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FoodData Central vs LAPIS

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

APIFoodData CentralUNMONITORED—LAPISNEW—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
AuthapiKeynone
CORSyesyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearunclear
Data licenseUnverifiedOpen sequence data (GenBank/Nextstrain-derived); Unverified
Free tierFree tier — API key may be required for productionFree — no key (open instance)
Rate limitUnpublishedUnpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

FoodData Central vs LAPIS: common questions

Which is more reliable, FoodData Central or LAPIS?

Only LAPIS is on our probe schedule so far (—% uptime over 90 days). The other is catalogued but not yet live-checked, so we can't compare measured reliability head-to-head — check the uncovered API's own status page for now.

Do FoodData Central and LAPIS need an API key?

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

Can I call FoodData Central and LAPIS from the browser?

Yes — both FoodData Central and LAPIS 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 FoodData Central and LAPIS free for commercial use?

FoodData Central has unclear commercial terms, and LAPIS 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.