specification: API Commons Plans
specificationVersion: '0.1'
schema: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/interface-research/main/schema/api-commons.yml#/$defs/Plans
provider: NVD
providerId: nvd
created: '2026-05-04'
# Provenance stamped 2026-08-11: this artifact was written by the API Evangelist
# bulk sweep dated 2026-05-04, not harvested from the provider. See roadmap#35.
method: generated
modified: '2026-05-05'
reconciled: true
tags:
  - Security
  - CVE
  - CPE
  - Vulnerability
  - CVSS
description: The National Vulnerability Database (NVD) is a US Government (NIST) service. APIs are free
  to use and there is no commercial pricing. Anonymous and API-key access are the only tiers — the API
  key is free and only changes the rate limit. Use of the data is subject to the NVD Terms of Use.
sources:
  - https://nvd.nist.gov/developers/start-here
  - https://nvd.nist.gov/developers/request-an-api-key
plans:
  - id: nvd-public
    name: Public (No API Key)
    type: freemium
    description: Default access tier with no registration. Free, with the lowest rate limit.
    entries:
      - label: API requests
        description: All NVD APIs (CVE, CVE Change History, CPE, Match Criteria, Source)
        name: api_requests
        type: metered
        metric: requests
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: usage
        geo: global
        domains:
          - https://services.nvd.nist.gov
        unit: 1
        price: '0.00'
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: NVD CVE API
      - name: NVD CVE Change History API
      - name: NVD CPE API
      - name: NVD CPE Match Criteria API
      - name: NVD Source API
      - name: National Vulnerability Database API
  - id: nvd-api-key
    name: With API Key
    type: freemium
    description: Free access tier obtained by completing a request form, agreeing to terms of use, and
      validating an email address. Higher rate limit (50 requests / 30 seconds vs 5 / 30 seconds).
    entries:
      - label: API requests
        description: All NVD APIs with the issued API key supplied via apiKey query parameter
        name: api_requests
        type: metered
        metric: requests
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: usage
        geo: global
        domains:
          - https://services.nvd.nist.gov
        unit: 1
        price: '0.00'
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: 10x rate limit vs anonymous
      - name: NVD CVE API
      - name: NVD CVE Change History API
      - name: NVD CPE API
      - name: NVD CPE Match Criteria API
      - name: NVD Source API
maintainers:
  - FN: Kin Lane
    email: kin@apievangelist.com
x-canonical:
  generated: '2026-10-08'
  vocabulary: all/0-working/economics/plans-canonical.yml
  models:
  - metered
  units:
  - request
  plans:
  - name: Public (No API Key)
    access: freemium
    model: metered
    model_how: derived
    units:
    - request
    periods:
    - per-use
  - name: With API Key
    access: freemium
    model: metered
    model_how: derived
    units:
    - request
    periods:
    - per-use