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Lanyard vs Lobsters

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

APILanyardHEALTHY78LobstersHEALTHY99
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d100%100%
Uptime · 30d100%100%
P50 · ms151114
P95 · ms15881175
Authnonenone
CORSyesno
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearunclear
Data licenseUnverifiedUnverified
Free tierFree — no key; user must be tracked by the Lanyard Discord botFree — limits not published
Rate limitUnpublishedUnpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

Lanyard vs Lobsters: common questions

Which is more reliable, Lanyard or Lobsters?

Both are neck-and-neck — Lanyard and Lobsters 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, Lanyard or Lobsters?

Lobsters has the lower median latency in our checks — Lanyard responds in 151 ms versus Lobsters at 114 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 Lanyard and Lobsters need an API key?

Neither needs a paid key — Lanyard is callable with no signup, and Lobsters is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.

Can I call Lanyard and Lobsters from the browser?

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

Are Lanyard and Lobsters free for commercial use?

Lanyard has unclear commercial terms, and Lobsters 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.