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National Vulnerability Database vs Portscan

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

APINational Vulnerability DatabaseDYING78PortscanHEALTHY96
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d86.3%99.02%
Uptime · 30d83.3%100%
P50 · ms974335
P95 · ms4777734
Authnonenone
CORSnoyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useyesunclear
Data licensePublic domain (U.S. Government work)Unverified
Free tierFree — no key required (free key raises limits)Free — limits not published
Rate limit5 requests per rolling 30 seconds without an API key (50 with a free key)Unpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

National Vulnerability Database vs Portscan: common questions

Which is more reliable, National Vulnerability Database or Portscan?

On our scheduled checks, Portscan leads on measured uptime — National Vulnerability Database at 86.3% versus Portscan at 99.02% 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, National Vulnerability Database or Portscan?

Portscan has the lower median latency in our checks — National Vulnerability Database responds in 974 ms versus Portscan at 335 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 National Vulnerability Database and Portscan need an API key?

Neither needs a paid key — National Vulnerability Database is callable with no signup, and Portscan is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.

Can I call National Vulnerability Database and Portscan from the browser?

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

Are National Vulnerability Database and Portscan free for commercial use?

National Vulnerability Database allows commercial use on its free tier, and Portscan 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.