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Chronicling America vs Open VSX Registry API

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

APIChronicling AmericaNEW—Open VSX Registry APINEW—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
Authnonenone
CORSnoyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useyesunclear
Data licensePublic domain / no known copyright (Library of Congress)Unverified
Free tierFree — public-domain collection dataFree — limits not published
Rate limitLoC throttles heavy crawling (see LoC API policy)10800 req/window · 10799 remaining
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

Chronicling America vs Open VSX Registry API: common questions

Which is more reliable, Chronicling America or Open VSX Registry API?

On our scheduled checks, Open VSX Registry API leads on measured uptime — Chronicling America at —% versus Open VSX Registry 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 Open VSX Registry API need an API key?

Neither needs a paid key — Chronicling America is callable with no signup, and Open VSX Registry API is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.

Can I call Chronicling America and Open VSX Registry API from the browser?

Only Open VSX Registry API is browser-friendly — it returns CORS headers over HTTPS. Chronicling America needs a server-side call or proxy, so factor that into which one fits a front-end project.

Are Chronicling America and Open VSX Registry API free for commercial use?

Chronicling America allows commercial use on its free tier, and Open VSX Registry 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.