USGS Water Services vs NASA APOD

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

Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms
P95 · ms
AuthnoneapiKey
CORSyesyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useyesyes
Data licensePublic domain (U.S. Government work)Public domain (US Gov)
Free tierFree — no API key required1,000 req/hour with free key
Rate limitUnpublishedDEMO_KEY: 30/hour, 50/day
In directory since2026-07-052026-05-02
operationalpartialdownno data

USGS Water Services vs NASA APOD: common questions

Which is more reliable, USGS Water Services or NASA APOD?

On our scheduled checks, NASA APOD leads on measured uptime — USGS Water Services at —% versus NASA APOD 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 USGS Water Services and NASA APOD need an API key?

USGS Water Services needs no key, while NASA APOD requires a free API key. If you want to start calling without signup, reach for USGS Water Services first.

Can I call USGS Water Services and NASA APOD from the browser?

Yes — both USGS Water Services and NASA APOD 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 USGS Water Services and NASA APOD free for commercial use?

USGS Water Services allows commercial use on its free tier, and NASA APOD 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.