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ipapi.com vs Nominatim (OSM)

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

APIipapi.comHEALTHY96Nominatim (OSM)HEALTHY96
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d100%100%
Uptime · 30d100%100%
P50 · ms301332
P95 · ms1575990
AuthapiKeyuserAgent
CORSnoyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearno
Data licenseUnverifiedODbL (OpenStreetMap)
Free tierFree tier — key may be required1 req/sec, identified UA required
Rate limitUnpublished1/sec hard — per application
In directory since2026-07-052026-05-02
operationalpartialdownno data

ipapi.com vs Nominatim (OSM): common questions

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

Both are neck-and-neck — ipapi.com and Nominatim (OSM) 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, ipapi.com or Nominatim (OSM)?

ipapi.com has the lower median latency in our checks — ipapi.com responds in 301 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.com and Nominatim (OSM) need an API key?

Nominatim (OSM) needs no key, while ipapi.com requires a free API key. If you want to start calling without signup, reach for Nominatim (OSM) first.

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

Only Nominatim (OSM) is browser-friendly — it returns CORS headers over HTTPS. ipapi.com needs a server-side call or proxy, so factor that into which one fits a front-end project.

Are ipapi.com and Nominatim (OSM) free for commercial use?

ipapi.com 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.