REST Countries vs Shields
Same instrument, two spec sheets — measured, not claimed.
REST Countries vs Shields: common questions
Which is more reliable, REST Countries or Shields?
Both are neck-and-neck — REST Countries and Shields each measure 100% uptime over 90 days on our probe schedule. Reliability here is verified from our own scheduled checks; use the 30-day bars above to see which has been steadier lately.
Which is faster, REST Countries or Shields?
Shields has the lower median latency in our checks — REST Countries responds in 274 ms versus Shields at 28 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 REST Countries and Shields need an API key?
Neither needs a paid key — REST Countries is callable with no signup, and Shields is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.
Can I call REST Countries and Shields from the browser?
Yes — both REST Countries and Shields 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 REST Countries and Shields free for commercial use?
REST Countries allows commercial use on its free tier, and Shields 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.