Currents vs Shields
Same instrument, two spec sheets — measured, not claimed.
Currents vs Shields: common questions
Which is more reliable, Currents or Shields?
Both are neck-and-neck — Currents and Shields 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, Currents or Shields?
Shields has the lower median latency in our checks — Currents responds in 586 ms versus Shields at 30 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 Currents and Shields need an API key?
Shields needs no key, while Currents requires a free API key. If you want to start calling without signup, reach for Shields first.
Can I call Currents and Shields from the browser?
Only Shields 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 Shields free for commercial use?
Currents has unclear commercial terms, and Shields 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.