diff --git a/app/api/compare/route.ts b/app/api/compare/route.ts
index 809b290..e63172e 100644
--- a/app/api/compare/route.ts
+++ b/app/api/compare/route.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { NextResponse } from "next/server";
-import { fetchGitHubUserData } from "../../../lib/github";
+import { fetchGitHubUserData, RateLimitError } from "../../../lib/github";
 import { calculateUserScore } from "../../../lib/score";
 
 export const runtime = "nodejs";
@@ -36,6 +36,21 @@ export async function GET(request: Request) {
     return NextResponse.json({ success: true, users: results });
   } catch (error: any) {
     console.error("GitHub score error:", error);
+
+    if (error instanceof RateLimitError) {
+      const resetMsg = error.resetAt
+        ? ` Try again after ${error.resetAt.toLocaleTimeString()}.`
+        : " Please try again later.";
+      return NextResponse.json(
+        {
+          success: false,
+          error: `GitHub API rate limit exceeded.${resetMsg}`,
+          rateLimitReset: error.resetAt?.toISOString() ?? null,
+        },
+        { status: 429 }
+      );
+    }
+
     const message =
       error?.message === "User not found"
         ? "GitHub user not found"
diff --git a/app/page.tsx b/app/page.tsx
index a1b5596..a55e7af 100644
--- a/app/page.tsx
+++ b/app/page.tsx
@@ -10,11 +10,13 @@ type ApiResponse = {
   success: boolean;
   users?: UserResult[];
   error?: string;
+  rateLimitReset?: string | null;
 };
 
 export default function HomePage() {
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);
   const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  const [isRateLimit, setIsRateLimit] = useState(false);
   const [data, setData] = useState<{
     user1: UserResult;
     user2: UserResult;
@@ -23,6 +25,7 @@ export default function HomePage() {
   const handleCompare = async (u1: string, u2: string) => {
     setLoading(true);
     setError(null);
+    setIsRateLimit(false);
     setData(null);
     try {
       const params = new URLSearchParams();
@@ -30,6 +33,10 @@ export default function HomePage() {
       params.append("username", u2);
       const res = await fetch(`/api/compare?${params.toString()}`);
       const body: ApiResponse = await res.json();
+      if (res.status === 429 || body.rateLimitReset !== undefined) {
+        setIsRateLimit(true);
+        throw new Error(body.error || "GitHub API rate limit exceeded. Please try again later.");
+      }
       if (!body.success || !body.users || body.users.length < 2) {
         throw new Error(body.error || "Comparison failed");
       }
@@ -58,6 +65,7 @@ export default function HomePage() {
   const reset = () => {
     setData(null);
     setError(null);
+    setIsRateLimit(false);
   };
   const swapUsers = () => {
     if (!data) return;
@@ -88,7 +96,8 @@ export default function HomePage() {
 
         {loading && skeleton}
         {error && (
-          <div className="card p-4 text-sm text-red-600 bg-red-50 border border-red-100">
+          <div className={`card p-4 text-sm border ${isRateLimit ? "text-amber-700 bg-amber-50 border-amber-200" : "text-red-600 bg-red-50 border-red-100"}`}>
+            {isRateLimit && <span className="font-semibold">⏳ Rate limit reached — </span>}
             {error}
           </div>
         )}
diff --git a/lib/github.ts b/lib/github.ts
index 4023aac..9edcdfe 100644
--- a/lib/github.ts
+++ b/lib/github.ts
@@ -57,18 +57,50 @@ const QUERY = /* GraphQL */ `
   }
 `;
 
+export class RateLimitError extends Error {
+  resetAt?: Date;
+  constructor(message: string, resetAt?: Date) {
+    super(message);
+    this.name = "RateLimitError";
+    this.resetAt = resetAt;
+  }
+}
+
+function parseResetTime(headers: Record<string, string>): Date | undefined {
+  const resetEpoch = headers["x-ratelimit-reset"];
+  return resetEpoch ? new Date(parseInt(resetEpoch, 10) * 1000) : undefined;
+}
+
 export async function fetchGitHubUserData(
   username: string
 ): Promise<GitHubUserData> {
-  const { user } = await client<{ user: any }>(QUERY, { login: username });
+  try {
+    const { user } = await client<{ user: any }>(QUERY, { login: username });
 
-  if (!user) {
-    throw new Error("User not found");
-  }
+    if (!user) {
+      throw new Error("User not found");
+    }
+
+    return {
+      repos: user.repositories.nodes as RepoNode[],
+      pullRequests: user.pullRequests.nodes as PullRequestNode[],
+      contributions: user.contributionsCollection as ContributionTotals,
+    };
+  } catch (error: any) {
+    const message: string = error?.message ?? "";
+    const isRateLimit =
+      error?.status === 429 ||
+      (error?.status === 403 && message.toLowerCase().includes("rate limit")) ||
+      message.toLowerCase().includes("api rate limit exceeded") ||
+      message.toLowerCase().includes("secondary rate limit");
 
-  return {
-    repos: user.repositories.nodes as RepoNode[],
-    pullRequests: user.pullRequests.nodes as PullRequestNode[],
-    contributions: user.contributionsCollection as ContributionTotals,
-  };
+    if (isRateLimit) {
+      const resetAt = error?.headers
+        ? parseResetTime(error.headers)
+        : undefined;
+      throw new RateLimitError("GitHub API rate limit exceeded", resetAt);
+    }
+
+    throw error;
+  }
 }