Nominatim (OSM) vs VA Facilities
Same instrument, two spec sheets — measured, not claimed.
Nominatim (OSM) vs VA Facilities: common questions
Which is more reliable, Nominatim (OSM) or VA Facilities?
On our scheduled checks, Nominatim (OSM) leads on measured uptime — Nominatim (OSM) at 100% versus VA Facilities at 99.44% 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, Nominatim (OSM) or VA Facilities?
Nominatim (OSM) has the lower median latency in our checks — Nominatim (OSM) responds in 319 ms versus VA Facilities at 876 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 VA Facilities need an API key?
Nominatim (OSM) needs no key, while VA Facilities requires a free API key. If you want to start calling without signup, reach for Nominatim (OSM) first.
Can I call Nominatim (OSM) and VA Facilities from the browser?
Only Nominatim (OSM) is browser-friendly — it returns CORS headers over HTTPS. VA Facilities needs a server-side call or proxy, so factor that into which one fits a front-end project.
Are Nominatim (OSM) and VA Facilities free for commercial use?
Nominatim (OSM) is personal/non-commercial only, and VA Facilities 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.