Cisco Spark vs Lobsters
Same instrument, two spec sheets — measured, not claimed.
Cisco Spark vs Lobsters: common questions
Which is more reliable, Cisco Spark or Lobsters?
Both are neck-and-neck — Cisco Spark and Lobsters 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, Cisco Spark or Lobsters?
Lobsters has the lower median latency in our checks — Cisco Spark responds in 1608 ms versus Lobsters at 243 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 Cisco Spark and Lobsters need an API key?
Lobsters needs no key, while Cisco Spark requires a free API key. If you want to start calling without signup, reach for Lobsters first.
Can I call Cisco Spark and Lobsters from the browser?
Only Cisco Spark is browser-friendly — it returns CORS headers over HTTPS. Lobsters needs a server-side call or proxy, so factor that into which one fits a front-end project.
Are Cisco Spark and Lobsters free for commercial use?
Cisco Spark has unclear commercial terms, and Lobsters 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.