a custom API while learning React?
Not usually. If you are learning React, use TMDB so you can focus. Building a custom API at the same time splits your attention. Once you are comfortable with React, then build a custom API as a full-stack exercise.
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Use TMDB for a frontend-focused clone to focus on React and realistic data. Build a custom API for a full-stack portfolio or once you are comfortable with React and want to learn backend skills.
TMDB is a free movie database API with posters, ratings, genres, cast, and details. It feels real, is well-documented, and is the standard choice for Netflix clones because it gives you realistic movie data.
Because the data is real, with quirks and shape variations you must handle. A custom API with fake data is cleaner but less representative of real work, where APIs have inconsistent shapes and edge cases.
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