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Currents vs Photon API

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

APICurrentsNEW—Photon APINEW—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
AuthapiKeynone
CORSnoyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearunclear
Data licenseUnverifiedUnverified
Free tierFree tier — key may be requiredFree — limits not published
Rate limitUnpublishedUnpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

Currents vs Photon API: common questions

Which is more reliable, Currents or Photon API?

On our scheduled checks, Photon API leads on measured uptime — Currents at —% versus Photon 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 Currents and Photon API need an API key?

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

Can I call Currents and Photon API from the browser?

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

Are Currents and Photon API free for commercial use?

Currents has unclear commercial terms, and Photon 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.