USGS Water Services vs World Bank
Same instrument, two spec sheets — measured, not claimed.
USGS Water Services vs World Bank: common questions
Which is more reliable, USGS Water Services or World Bank?
On our scheduled checks, World Bank leads on measured uptime — USGS Water Services at —% versus World Bank 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 World Bank need an API key?
Neither needs a paid key — USGS Water Services is callable with no signup, and World Bank is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.
Can I call USGS Water Services and World Bank from the browser?
Yes — both USGS Water Services and World Bank 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 World Bank free for commercial use?
USGS Water Services allows commercial use on its free tier, and World Bank 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.