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NPPES vs openFDA

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

APINPPESNEW—openFDANEW—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
Authnonenone
CORSnoyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useyesunclear
Data licenseU.S. Government (public NPI data)Unverified
Free tierFree — no key requiredFree — limits not published
Rate limitUnpublishedUnpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

NPPES vs openFDA: common questions

Which is more reliable, NPPES or openFDA?

On our scheduled checks, openFDA leads on measured uptime — NPPES at —% versus openFDA 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 NPPES and openFDA need an API key?

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

Can I call NPPES and openFDA from the browser?

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

Are NPPES and openFDA free for commercial use?

NPPES allows commercial use on its free tier, and openFDA 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.