REST Countries vs Wikipedia REST

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

Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms
P95 · ms
Authnonenone
CORSyesyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useyesyes
Data licenseMPL-2.0CC BY-SA 4.0
Free tierUnlimitedUnlimited within etiquette
Rate limitNone published200/sec global courtesy cap
In directory since2026-05-022026-05-09
operationalpartialdownno data

REST Countries vs Wikipedia REST: common questions

Which is more reliable, REST Countries or Wikipedia REST?

On our scheduled checks, Wikipedia REST leads on measured uptime — REST Countries at —% versus Wikipedia REST 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 Wikipedia REST need an API key?

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

Can I call REST Countries and Wikipedia REST from the browser?

Yes — both REST Countries and Wikipedia REST 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 Wikipedia REST free for commercial use?

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