Open Scholarships vs Photon API
Same instrument, two spec sheets — measured, not claimed.
Open Scholarships vs Photon API: common questions
Which is more reliable, Open Scholarships or Photon API?
On our scheduled checks, Open Scholarships leads on measured uptime — Open Scholarships at 100% versus Photon API at 99.02% 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 Scholarships or Photon API?
Open Scholarships has the lower median latency in our checks — Open Scholarships responds in 558 ms versus Photon API at 710 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 Scholarships and Photon API need an API key?
Neither needs a paid key — Open Scholarships is callable with no signup, and Photon API is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.
Can I call Open Scholarships and Photon API from the browser?
Yes — both Open Scholarships and Photon API 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 Scholarships and Photon API free for commercial use?
Open Scholarships allows commercial use on its free tier, and Photon API 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.