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openrouteservice.org vs positionstack

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

APIopenrouteservice.orgHEALTHY69positionstackHEALTHY93
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d96.1%100%
Uptime · 30d93.3%100%
P50 · ms531455
P95 · ms44463328
AuthapiKeyapiKey
CORSyesno
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearunclear
Data licenseUnverifiedUnverified
Free tierFree tier — API key may be required for productionFree tier — key may be required
Rate limit300 req/window · 299 remaining · resets 2026-07-08T16:35:00.355819ZUnpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

openrouteservice.org vs positionstack: common questions

Which is more reliable, openrouteservice.org or positionstack?

On our scheduled checks, positionstack leads on measured uptime — openrouteservice.org at 96.1% versus positionstack at 100% 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, openrouteservice.org or positionstack?

positionstack has the lower median latency in our checks — openrouteservice.org responds in 531 ms versus positionstack at 455 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 openrouteservice.org and positionstack need an API key?

Both ask you to authenticate — openrouteservice.org uses an API key and positionstack uses an API key. Each key is free to obtain; the Auth and Card-required rows above spell out the signup terms.

Can I call openrouteservice.org and positionstack from the browser?

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

Are openrouteservice.org and positionstack free for commercial use?

openrouteservice.org has unclear commercial terms, and positionstack 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.