REST Countries vs Wikidata

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

Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms
P95 · ms
Authnonenone
CORSyesno
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useyesunclear
Data licenseMPL-2.0Unverified
Free tierUnlimitedFree — limits not published
Rate limitNone publishedUnpublished
In directory since2026-05-022026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

REST Countries vs Wikidata: common questions

Which is more reliable, REST Countries or Wikidata?

On our scheduled checks, Wikidata leads on measured uptime — REST Countries at —% versus Wikidata at —% over 90 days. These are our own probe results, not provider claims; the uptime bars above show the day-by-day record for both.

Do REST Countries and Wikidata need an API key?

Neither needs a paid key — REST Countries is callable with no signup, and Wikidata is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.

Can I call REST Countries and Wikidata from the browser?

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

Are REST Countries and Wikidata free for commercial use?

REST Countries allows commercial use on its free tier, and Wikidata 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.