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MusicBrainz vs Wallhaven

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

APIMusicBrainzHEALTHY82WallhavenDYING82
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d90.2%82.4%
Uptime · 30d86.7%71.7%
P50 · ms660625
P95 · ms47703981
AuthnoneapiKey
CORSyesno
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useyesunclear
Data licenseCore data CC0; some supplementary data CC BY-NC-SA 3.0Unverified
Free tierFree — no key requiredFree tier — key may be required
Rate limit~1 request/second per IP; descriptive User-Agent required45 req/window · 44 remaining
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

MusicBrainz vs Wallhaven: common questions

Which is more reliable, MusicBrainz or Wallhaven?

On our scheduled checks, MusicBrainz leads on measured uptime — MusicBrainz at 90.2% versus Wallhaven at 82.4% 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, MusicBrainz or Wallhaven?

Wallhaven has the lower median latency in our checks — MusicBrainz responds in 660 ms versus Wallhaven at 625 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 MusicBrainz and Wallhaven need an API key?

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

Can I call MusicBrainz and Wallhaven from the browser?

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

Are MusicBrainz and Wallhaven free for commercial use?

MusicBrainz allows commercial use on its free tier, and Wallhaven 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.