GoldBean vs USGS Water Services
Same instrument, two spec sheets — measured, not claimed.
GoldBean vs USGS Water Services: common questions
Which is more reliable, GoldBean or USGS Water Services?
On our scheduled checks, GoldBean leads on measured uptime — GoldBean at 100% versus USGS Water Services at 87.3% over 90 days. These are our own probe results, not provider claims; the uptime bars above show the day-by-day record for both.
Which is faster, GoldBean or USGS Water Services?
USGS Water Services has the lower median latency in our checks — GoldBean responds in 875 ms versus USGS Water Services at 828 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 GoldBean and USGS Water Services need an API key?
USGS Water Services needs no key, while GoldBean requires a free API key. If you want to start calling without signup, reach for USGS Water Services first.
Can I call GoldBean and USGS Water Services from the browser?
Yes — both GoldBean and USGS Water Services 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 GoldBean and USGS Water Services free for commercial use?
GoldBean has unclear commercial terms, and USGS Water Services allows commercial use on its free tier. 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.