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LAPIS vs NPPES

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

APILAPISHEALTHY95NPPESHEALTHY89
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d100%100%
Uptime · 30d100%100%
P50 · ms524910
P95 · ms8462071
Authnonenone
CORSyesno
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearyes
Data licenseOpen sequence data (GenBank/Nextstrain-derived); UnverifiedU.S. Government (public NPI data)
Free tierFree — no key (open instance)Free — no key required
Rate limitUnpublishedUnpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

LAPIS vs NPPES: common questions

Which is more reliable, LAPIS or NPPES?

Both are neck-and-neck — LAPIS and NPPES 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, LAPIS or NPPES?

LAPIS has the lower median latency in our checks — LAPIS responds in 524 ms versus NPPES at 910 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 LAPIS and NPPES need an API key?

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

Can I call LAPIS and NPPES from the browser?

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

Are LAPIS and NPPES free for commercial use?

LAPIS has unclear commercial terms, and NPPES 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.