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NDBC Buoy Data API vs Open-Meteo

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

APINDBC Buoy Data APIDYING83Open-MeteoHEALTHY90
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d84.3%95.1%
Uptime · 30d73.3%93.3%
P50 · ms575673
P95 · ms10681193
Authnonenone
CORSnoyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearno
Data licenseUnverifiedCC-BY 4.0
Free tierFree — limits not published<10,000 calls/day, no signup
Rate limitUnpublished600/min · 5,000/hour
In directory since2026-07-052026-05-02
operationalpartialdownno data

NDBC Buoy Data API vs Open-Meteo: common questions

Which is more reliable, NDBC Buoy Data API or Open-Meteo?

On our scheduled checks, Open-Meteo leads on measured uptime — NDBC Buoy Data API at 84.3% versus Open-Meteo at 95.1% 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, NDBC Buoy Data API or Open-Meteo?

NDBC Buoy Data API has the lower median latency in our checks — NDBC Buoy Data API responds in 575 ms versus Open-Meteo at 673 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 NDBC Buoy Data API and Open-Meteo need an API key?

Neither needs a paid key — NDBC Buoy Data API is callable with no signup, and Open-Meteo is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.

Can I call NDBC Buoy Data API and Open-Meteo from the browser?

Only Open-Meteo is browser-friendly — it returns CORS headers over HTTPS. NDBC Buoy Data API needs a server-side call or proxy, so factor that into which one fits a front-end project.

Are NDBC Buoy Data API and Open-Meteo free for commercial use?

NDBC Buoy Data API has unclear commercial terms, and Open-Meteo is personal/non-commercial only. 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.