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JPL Close Approach vs USGS Water Services

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

APIJPL Close ApproachNEW—USGS Water ServicesNEW—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
Authnonenone
CORSnoyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearyes
Data licenseUnverifiedPublic domain (U.S. Government work)
Free tierFree — limits not publishedFree — no API key required
Rate limitUnpublishedUnpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

JPL Close Approach vs USGS Water Services: common questions

Which is more reliable, JPL Close Approach or USGS Water Services?

On our scheduled checks, USGS Water Services leads on measured uptime — JPL Close Approach at —% versus USGS Water Services 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 JPL Close Approach and USGS Water Services need an API key?

Neither needs a paid key — JPL Close Approach is callable with no signup, and USGS Water Services is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.

Can I call JPL Close Approach and USGS Water Services from the browser?

Only USGS Water Services is browser-friendly — it returns CORS headers over HTTPS. JPL Close Approach needs a server-side call or proxy, so factor that into which one fits a front-end project.

Are JPL Close Approach and USGS Water Services free for commercial use?

JPL Close Approach has unclear commercial terms, and USGS Water Services allows commercial use on its free tier. 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.