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Data.gov vs Open Government, ACT

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

APIData.govNEW—Open Government, ACTNEW—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
Authnonenone
CORSnoyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearunclear
Data licenseUnverifiedPer-dataset
Free tierFree — limits not publishedFree — app token optional (raises limits)
Rate limitUnpublishedThrottled; higher limits with a free Socrata app token
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

Data.gov vs Open Government, ACT: common questions

Which is more reliable, Data.gov or Open Government, ACT?

On our scheduled checks, Open Government, ACT leads on measured uptime — Data.gov at —% versus Open Government, ACT 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 Data.gov and Open Government, ACT need an API key?

Neither needs a paid key — Data.gov is callable with no signup, and Open Government, ACT is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.

Can I call Data.gov and Open Government, ACT from the browser?

Only Open Government, ACT is browser-friendly — it returns CORS headers over HTTPS. Data.gov needs a server-side call or proxy, so factor that into which one fits a front-end project.

Are Data.gov and Open Government, ACT free for commercial use?

Data.gov has unclear commercial terms, and Open Government, ACT 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.