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NHTSA vs OpenSky Network

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

APINHTSANEW—OpenSky NetworkNEW—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
Authnonenone
CORSyesno
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useyesno
Data licensePublic domain (U.S. Government work)Non-commercial/research use per OpenSky terms
Free tierFree, no keyFree for non-commercial/research use; anonymous requests are rate-limited and time-coarsened
Rate limitUnpublishedAnonymous access throttled; registered/OAuth users get higher limits
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

NHTSA vs OpenSky Network: common questions

Which is more reliable, NHTSA or OpenSky Network?

On our scheduled checks, OpenSky Network leads on measured uptime — NHTSA at —% versus OpenSky Network 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 NHTSA and OpenSky Network need an API key?

Neither needs a paid key — NHTSA is callable with no signup, and OpenSky Network is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.

Can I call NHTSA and OpenSky Network from the browser?

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

Are NHTSA and OpenSky Network free for commercial use?

NHTSA allows commercial use on its free tier, and OpenSky Network 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.