MedlinePlus Genetics vs Open Food Facts

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

Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d99.02%39.2%
Uptime · 30d98.3%33.3%
P50 · ms18771556
P95 · ms49422836
Authnonenone
CORSyesno
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearunclear
Data licenseU.S. National Library of Medicine (see NLM terms)Unverified
Free tierFree — no key requiredFree — limits not published
Rate limitUnpublishedUnpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

MedlinePlus Genetics vs Open Food Facts: common questions

Which is more reliable, MedlinePlus Genetics or Open Food Facts?

On our scheduled checks, MedlinePlus Genetics leads on measured uptime — MedlinePlus Genetics at 99.02% versus Open Food Facts at 39.2% 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, MedlinePlus Genetics or Open Food Facts?

Open Food Facts has the lower median latency in our checks — MedlinePlus Genetics responds in 1877 ms versus Open Food Facts at 1556 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 MedlinePlus Genetics and Open Food Facts need an API key?

Neither needs a paid key — MedlinePlus Genetics is callable with no signup, and Open Food Facts is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.

Can I call MedlinePlus Genetics and Open Food Facts from the browser?

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

Are MedlinePlus Genetics and Open Food Facts free for commercial use?

MedlinePlus Genetics has unclear commercial terms, and Open Food Facts 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.