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ipapi.co vs Nominatim (OSM)

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

APIipapi.coDYING35Nominatim (OSM)HEALTHY96
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d1.0%100%
Uptime · 30d1.7%100%
P50 · ms440332
P95 · ms440990
AuthnoneuserAgent
CORSyesyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearno
Data licenseUnverifiedODbL (OpenStreetMap)
Free tierFree — quota not published; returns 429 when exceeded1 req/sec, identified UA required
Rate limitUnpublished (429 Quota exceeded)1/sec hard — per application
In directory since2026-07-052026-05-02
operationalpartialdownno data

ipapi.co vs Nominatim (OSM): common questions

Which is more reliable, ipapi.co or Nominatim (OSM)?

On our scheduled checks, Nominatim (OSM) leads on measured uptime — ipapi.co at 1.0% versus Nominatim (OSM) at 100% 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, ipapi.co or Nominatim (OSM)?

Nominatim (OSM) has the lower median latency in our checks — ipapi.co responds in 440 ms versus Nominatim (OSM) at 332 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 ipapi.co and Nominatim (OSM) need an API key?

Neither needs a paid key — ipapi.co is callable with no signup, and Nominatim (OSM) is keyless with a required User-Agent header. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.

Can I call ipapi.co and Nominatim (OSM) from the browser?

Yes — both ipapi.co and Nominatim (OSM) 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 ipapi.co and Nominatim (OSM) free for commercial use?

ipapi.co has unclear commercial terms, and Nominatim (OSM) 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.