SnapshotAPI vs The Guardian

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

Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d6.9%98.0%
Uptime · 30d0.0%98.3%
P50 · ms396742
P95 · ms5472726
AuthapiKeyapiKey
CORSnoyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearunclear
Data licenseUnverifiedUnverified
Free tierFree tier — API key requiredFree developer key — registration required
Rate limitUnpublished5000 calls/day (developer tier)
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

SnapshotAPI vs The Guardian: common questions

Which is more reliable, SnapshotAPI or The Guardian?

On our scheduled checks, The Guardian leads on measured uptime — SnapshotAPI at 6.9% versus The Guardian at 98.0% 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, SnapshotAPI or The Guardian?

SnapshotAPI has the lower median latency in our checks — SnapshotAPI responds in 396 ms versus The Guardian at 742 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 SnapshotAPI and The Guardian need an API key?

Both ask you to authenticate — SnapshotAPI uses an API key and The Guardian uses an API key. Each key is free to obtain; the Auth and Card-required rows above spell out the signup terms.

Can I call SnapshotAPI and The Guardian from the browser?

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

Are SnapshotAPI and The Guardian free for commercial use?

SnapshotAPI has unclear commercial terms, and The Guardian 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.