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ipapi.com vs Nominatim (OSM)

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

APIipapi.comNEW—Nominatim (OSM)HEALTHY—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
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)?

On our scheduled checks, Nominatim (OSM) leads on measured uptime — ipapi.com at —% versus Nominatim (OSM) 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 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.