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Covid Tracking Project vs openFDA

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

APICovid Tracking ProjectNEW—openFDANEW—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
Authnonenone
CORSyesyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useyesunclear
Data licenseCC BY 4.0Unverified
Free tierFree — no key required (archived dataset)Free — limits not published
Rate limitUnpublishedUnpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

Covid Tracking Project vs openFDA: common questions

Which is more reliable, Covid Tracking Project or openFDA?

On our scheduled checks, openFDA leads on measured uptime — Covid Tracking Project at —% versus openFDA 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 Covid Tracking Project and openFDA need an API key?

Neither needs a paid key — Covid Tracking Project is callable with no signup, and openFDA is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.

Can I call Covid Tracking Project and openFDA from the browser?

Yes — both Covid Tracking Project and openFDA send CORS headers over HTTPS, so front-end code can fetch either directly with no backend proxy. That makes them easy to swap in a client-side app while you compare responses.

Are Covid Tracking Project and openFDA free for commercial use?

Covid Tracking Project allows commercial use on its free tier, and openFDA 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.