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TVDB vs TMDb

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

APITVDBREACHABLE—TMDbREACHABLE—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
AuthapiKeyapiKey
CORSyesyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearno
Data licenseTVDB terms — user-contributed dataTMDb terms — attribution required
Free tierFree personal API keyFree personal API key
Rate limitUnpublished~50 req/sec documented ceiling
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

TVDB vs TMDb: common questions

Which is more reliable, TVDB or TMDb?

On our scheduled checks, TMDb leads on measured uptime — TVDB at —% versus TMDb 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 TVDB and TMDb need an API key?

Both ask you to authenticate — TVDB uses an API key and TMDb 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 TVDB and TMDb from the browser?

Yes — both TVDB and TMDb 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 TVDB and TMDb free for commercial use?

TVDB has unclear commercial terms, and TMDb is personal/non-commercial only. 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.