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FoodData Central vs Spoonacular

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

APIFoodData CentralNEW—SpoonacularNEW—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
AuthapiKeyapiKey
CORSyesyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearunclear
Data licenseUnverifiedUnverified
Free tierFree tier — API key may be required for productionFree — 50 points/day
Rate limit10 req/window · 9 remaining50 points/day on free plan
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

FoodData Central vs Spoonacular: common questions

Which is more reliable, FoodData Central or Spoonacular?

On our scheduled checks, Spoonacular leads on measured uptime — FoodData Central at —% versus Spoonacular 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 FoodData Central and Spoonacular need an API key?

Both ask you to authenticate — FoodData Central uses an API key and Spoonacular uses an API key. Each key is free to obtain; the Auth and Card-required rows above spell out the signup terms.

Can I call FoodData Central and Spoonacular from the browser?

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

FoodData Central has unclear commercial terms, and Spoonacular 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.