Lichess vs Steam
Same instrument, two spec sheets — measured, not claimed.
Lichess vs Steam: common questions
Which is more reliable, Lichess or Steam?
On our scheduled checks, Lichess leads on measured uptime — Lichess at 99.02% versus Steam at 88.2% over 90 days. These are our own probe results, not provider claims; the uptime bars above show the day-by-day record for both.
Which is faster, Lichess or Steam?
Steam has the lower median latency in our checks — Lichess responds in 436 ms versus Steam at 268 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 Lichess and Steam need an API key?
Neither needs a paid key — Lichess is callable with no signup, and Steam is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.
Can I call Lichess and Steam from the browser?
Only Lichess is browser-friendly — it returns CORS headers over HTTPS. Steam needs a server-side call or proxy, so factor that into which one fits a front-end project.
Are Lichess and Steam free for commercial use?
Lichess has unclear commercial terms, and Steam 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.