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ISO 3166-2 API vs What3Words

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

APIISO 3166-2 APIHEALTHY84What3WordsHEALTHY96
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d100%100%
Uptime · 30d100%100%
P50 · ms1056391
P95 · ms28651181
AuthnoneapiKey
CORSyesno
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearunclear
Data licenseUnverifiedUnverified
Free tierFree — limits not publishedFree tier — key may be required
Rate limitUnpublishedUnpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

ISO 3166-2 API vs What3Words: common questions

Which is more reliable, ISO 3166-2 API or What3Words?

Both are neck-and-neck — ISO 3166-2 API and What3Words 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, ISO 3166-2 API or What3Words?

What3Words has the lower median latency in our checks — ISO 3166-2 API responds in 1056 ms versus What3Words at 391 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 ISO 3166-2 API and What3Words need an API key?

ISO 3166-2 API needs no key, while What3Words requires a free API key. If you want to start calling without signup, reach for ISO 3166-2 API first.

Can I call ISO 3166-2 API and What3Words from the browser?

Only ISO 3166-2 API is browser-friendly — it returns CORS headers over HTTPS. What3Words needs a server-side call or proxy, so factor that into which one fits a front-end project.

Are ISO 3166-2 API and What3Words free for commercial use?

ISO 3166-2 API has unclear commercial terms, and What3Words 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.