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Nominatim (OSM) vs What3Words

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

APINominatim (OSM)HEALTHY—What3WordsNEW—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
AuthuserAgentapiKey
CORSyesno
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial usenounclear
Data licenseODbL (OpenStreetMap)Unverified
Free tier1 req/sec, identified UA requiredFree tier — key may be required
Rate limit1/sec hard — per applicationUnpublished
In directory since2026-05-022026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

Nominatim (OSM) vs What3Words: common questions

Which is more reliable, Nominatim (OSM) or What3Words?

On our scheduled checks, What3Words leads on measured uptime — Nominatim (OSM) at —% versus What3Words 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 What3Words need an API key?

Nominatim (OSM) needs no key, while What3Words requires a free API key. If you want to start calling without signup, reach for Nominatim (OSM) first.

Can I call Nominatim (OSM) and What3Words from the browser?

Only Nominatim (OSM) is browser-friendly — it returns CORS headers over HTTPS. What3Words needs a server-side call or proxy, so factor that into which one fits a front-end project.

Are Nominatim (OSM) and What3Words free for commercial use?

Nominatim (OSM) is personal/non-commercial only, and What3Words 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.