Open Disease vs openFDA
Same instrument, two spec sheets — measured, not claimed.
Open Disease vs openFDA: common questions
Which is more reliable, Open Disease or openFDA?
On our scheduled checks, Open Disease leads on measured uptime — Open Disease at 99.02% versus openFDA at 94.1% 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, Open Disease or openFDA?
Open Disease has the lower median latency in our checks — Open Disease responds in 451 ms versus openFDA at 1187 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 Open Disease and openFDA need an API key?
Neither needs a paid key — Open Disease 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 Open Disease and openFDA from the browser?
Yes — both Open Disease and openFDA 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 Open Disease and openFDA free for commercial use?
Open Disease has unclear commercial terms, 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.