A Google Maps API alternative at $0.10 per 1,000 requests
Mapricot covers the core of what most apps use Google Maps Platform for: geocoding, place search, routing, and a map to show them on. It uses open data and its own small API, and costs $0.10 per 1,000 requests after 250,000 free every 30 days.
Equivalent APIs
Each Mapricot API next to the Google Maps product that does the same job. Mapricot's API isn't compatible with any other provider's, so switching means changing requests and response handling.
IP geolocation
Vector map tiles
Google Maps products, from its documentation, checked October 22, 2026.
When to choose each
Where Mapricot is stronger
- Geocoding at $0.10 per 1,000 instead of $5.00, and the same price for places and routing.
- 250,000 free requests every 30 days, shared by every API, instead of 10,000 per product.
- Free map tiles with no key, where Google's Dynamic Maps cost $7.00 per 1,000 loads after 10,000 free.
- Open data you can store and show on any map, with the credit each result names.
Where Google Maps is stronger
- Reviews, photos, ratings, opening hours, and phone numbers for places.
- Live traffic, transit directions, and route matrices.
- Street View, satellite imagery, and Google's native map SDKs and widgets.
- Google's own place data and ranking, where its coverage is stronger.
Google Maps pricing
Google Maps Platform has no free plan, but each API has its own free allowance every month: 10,000 requests for most Essentials APIs, 5,000 for Pro, and 1,000 for Enterprise. It needs a billing account with a card. These allowances replaced the $200 monthly credit in March 2025.
Map display
Geocoding
Places and autocomplete
Routing
IP geolocation
Each rate is the first paid tier. Rates fall with volume: geocoding drops to $0.38 per 1,000 above 5 million a month. Source: Google Maps pricing, last checked October 22, 2026. Mapricot charges $0.10 per 1,000 requests after 250,000 free every 30 days, shared by every API, and its map tiles are free with no key.
Differences to plan for
- Place IDs: Mapricot issues its own IDs, starting with
mp_. Stored Google place IDs need matching to Mapricot places. - Place details: results include names, addresses, coordinates, place types, and categories, but not reviews, ratings, photos, opening hours, or contact details.
- Routes: Mapricot returns distance, travel time, and a line for driving, walking, and cycling. It doesn't include live traffic, transit, turn-by-turn instructions, tolls, or route matrices.
- Polylines: Mapricot encodes route lines with six decimal places; Google uses five. Decode with precision 6.
- Maps: Google's JavaScript and native map SDKs and widgets don't work with Mapricot. Display maps with MapLibre instead.
- Pricing: every Mapricot request costs the same, whichever endpoint and fields you use. Google Maps API pricing, explained breaks down what Google charges.
Start with 250,000 free requests
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