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Comic Vine vs xkcd

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

APIComic VineNEW—xkcdNEW—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
AuthapiKeynone
CORSnono
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearno
Data licenseUnverifiedCC BY-NC 2.5
Free tierFree tier — API key requiredFree, no API key
Rate limitUnpublishedUnpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

Comic Vine vs xkcd: common questions

Which is more reliable, Comic Vine or xkcd?

On our scheduled checks, xkcd leads on measured uptime — Comic Vine at —% versus xkcd 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 Comic Vine and xkcd need an API key?

xkcd needs no key, while Comic Vine requires a free API key. If you want to start calling without signup, reach for xkcd first.

Can I call Comic Vine and xkcd from the browser?

Neither sends browser-friendly CORS headers reliably, so call Comic Vine and xkcd from a server or proxy rather than client-side. The CORS and HTTPS rows above show exactly what we detected for each.

Are Comic Vine and xkcd free for commercial use?

Comic Vine has unclear commercial terms, and xkcd is personal/non-commercial only. 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.