Geoapify as a Google Maps API Alternative
The Google Maps API (Google Maps Platform) is a set of APIs and SDKs for maps, routes and places, billed per request after a monthly free amount. Geoapify offers APIs for the same everyday tasks, built on OpenStreetMap and other open data and billed in daily credits. This page maps one to the other and compares free usage and prices with dated sources.
On this page
What Is the Google Maps API?
"Google Maps API" is the common name for Google Maps Platform, Google's collection of APIs and SDKs for maps, routes, places and environmental data. Each API is billed per request (Google calls them billable events), grouped into SKUs with their own price and monthly free amount.
To use it, Google's getting started guide lists four steps: create a Google Cloud project, set up a billing account, enable the APIs you need, and create an API key. A billing account is required even if your usage stays within the free amounts.
Is the Google Maps API Free?
Google Maps Platform gives a monthly free amount per SKU, and charges per 1,000 events above it. The free amount depends on the SKU's category:
| Google SKU category | Free events per SKU per month |
|---|---|
| Essentials | 10,000 |
| Pro | 5,000 |
| Enterprise | 1,000 |
Above the free amount, these are the first-tier prices of commonly used SKUs:
| Google SKU | Price per 1,000 events |
|---|---|
| Dynamic Maps (Maps JavaScript API loads) | $7.00 |
| Static Maps | $2.00 |
| Geocoding | $5.00 |
| Places Autocomplete Requests | $2.83 |
| Compute Routes Essentials | $5.00 |
| Compute Route Matrix Essentials | $5.00 |
Source: Google Maps Platform pricing, page last updated 2026-10-20, checked 2026-10-21. Higher volumes get lower prices per 1,000 events; check the source for the current values.
On Geoapify, the Free plan includes 3,000 credits per day (about 90,000 per month) shared across all APIs, with no credit card. A geocoding or autocomplete request costs 1 credit.
Google Maps API and Geoapify, API by API
Most applications use a few Google Maps APIs at once. Here is the Geoapify API for each common task:
| Task | Google Maps Platform | Geoapify |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive map | Maps JavaScript API | Map Tiles API with MapLibre GL, Leaflet or OpenLayers |
| Map image | Static Maps | Static Maps API |
| Address to coordinates | Geocoding API | Geocoding API |
| Coordinates to address | Geocoding API (reverse) | Reverse Geocoding API |
| Address suggestions while typing | Places Autocomplete | Address Autocomplete API |
| Search places by category or area | Places API Text Search, Nearby Search | Places API |
| Details of one place | Place Details | Place Details API |
| Route between points | Routes API: Compute Routes | Routing API |
| Travel times between many points | Routes API: Compute Route Matrix | Route Matrix API |
| Plan routes for several vehicles | Route Optimization API | Route Planner API |
| Match a GPS track to roads | Roads API | Map Matching API |
| Area reachable within a time | Isochrones API (pre-GA Preview) | Isoline API |
| Street-level imagery | Street View | Not available |
Geoapify also offers APIs for postcodes, administrative boundaries, batch geocoding and geometry operations. See the full list on the Maps API page.
Geoapify Pricing vs Google Maps Pricing
The two platforms bill differently. Google charges per event per month, separately for each SKU. Geoapify plans give a number of credits per day, shared across all APIs, and each request costs a documented number of credits.
| Request | Google, per 1,000 above the free amount | Geoapify credits per request | Geoapify, per 1,000 requests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geocoding | $5.00 | 1 | $0.08–$0.20 |
| Address autocomplete | $2.83 | 1 | $0.08–$0.20 |
| Route with 2 waypoints | $5.00 | 1 | $0.08–$0.20 |
| Static map, 800 x 600 px | $2.00 | 3 | $0.24–$0.59 |
| Dynamic map load (estimate) | $7.00 | about 5 | about $0.41–$0.98 |
How the Geoapify column is calculated: the paid plans cost from $59/month for 10,000 credits/day (API 10) to $609/month for 250,000 credits/day (API 250), which is $0.20 to $0.08 per 1,000 credits when the daily credits are fully used (checked 2026-10-21). Credit costs per request are in the pricing details. Google counts a dynamic map as one load, while Geoapify counts map tiles (4 tiles = 1 credit); the estimate assumes about 20 raster tiles per map load, and the real number depends on map size and how users pan and zoom.
Caching Results and Combining Map Providers
Terms of use matter when you plan to store results or mix providers. Google's Maps Service Specific Terms (last modified October 15, 2026) set these rules for the Geocoding API:
- Geocoding API content must not be used in conjunction with a non-Google map (section 6.2).
- Latitude and longitude values may be cached for up to 30 consecutive calendar days, then deleted (section 6.3.1).
With Geoapify, you can store geocoding results and cache static map images as long as you keep the required attribution, and you can show the results on any map, whichever map library or tile provider you use.
Open Data and Open Map Libraries
Community-driven data
Geoapify APIs are built on open data projects like OpenStreetMap and OpenAddresses, which are maintained by large communities and updated continuously. Open data licenses allow you to store and reuse the results with attribution.
Open-source map libraries
Geoapify map tiles work with open-source map client libraries like MapLibre GL, Leaflet and OpenLayers. Your map code doesn't depend on a specific service provider, so you can combine services or change providers later.
Use Cases of Geoapify
Geoapify APIs are used across industries:
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Delivery and Logistics: Optimize routes, calculate delivery times, and improve overall efficiency. Learn more about Geoapify's Logistics & Delivery Solutions.
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Travel Time Maps: Build maps that show travel times for different transportation modes, such as walking, biking, or driving. Explore Geoapify's Travel Time Mapping Solutions.
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Static Maps: Create customizable map images for emails, reports and print. Discover the Geoapify Static Maps API.
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Places and Place Details APIs: Create interactive maps with Points of Interest data. Discover the Places API and the Place Details API.
Teams that require a documented EU-bound request path can compare Geoapify's default and EU API endpoints.
How to Switch?
Switching is done API by API, so you can start with one service:
- Get an API key. Register on MyProjects and create a project. The Free plan needs no credit card.
- Replace the map. Use Geoapify map tiles with MapLibre GL, Leaflet or OpenLayers. Each library has a large community and many examples, and the Map Tiles documentation has ready-to-use code.
- Replace the API calls. Use the table above to find the matching Geoapify API, then build and test requests in the Playground before changing your code. AI assistants and agents can call the same APIs through the Geoapify MCP server.
Our API documentation has code samples and instructions for every API. Need help with a migration? Contact us.
FAQ
What is the Google Maps API?
"Google Maps API" is the common name for Google Maps Platform, a collection of Google APIs and SDKs for maps, routes, places and environmental data. Each API is billed per request, with a monthly free amount per SKU. See the Google Maps Platform documentation.
Is the Google Maps API free?
Partly. Google Maps Platform gives a monthly free amount per SKU: 10,000 events for Essentials SKUs, 5,000 for Pro and 1,000 for Enterprise, and charges per 1,000 events above it, for example $5.00 for Geocoding. A billing account is required. See Google Maps Platform pricing (checked 2026-10-21).
How do I use the Google Maps API?
Google's getting started guide lists four steps: create a Google Cloud project, set up billing, enable the APIs you need, and create an API key. See Get started with Google Maps Platform.
Which Geoapify API replaces each Google Maps API?
Maps JavaScript API → Map Tiles API; Geocoding → Geocoding and Reverse Geocoding APIs; Places Autocomplete → Address Autocomplete API; Places → Places API; Routes → Routing and Route Matrix APIs; Route Optimization → Route Planner API. Street View has no Geoapify equivalent.
Can I keep my map library when I switch to Geoapify?
If you use MapLibre GL, Leaflet or OpenLayers, yes: point the library to Geoapify map tiles. If your app uses the Google Maps JavaScript API, you replace it with one of these libraries. See the Map Tiles documentation for code samples.
Does Geoapify have Street View?
No. Geoapify offers maps, map images, geocoding, places, routing and isolines, but no street-level imagery.
