iNaturalist vs PlaceDog
Same instrument, two spec sheets — measured, not claimed.
iNaturalist vs PlaceDog: common questions
Which is more reliable, iNaturalist or PlaceDog?
On our scheduled checks, PlaceDog leads on measured uptime — iNaturalist at 25.5% versus PlaceDog at 97.1% 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, iNaturalist or PlaceDog?
PlaceDog has the lower median latency in our checks — iNaturalist responds in 1140 ms versus PlaceDog at 405 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 iNaturalist and PlaceDog need an API key?
Neither needs a paid key — iNaturalist is callable with no signup, and PlaceDog is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.
Can I call iNaturalist and PlaceDog from the browser?
Neither sends browser-friendly CORS headers reliably, so call iNaturalist and PlaceDog from a server or proxy rather than client-side. The CORS and HTTPS rows above show exactly what we detected for each.
Are iNaturalist and PlaceDog free for commercial use?
iNaturalist has unclear commercial terms, and PlaceDog 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.