Why Look for Google Maps alternatives
People are looking at Google Maps API alternatives because fees went up 1400%!
Google Maps API one of the most popular mapping APIs. It’s used in many ways to provide a good user experience on websites.
- Finding the latitude and longitude of an address
- Mapping trips
- Determining distance between locations
- Showing locations on a dynamic map
We use it all the time!
If you were getting Google Maps API for free, and are now looking at hundreds of dollars a month in overhead or saw a sustainable API rate go up 14 times, you may consider alternatives.
One place we lazily used Google Maps API was showing locations on dynamic web maps. This has been useful for restaurants, bars, and events. We have also used it to map distance between a location and a user’s home.
You can easily do the math.
Now that we’re paying $7 per 1000 API calls instead of $.50, a site with hundreds of thousands or even millions of visitors can get pricey. That’s why many are looking at alternatives.
Cutting the cost of Google Maps API
Where you need to use Google Maps API, you can control your costs by locking down your utilization. Blocking external or unauthorized use is especially important considering how expensive can be. You can lock down the API to a domain specifically, and auditing use and the sources of that use is more important than ever. Google Maps API allows an account to lock down an API to one domain specifically. We are implementing this across all our client websites.
Another method of controlling costs is to modify your apps to optimize use using Google’s Optimization Guide.
Leaflet JS
With a very small JavaScript footprint, Leaflet JS allows developers to create dynamic maps on their website. It's fast, light, and feature rich. Most importantly, it's open source and free.
Mapbox
Mapbox provides mapping APIs at a cost comparable to Google's original price of $.50 per thousand.
Location IQ
Affordable, simply priced geocoding with high per second API query options.
Traveltime Platform
What 3 Words
3 meter by 3 meter location identified by 3 words. Less of an alternative to Google Maps API, more of an alternative to traditional address locations and directions.
Open Layers
A flexible display and visual toolset for maps. It pull tiles from OSM, Bing, MapBox, Stamen, and any other sources.
Mapfit
ArcGIS
Rasters.io Map JS API
