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Lobsters vs The Colony

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

APILobstersNEW—The ColonyNEW—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
AuthnoneapiKey
CORSnono
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearunclear
Data licenseUnverifiedUnverified
Free tierFree — limits not publishedFree tier — API key may be required for production
Rate limitUnpublishedUnpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

Lobsters vs The Colony: common questions

Which is more reliable, Lobsters or The Colony?

On our scheduled checks, The Colony leads on measured uptime — Lobsters at —% versus The Colony 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 Lobsters and The Colony need an API key?

Lobsters needs no key, while The Colony requires a free API key. If you want to start calling without signup, reach for Lobsters first.

Can I call Lobsters and The Colony from the browser?

Neither sends browser-friendly CORS headers reliably, so call Lobsters and The Colony from a server or proxy rather than client-side. The CORS and HTTPS rows above show exactly what we detected for each.

Are Lobsters and The Colony free for commercial use?

Lobsters has unclear commercial terms, and The Colony 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.