Chronicling America vs IBM X-Force Exchange API

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

Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms
P95 · ms
AuthnoneapiKey
CORSnono
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useyesunclear
Data licensePublic domain / no known copyright (Library of Congress)Unverified
Free tierFree — public-domain collection dataFree tier — API key required
Rate limitLoC throttles heavy crawling (see LoC API policy)Unpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

Chronicling America vs IBM X-Force Exchange API: common questions

Which is more reliable, Chronicling America or IBM X-Force Exchange API?

On our scheduled checks, IBM X-Force Exchange API leads on measured uptime — Chronicling America at —% versus IBM X-Force Exchange API at —% over 90 days. These are our own probe results, not provider claims; the uptime bars above show the day-by-day record for both.

Do Chronicling America and IBM X-Force Exchange API need an API key?

Chronicling America needs no key, while IBM X-Force Exchange API requires a free API key. If you want to start calling without signup, reach for Chronicling America first.

Can I call Chronicling America and IBM X-Force Exchange API from the browser?

Neither sends browser-friendly CORS headers reliably, so call Chronicling America and IBM X-Force Exchange API from a server or proxy rather than client-side. The CORS and HTTPS rows above show exactly what we detected for each.

Are Chronicling America and IBM X-Force Exchange API free for commercial use?

Chronicling America allows commercial use on its free tier, and IBM X-Force Exchange API 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.