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USGS Water Services vs Open Notify

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

APIUSGS Water ServicesNEW—Open NotifyDYING—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
Authnonenone
CORSyesyes
HTTPSyesno
Card requirednono
Commercial useyesunclear
Data licensePublic domain (U.S. Government work)n/a
Free tierFree — no API key requiredUnlimited (volunteer-run)
Rate limitUnpublishedPlease be gentle
In directory since2026-07-052026-05-02
operationalpartialdownno data

USGS Water Services vs Open Notify: common questions

Which is more reliable, USGS Water Services or Open Notify?

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

Neither needs a paid key — USGS Water Services is callable with no signup, and Open Notify is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.

Can I call USGS Water Services and Open Notify from the browser?

Only USGS Water Services is browser-friendly — it returns CORS headers over HTTPS. Open Notify needs a server-side call or proxy, so factor that into which one fits a front-end project.

Are USGS Water Services and Open Notify free for commercial use?

USGS Water Services allows commercial use on its free tier, and Open Notify 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.