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Nominatim (OSM) vs openrouteservice.org

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

APINominatim (OSM)HEALTHY—openrouteservice.orgNEW—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
AuthuserAgentapiKey
CORSyesyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial usenounclear
Data licenseODbL (OpenStreetMap)Unverified
Free tier1 req/sec, identified UA requiredFree tier — API key may be required for production
Rate limit1/sec hard — per application300 req/window · 299 remaining · resets 2026-07-08T16:35:00.355819Z
In directory since2026-05-022026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

Nominatim (OSM) vs openrouteservice.org: common questions

Which is more reliable, Nominatim (OSM) or openrouteservice.org?

On our scheduled checks, openrouteservice.org leads on measured uptime — Nominatim (OSM) at —% versus openrouteservice.org 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 Nominatim (OSM) and openrouteservice.org need an API key?

Nominatim (OSM) needs no key, while openrouteservice.org requires a free API key. If you want to start calling without signup, reach for Nominatim (OSM) first.

Can I call Nominatim (OSM) and openrouteservice.org from the browser?

Yes — both Nominatim (OSM) and openrouteservice.org send CORS headers over HTTPS, so front-end code can fetch either directly with no backend proxy. That makes them easy to swap in a client-side app while you compare responses.

Are Nominatim (OSM) and openrouteservice.org free for commercial use?

Nominatim (OSM) is personal/non-commercial only, and openrouteservice.org 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.