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Nominatim (OSM) vs PostcodeData.nl

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

APINominatim (OSM)HEALTHY96PostcodeData.nlHEALTHY91
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d100%100%
Uptime · 30d100%100%
P50 · ms332692
P95 · ms9901989
AuthuserAgentnone
CORSyesyes
HTTPSyesno
Card requirednono
Commercial usenounclear
Data licenseODbL (OpenStreetMap)Unverified
Free tier1 req/sec, identified UA requiredFree — limits not published
Rate limit1/sec hard — per applicationUnpublished
In directory since2026-05-022026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

Nominatim (OSM) vs PostcodeData.nl: common questions

Which is more reliable, Nominatim (OSM) or PostcodeData.nl?

Both are neck-and-neck — Nominatim (OSM) and PostcodeData.nl each measure 100% uptime over 90 days on our probe schedule. Reliability here is verified from our own scheduled checks; use the 30-day bars above to see which has been steadier lately.

Which is faster, Nominatim (OSM) or PostcodeData.nl?

Nominatim (OSM) has the lower median latency in our checks — Nominatim (OSM) responds in 332 ms versus PostcodeData.nl at 692 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 Nominatim (OSM) and PostcodeData.nl need an API key?

Neither needs a paid key — Nominatim (OSM) is keyless but wants an identifying User-Agent header, and PostcodeData.nl is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.

Can I call Nominatim (OSM) and PostcodeData.nl from the browser?

Only Nominatim (OSM) is browser-friendly — it returns CORS headers over HTTPS. PostcodeData.nl needs a server-side call or proxy, so factor that into which one fits a front-end project.

Are Nominatim (OSM) and PostcodeData.nl free for commercial use?

Nominatim (OSM) is personal/non-commercial only, and PostcodeData.nl 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.