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AviationWeather vs Hong Kong Observatory

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

APIAviationWeatherHEALTHY64Hong Kong ObservatoryHEALTHY60
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d93.1%100%
Uptime · 30d91.7%100%
P50 · ms4501415
P95 · ms47343670
Authnonenone
CORSnoyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useyesunclear
Data licensePublic domain (U.S. Government / NOAA)HKO open data (see terms of use)
Free tierFree, no keyFree, no key
Rate limitUnpublished (NWS requests reasonable use)Unpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

AviationWeather vs Hong Kong Observatory: common questions

Which is more reliable, AviationWeather or Hong Kong Observatory?

On our scheduled checks, Hong Kong Observatory leads on measured uptime — AviationWeather at 93.1% versus Hong Kong Observatory at 100% over 90 days. These are our own probe results, not provider claims; the uptime bars above show the day-by-day record for both.

Which is faster, AviationWeather or Hong Kong Observatory?

AviationWeather has the lower median latency in our checks — AviationWeather responds in 450 ms versus Hong Kong Observatory at 1415 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 AviationWeather and Hong Kong Observatory need an API key?

Neither needs a paid key — AviationWeather is callable with no signup, and Hong Kong Observatory is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.

Can I call AviationWeather and Hong Kong Observatory from the browser?

Only Hong Kong Observatory is browser-friendly — it returns CORS headers over HTTPS. AviationWeather needs a server-side call or proxy, so factor that into which one fits a front-end project.

Are AviationWeather and Hong Kong Observatory free for commercial use?

AviationWeather allows commercial use on its free tier, and Hong Kong Observatory 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.