Cartes.io vs Pinball Map

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

Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d99.02%52.0%
Uptime · 30d100%18.3%
P50 · ms612540
P95 · ms11601107
Authnonenone
CORSyesno
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearunclear
Data licenseUnverified (open-source project; user-generated maps)Attribution requested; license unspecified
Free tierFree, no API key for public readFree — no key required
Rate limit60 req/window · 59 remainingNo hard limit; heavy/bulk use may be blocked
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

Cartes.io vs Pinball Map: common questions

Which is more reliable, Cartes.io or Pinball Map?

On our scheduled checks, Cartes.io leads on measured uptime — Cartes.io at 99.02% versus Pinball Map at 52.0% 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, Cartes.io or Pinball Map?

Pinball Map has the lower median latency in our checks — Cartes.io responds in 612 ms versus Pinball Map at 540 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 Cartes.io and Pinball Map need an API key?

Neither needs a paid key — Cartes.io is callable with no signup, and Pinball Map is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.

Can I call Cartes.io and Pinball Map from the browser?

Only Cartes.io is browser-friendly — it returns CORS headers over HTTPS. Pinball Map needs a server-side call or proxy, so factor that into which one fits a front-end project.

Are Cartes.io and Pinball Map free for commercial use?

Cartes.io has unclear commercial terms, and Pinball Map 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.