shipapis
StarSubmit an APISubmit API

Hong Kong Observatory vs Website Carbon

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

APIHong Kong ObservatoryHEALTHY60Website CarbonHEALTHY100
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d100%100%
Uptime · 30d100%100%
P50 · ms133037
P95 · ms3670166
Authnonenone
CORSyesno
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearunclear
Data licenseHKO open data (see terms of use)Unverified
Free tierFree, no keyFree keyless byte-based /data endpoint
Rate limitUnpublishedUnpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

Hong Kong Observatory vs Website Carbon: common questions

Which is more reliable, Hong Kong Observatory or Website Carbon?

Both are neck-and-neck — Hong Kong Observatory and Website Carbon each measure 100% uptime over 90 days on our probe schedule. Reliability here is verified from our own scheduled checks; use the 30-day bars above to see which has been steadier lately.

Which is faster, Hong Kong Observatory or Website Carbon?

Website Carbon has the lower median latency in our checks — Hong Kong Observatory responds in 1330 ms versus Website Carbon at 37 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 Hong Kong Observatory and Website Carbon need an API key?

Neither needs a paid key — Hong Kong Observatory is callable with no signup, and Website Carbon is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.

Can I call Hong Kong Observatory and Website Carbon from the browser?

Only Hong Kong Observatory is browser-friendly — it returns CORS headers over HTTPS. Website Carbon needs a server-side call or proxy, so factor that into which one fits a front-end project.

Are Hong Kong Observatory and Website Carbon free for commercial use?

Hong Kong Observatory has unclear commercial terms, and Website Carbon 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.