Satellite Passes vs USGS Water Services
Same instrument, two spec sheets — measured, not claimed.
Satellite Passes vs USGS Water Services: common questions
Which is more reliable, Satellite Passes or USGS Water Services?
On our scheduled checks, Satellite Passes leads on measured uptime — Satellite Passes at 99.02% versus USGS Water Services at 87.3% 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, Satellite Passes or USGS Water Services?
USGS Water Services has the lower median latency in our checks — Satellite Passes responds in 976 ms versus USGS Water Services at 828 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 Satellite Passes and USGS Water Services need an API key?
Neither needs a paid key — Satellite Passes is callable with no signup, and USGS Water Services is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.
Can I call Satellite Passes and USGS Water Services from the browser?
Yes — both Satellite Passes and USGS Water Services 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 Satellite Passes and USGS Water Services free for commercial use?
Satellite Passes has unclear commercial terms, and USGS Water Services 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.