Best Map API for Location-Based Services: Mapbox vs Google Maps vs OpenStreetMap by Svetlana Cherednichenko mobindustry

This can be attributed to its pricing model that is more attractive for large numbers of map requests. Openstreetmap API is an open-source initiative that generates world map data and makes them available for free. This means you don’t have to pay anything to request data from its database. In fact, you’ll even have access to the entire database of Openstreetmap, which isn’t so in paid APIs.

So, if you are considering switching to Mapbox or another Google Maps alternative, be sure to conduct a data comparison of your own. There are reasons why Google Maps holds leading positions. The platform provides the most accurate and up-to-date map data, not to mention its integration into other useful Google’s services such as Google Places and Businesses. No matter how good the alternatives are, they still can outrun Google Maps, the best API at the moment.

Pros and Cons of Working With Google Maps API

Certainly, these factors only scratch the surface and do not cover all the aspects of choosing a map API for integration. Before choosing a map API, remember to check it for coverage and availability in your area. The biggest one is that the map has limited functionality, even the basic one, making you extremely dependable on third-party APIs. Additionally, you might be blocked with excessive queries. Of course, these cases are just a few examples when you can find Google Maps API useful. But if none of them resonates with your app, perhaps you should give a try to Mapbox – Google Maps API alternative.

The founder realized that Google Maps APIs would be way too expensive to handle all internal processes, so they looked into Mapbox and OpenStreetMaps. Both systems’ duration and distance data were compared to that of Google Maps. Mapbox was found to be a suitable alternative for Google Maps, and in the end, Gokada decided to work with both alternatives for different scopes of the application. After choosing high-quality alternatives to Google Maps API, Gokada was powered without hemorrhaging cash. While it seems like Google Maps has been around since time immemorial, it’s not Brontosaurus when it comes to updating data and providing new features. Especially when the pricing policy changes — but we will return to this later.

Pricing

Among companies that have given their preference to Mapbox, there are Facebook, Shopify, Adobe, The New York Times, to name a few. If you are working on the development of an application that needs a geo-location service, you will be happy to discover that there are quite a few APIs to choose from. Google Maps, of course, remains the most influential web mapping service leaving other solutions far behind.

The Mapbox platform provides textures, illustrations, custom markers, static maps, geocoding, and more. As for pricing, Mapbox has five different plans, from a free initial package to a full-scale corporate plan. The platform documentation is well structured and easy to use. Mapbox is the first Google Maps API alternative that comes to mind. The company was launched in 2013 and still successfully designs beautiful maps and developer-friendly tools. The Mapbox tilesets allow to create and alter dynamic and static maps. GMP, or the Google Maps Platform, has 99 percent global reach and over 1 billion monthly active users.

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Mapbox also provides a built-in Map Editor named TileMill, it is a paid service but will have access to the map libraries and the ability to upload custom style. Currently, apps such as Shopify, Facebook, Pinterest, Foursquare, DHL, DPDgroup, Grubhub, Instacart, and Airbnb are all powered by Mapbox.