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adresse.data.gouv.fr vs What3Words

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

APIadresse.data.gouv.frHEALTHY88What3WordsHEALTHY96
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d100%100%
Uptime · 30d100%100%
P50 · ms853391
P95 · ms23101181
AuthnoneapiKey
CORSyesno
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useyesunclear
Data licenseLicence Ouverte / ODbL (Base Adresse Nationale)Unverified
Free tierFree, no API keyFree tier — key may be required
Rate limit50 requests/second per IP (documented)Unpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

adresse.data.gouv.fr vs What3Words: common questions

Which is more reliable, adresse.data.gouv.fr or What3Words?

Both are neck-and-neck — adresse.data.gouv.fr 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, adresse.data.gouv.fr or What3Words?

What3Words has the lower median latency in our checks — adresse.data.gouv.fr responds in 853 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 adresse.data.gouv.fr and What3Words need an API key?

adresse.data.gouv.fr needs no key, while What3Words requires a free API key. If you want to start calling without signup, reach for adresse.data.gouv.fr first.

Can I call adresse.data.gouv.fr and What3Words from the browser?

Only adresse.data.gouv.fr 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 adresse.data.gouv.fr and What3Words free for commercial use?

adresse.data.gouv.fr allows commercial use on its free tier, 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.