Qurani.ai API Benchmark
Independent, comprehensive comparison of popular open-source Quranic data platforms. Leading with narration sciences, advanced linguistics, and developer tools.
Platform Comparison — Open-Source Quranic Data APIs
Metric | Qurani.ai NCL License | AlQuran Cloud GPL-3.0 License | Fawaz Ahmed Unlicense | Quran Gading MIT License | QUL (Tarteel) MIT License |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total editions | 551 (343 text, 208 audio) | 167 | 440+ translations | 2 main | Data hub (various formats) |
| Languages | 95 | 40+ | 90+ | 2 (EN, ID) | Many (via datasets) |
| Translations | 164 | Many (subset of 167) | 440+ | 2 (EN, ID) | 193 + 15 WbW |
| Tafsir | 157 editions | Supported | None | 1 (ID) | 114 (32 short + 82 detailed) |
| Audio Reciters | 151 | 35+ (e.g., Alafasy) | None | 1 (Al-Afasy) | 151 |
| Word-by-Word | Yes (77,433) | Limited | None | None | Yes (15 WbW translations) |
| Mutashabihāt / Similar-Ayah | 3,703 mappings | Not native | None | None | 5,277 mutashabihat · 4,001 similar-ayah |
| Themes / Topics | 1,049 | Basic | None | Limited | 1,049 + 2,512 topics |
| Mushaf Layouts | 11 | N/A | None | None | 25 (20 approved + 5 WIP) |
| Fonts | 15 families | Basic | Multiple Arabic fonts | External fonts | 17 font sets |
| Search API | Yes | Yes | JSON files (client search) | Yes | Datasets (build your own) |
| Rate Limits | None | Not documented | None | 10 req / 5 min | N/A (data downloads) |
| Authentication | Open | Open | Open CDN | Open | Open downloads |
| Tech Stack | FastAPI + PostgreSQL | PHP + MySQL + Memcached | Static JSON (CDN) | Node.js/JavaScript | Ruby on Rails (CMS) |
| Narration Sciences | 264,605 differences + 6,236 numbering arrays | None | None | None | None |
| MCP Developer Tools | 96 tools | None | None | None | None |
Audio & Reciter Updates
- Audio editions: 208 in total, including 164 surah recitations, 43 verse-by-verse recitations, and 1 word-by-word edition.
- Audio files: 522,762.
- Word-by-word audio: 77,425 clips in 2 bitrates, alongside 77,433 words with morphology.
- Reciter nationality: 147 of 151 reciters have a listed nationality, across 20 countries. New endpoints list countries and filter reciters by country.
- Narrations beyond Hafs: 10 additional reciters now cover 4 non-Hafs narrations (Qalun, Warsh, Al-Duri an Abu Amr, and Al-Bazzi).
Unique Strengths
1
📚
Exclusive Narration Sciences
264,605 differences + 6,236 numbering arrays across 8 riwāyāt
2
📖
Comprehensive Tafsir Collection
157 editions from 52 authoritative sources
3
🔬
Advanced Linguistic Analysis
Word-by-word, phrases, themes, mutashabihāt
4
✒️
Typography & Mushaf Assets
15 fonts, 11 layouts, line mappings
5
⚙️
MCP Developer Ecosystem
96 specialized tools for Islamic development