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Scryfall vs Universalis

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

APIScryfallHEALTHY71UniversalisHEALTHY95
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d96.1%96.1%
Uptime · 30d98.3%95.0%
P50 · ms470215
P95 · ms27671304
Authnonenone
CORSyesyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearunclear
Data licenseCard data free to use; MTG content © Wizards of the Coast (see docs)Unverified; crowdsourced data
Free tierFree, no API key requiredFree, no API key required
Rate limit~10 requests/second; docs ask for 50-100 ms between requestsUnpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

Scryfall vs Universalis: common questions

Which is more reliable, Scryfall or Universalis?

Both are neck-and-neck — Scryfall and Universalis each measure 96.1% 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, Scryfall or Universalis?

Universalis has the lower median latency in our checks — Scryfall responds in 470 ms versus Universalis at 215 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 Scryfall and Universalis need an API key?

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

Can I call Scryfall and Universalis from the browser?

Yes — both Scryfall and Universalis 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 Scryfall and Universalis free for commercial use?

Scryfall has unclear commercial terms, and Universalis 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.