Portscan vs SniffCat

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

Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d99.02%83.3%
Uptime · 30d100%83.3%
P50 · ms335290
P95 · ms734598
AuthnoneapiKey
CORSyesno
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearyes
Data licenseUnverified
Free tierFree — limits not published
Rate limitUnpublishedRetry-After: 24s
In directory since2026-07-052026-08-19
operationalpartialdownno data

Portscan vs SniffCat: common questions

Which is more reliable, Portscan or SniffCat?

On our scheduled checks, Portscan leads on measured uptime — Portscan at 99.02% versus SniffCat at 83.3% 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, Portscan or SniffCat?

SniffCat has the lower median latency in our checks — Portscan responds in 335 ms versus SniffCat at 290 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 Portscan and SniffCat need an API key?

Portscan needs no key, while SniffCat requires a free API key. If you want to start calling without signup, reach for Portscan first.

Can I call Portscan and SniffCat from the browser?

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

Are Portscan and SniffCat free for commercial use?

Portscan has unclear commercial terms, and SniffCat allows commercial use on its free tier. 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.