TimeAndDate.com has been a trusted name in time and calendar data for over 25 years. Their website serves millions of visitors monthly, and their API products reflect that depth of experience. But their pricing model—four separate API subscriptions with annual-only billing—may not fit every project's needs or budget.

This comparison breaks down how TimeAndDate's à la carte API pricing compares to World Data API's bundled approach, so you can decide which fits your use case.

TimeAndDate sells four distinct API products:

• Holidays API — Public and observance holidays

• Astronomy API — Sunrise, sunset, moon phases

• Time API — Current time and timezone conversions

• Date Calculator API — Business days, date math

Each requires its own subscription. If your application needs holidays and timezone data and sunrise times, you're paying for three separate products.

World Data API bundles holidays, astronomy, timezones, and date calculations into a single subscription. You get access to all data types at one price point.

Minimum for full data coverage: $746/year (Holidays Plus + Astronomy Basic + Time Basic + Date Calculator Plus)

For unrestricted access across all products: $2,496/year at Premium tier

Historical and future date coverage. TimeAndDate provides holiday and astronomical data from year 1 through year 3999. If you're building a historical research tool or need to calculate Easter dates for the 30th century, TimeAndDate has you covered. World Data API focuses on practical date ranges that most applications need.

25 years of refinement. TimeAndDate has been refining their data and algorithms since 1998. Their astronomical calculations account for edge cases that newer services may not have encountered yet.

Established enterprise relationships. If your organization requires vendor assessments, security questionnaires, or has existing procurement relationships, TimeAndDate's track record may simplify approval processes.

XML support. If your system requires XML responses, TimeAndDate offers both JSON and XML. World Data API is JSON-only.

Bundled pricing. A single $79/year subscription covers holidays, astronomy, timezones, and date calculations. The equivalent coverage from TimeAndDate starts at $546/year.

Monthly billing. World Data API offers month-to-month payment. TimeAndDate requires annual commitment upfront.

Permanent free tier. World Data API includes 60 free requests per day indefinitely—enough for personal projects, prototypes, or low-traffic applications. TimeAndDate offers a 3-month trial, after which you must subscribe.

Coordinate queries at entry-level pricing. TimeAndDate's Astronomy API Basic tier limits you to 5 predefined locations. Querying arbitrary coordinates requires upgrading to Plus ($299/year) or Premium ($499/year). World Data API allows coordinate-based queries on all paid plans starting at $79/year.

Additional data types. World Data API includes country information, geographic data, and travel reference data (power plugs, emergency numbers, climate averages) that TimeAndDate doesn't offer through their APIs.

Both services provide accurate data for standard use cases. A few notes on methodology:

Astronomical calculations. Both services calculate sunrise, sunset, and moon phase times algorithmically. Actual observed times can vary by a few minutes due to atmospheric conditions, elevation, and local geography. For most applications, calculated times are sufficient. If you need observatory-grade precision, neither API is a substitute for specialized astronomical software.

Islamic holidays. World Data API calculates Islamic holiday dates astronomically. Traditional Islamic practice determines some holidays by physical moon sighting, which can shift dates by a day depending on regional religious authorities. TimeAndDate faces the same challenge—this is an inherent limitation of any pre-calculated calendar data.

Uptime guarantees. TimeAndDate has operated continuously for 25 years with a strong reliability track record. World Data API does not publish a formal SLA document. If contractual uptime guarantees are a requirement, confirm availability from both providers.

Choose TimeAndDate if you:

• Need historical data before 1970 or future dates beyond 2100

• Only need one or two data types (their individual products may cost less than a bundle)

• Require XML response format

• Have existing enterprise procurement relationships with them

• Need the confidence of a 25-year track record

• Are building applications where astronomical precision is critical and you want the most battle-tested calculations

Choose World Data API if you:

• Need multiple data types (holidays + astronomy + timezones + date calculations)

• Want to avoid $500+ annual commitment to get full coverage

• Prefer monthly billing flexibility

• Are building a prototype or personal project (free tier)

• Need coordinate-based astronomy queries without paying for premium tiers

• Want country data and travel reference data alongside time/date information

• Are working within a tighter budget but need broad data access

If you only need holiday data for a single country, TimeAndDate's $99/year Basic tier may be worth considering for its extensive historical coverage—though World Data API's $79/year Starter plan includes all data types.

But the math changes quickly when you need more:

• Holidays for multiple countries? TimeAndDate jumps to $399/year.

• Add timezone conversions? That's another $49-$399/year.

• Need sunrise/sunset times? Another $99-$499/year.

• Business day calculations? Another $299-$599/year.

For applications that touch multiple data types—which describes most real-world scheduling, travel, or international business applications—World Data API's bundled model at $79/year compares favorably to TimeAndDate's minimum $746/year for equivalent coverage.

Both are legitimate options. Your choice depends on which data you need, how much historical coverage matters, and whether bundled pricing or à la carte flexibility better fits your budget.