Choose JSONBin.io when
- You need JSON stored permanently and cheaply with a proper account behind it.
- You want version history on every update.
- You need scoped access keys or public read-only bins.
TmpState vs JSONBin.io
JSONBin.io is a hosted JSON storage service: you sign up, get an API key, and store JSON documents in versioned bins behind a REST API. It is a mature product with access control, bin versioning, and permanent storage on paid plans.
The honest verdict
The honest split: JSONBin is a place to keep JSON; TmpState is a database you can have mid-thought. If you want permanent, key-protected storage with version history, JSONBin is the better product. If you (or your AI agent) need a working database in the next ten seconds, with collections and pagination but zero signup, TmpState wins on friction and loses on permanence by design.
Side by side
| Dimension | TmpState | JSONBin.io |
|---|---|---|
| Time to first write | One curl, no account. The response contains your database URL. | Create an account, verify email, copy the master key, then call the API. |
| Credentials | None. The database URL is the capability; anyone holding it can use it. | X-Master-Key header (plus optional access keys with per-bin permissions). |
| Data model | Collections of documents with server-generated ids, cursor pagination, shallow-merge PATCH. | Bins: each bin is one JSON blob, with version history per update. |
| Lifetime | 24h free, one-time paid extensions, or an $8/mo Pro subscription for always-on. | Permanent while your account exists (free tier has bin and request limits). |
| Versioning | None. Documents carry created_at/updated_at only. | Built-in bin versioning; you can fetch previous versions. |
| Access control | Possession of the URL. Delete the database to revoke. | Master key + scoped access keys; private and public bins. |
| Agent readiness | llms.txt, OpenAPI, skills, and an MCP server; an agent can self-onboard without a human. | Human signs up and provisions the key, then hands it to the agent. |
Choose TmpState when
- You are prototyping and signup friction would break your flow.
- An AI agent is doing the integration and cannot complete a signup form.
- You want collections, pagination, and PATCH semantics rather than one JSON blob per bin.
- Disposability is a feature: demos, hackathons, repro cases, agent scratchpads.
When NOT to use TmpState here
An honest comparison argues against us too. Skip TmpState if any of these apply:
- Do not put data in TmpState that must exist next quarter unless you are on Pro and monitoring it.
- Do not use a capability URL in public client-side code you would not treat as public data.
- No version history: if you overwrite a document, the old value is gone.
Common questions
Can TmpState replace JSONBin for production config storage?
Only on the Pro tier, and only if URL-possession security fits your threat model. For key-protected permanent storage with versioning, JSONBin is the safer default.
Which is better for an AI agent?
TmpState, by design: an agent can create and use a database from documentation alone (llms.txt, OpenAPI, MCP), with no human in the loop for signup or key handling.
Try the ten-second version
The fastest way to compare is to create a database right now. No signup; it expires on its own.