I have no idea about API. Sounds like Greek to me. I am more a consumer than DIY.
But I completely agree with you.
I am at the mercy of Chamberlain but after paying for the hardware, controlling through the phone myQ app is free.
API is, essentially, the ability to use it with other home automation services other than their app. Things like "Alexa, can you open the garage door?".
If you want to pull out/up your phone every time you open/close the garage door then myQ is fine. You could also use a regular garage door remote - maybe WiFi might work better if you are in an environment with too much interference on the garage opener RF frequencies, but the convenience is similar (well, you don't have to launch a particular app with the remote).
But, when they first released myQ, it would work seamlessly with home control products as well for free. Then a year or two in, suddenly they made deals with various companies (Amazon Prime Key Delivery and Tesla for instance), started charging for that functionality, and dropped support for Alexa and other home automation services. Once they did that, most people saw it as no more than a typical garage remote that they had to pull out a device to use, just like a regular opener. Even more complicated because you had to launch an app as well as get the device out (and myQ takes a few seconds to launch). I still use my old myQ for Amazon "Key" deliveries, but they now charge me for each delivery that way, or make me wait a couple of extra shipping days.
The other devices mentioned above, Meross and ratgdo also work through the internet and remain free to control using connected smart home services.
Meross works with Homekit, Alexa and Google Assistant, and SmartThings. (I haven't tried to use it with any other services like IFTTT.)
ratgdo works with ESPHome, HomeKit and MQTT. It looks like you can set it up to work with Alexa and likely Google, but you have to use a bridge service. At least they provide an API to do that.
myQ cited that they dropped support for automated systems (at least ones that they didn't charge a subscription fee for) because "users could bypass the system and use their voice to open the door". Um, well, yes, of course, that's the point! It is a security concern, but you can solve that. Google Assistant at least recognizes that the garage door opener is a security device and requires a pin to open it (not to close it), but you can do that easily with your voice without ever removing your hands from a steering wheel (in my Polestar I don't even have to press a button, just "Hey Google" and ask - for security not only is the PIN there, but you can name the device anything you want for extra obscurity - "Hey Google, open the befunkeroonium". Wait, did I just post that in a public forum!?).
It's pretty clear that myQ saw these convenience features as more of a revenue stream than a perk for owners...
