Administrative Divisions DB vs What3Words

Same instrument, two spec sheets — measured, not claimed.

Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d100%100%
Uptime · 30d100%100%
P50 · ms39391
P95 · ms11141181
AuthnoneapiKey
CORSyesno
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearunclear
Data licenseUnverified (see repo)Unverified
Free tierFree, no API key required (static JSON via CDN)Free tier — key may be required
Rate limitNone (static files served over CDN)Unpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

Administrative Divisions DB vs What3Words: common questions

Which is more reliable, Administrative Divisions DB or What3Words?

Both are neck-and-neck — Administrative Divisions DB and What3Words each measure 100% uptime over 90 days on our probe schedule. Reliability here is verified from our own scheduled checks; use the 30-day bars above to see which has been steadier lately.

Which is faster, Administrative Divisions DB or What3Words?

Administrative Divisions DB has the lower median latency in our checks — Administrative Divisions DB responds in 39 ms versus What3Words at 391 ms (P50). Tail latency (P95) is in the table above; for most workloads the median is the number that shapes how the API feels.

Do Administrative Divisions DB and What3Words need an API key?

Administrative Divisions DB needs no key, while What3Words requires a free API key. If you want to start calling without signup, reach for Administrative Divisions DB first.

Can I call Administrative Divisions DB and What3Words from the browser?

Only Administrative Divisions DB is browser-friendly — it returns CORS headers over HTTPS. What3Words needs a server-side call or proxy, so factor that into which one fits a front-end project.

Are Administrative Divisions DB and What3Words free for commercial use?

Administrative Divisions DB has unclear commercial terms, and What3Words has unclear commercial terms. We track service terms and the data license as separate fields — see the Commercial use and Data license rows above, and confirm both before shipping either in a paid product.