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Minor Planet Center vs OpenAlex

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

APIMinor Planet CenterNEW—OpenAlexNEW—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
Authnonenone
CORSyesyes
HTTPSnoyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearyes
Data licenseUnverified (data derived from JPL/MPC)CC0
Free tierFree — limits not publishedFree tier (~$1/day of usage); free API key available for more
Rate limitUnpublishedUsage-metered free tier (~$1/day per docs)
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

Minor Planet Center vs OpenAlex: common questions

Which is more reliable, Minor Planet Center or OpenAlex?

On our scheduled checks, OpenAlex leads on measured uptime — Minor Planet Center at —% versus OpenAlex 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 Minor Planet Center and OpenAlex need an API key?

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

Can I call Minor Planet Center and OpenAlex from the browser?

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

Are Minor Planet Center and OpenAlex free for commercial use?

Minor Planet Center has unclear commercial terms, and OpenAlex 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.