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Helium vs CoinDesk BPI

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

APIHeliumNEW—CoinDesk BPIDEAD0
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
Authnonenone
CORSnoyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearno
Data licenseUnverifiedProprietary
Free tierFirst 50 queries per IP free, no key (paid API key beyond, ~$0.02/query)Was: unlimited
Rate limit50 free queries per IP subnet—
In directory since2026-07-052026-05-02
operationalpartialdownno data

Helium vs CoinDesk BPI: common questions

Which is more reliable, Helium or CoinDesk BPI?

On our scheduled checks, CoinDesk BPI leads on measured uptime — Helium at —% versus CoinDesk BPI 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 Helium and CoinDesk BPI need an API key?

Neither needs a paid key — Helium is callable with no signup, and CoinDesk BPI is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.

Can I call Helium and CoinDesk BPI from the browser?

Only CoinDesk BPI is browser-friendly — it returns CORS headers over HTTPS. Helium needs a server-side call or proxy, so factor that into which one fits a front-end project.

Are Helium and CoinDesk BPI free for commercial use?

Helium has unclear commercial terms, and CoinDesk BPI is personal/non-commercial only. 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.