Best of · Everyday APIs
Best maps, geocoding and places APIs for AI agents
The 10 highest-scoring of 13 maps, geocoding and places APIs on the Anchor benchmark, with a pick for each need and where each one falls short. Scores come from public evidence, re-checked as vendors change.
- 13 ranked
- 2 agent-ready
- 13 hosted endpoints
- Updated 9 October 2026
Top three
Picks by need
Worked out from the scores, prices and facts, so they change when the research does.
Schema & documentation
87/100 on schema & documentation, against 85 for the overall leader.
Security & auth
73/100 on security & auth, against 71 for the overall leader.
Maintenance & community
86/100 on maintenance & community, against 80 for the overall leader.
Lowest paid price per 1,000 requests
$0.04 per 1,000 requests, the lowest of the 8 listings here with a paid price in this unit (free allowances aside).
Also ArcGIS Location Platform, $0.15 per 1,000 requests.
The shortlist
| # | Tool | Grade | Best for | Price | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mapbox APIs + MCP Mapbox |
BB 75 | An agent that needs search, routing, isochrones, map matching and route optimisation from one vendor with a hosted, OAuth-protected MCP. | $0.75 / 1k req | hosted and local |
| 2 | Amazon Location Service Amazon Web Services |
BB 74.1 | Operators already on AWS who want geocoding, places and routing inside IAM, CloudTrail and one bill, with HERE data and GrabMaps for Southeast Asia. | $0.50 / 1k req | hosted |
| 3 | OpenCage Geocoding API OpenCage |
B 69.2 | Bulk or repeated geocoding where results go into a database, and for EU data residency. | $50 / mo | hosted and local |
| 4 | Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP |
B 68.2 | Best when the answer has to match what the user sees in Google Maps, for place details, opening hours and reviews. | $5 / 1k req | hosted |
| 5 | Azure Maps Microsoft Azure |
B 67.9 | Teams already on Azure that want geocoding and routing under Entra ID roles and one flat price. | $4.50 / 1k req | hosted |
| 6 | ArcGIS Location Platform Esri |
B 65.4 | Organisations already on Esri software, and work that needs demographic enrichment, service areas or fleet routing beside geocoding. | $0.50 / 1k req | hosted |
| 7 | Stadia Maps Stadia Maps |
B 65.2 | Cost-sensitive geocoding, routing and tiles on OpenStreetMap data, with traffic-influenced routing since April 2026. | $20 / mo | hosted and local |
| 8 | LocationIQ LocationIQ (Unwired Labs) |
C 60.3 | A prototype or a cost-sensitive geocoding and routing job, with EU and US endpoints. | $100 / mo | hosted |
| 9 | HERE Location Services HERE Technologies |
C 58 | Fleet and logistics work that needs truck routing, large matrices, isolines, traffic and transit from one vendor with an SLA. | Freemium | hosted |
| 10 | Geoapify Location Platform + MCP Geoapify |
C 55.3 | Cheap geocoding, category place search, routing and isolines on OpenStreetMap data, with commercial use on the free plan and EU hosting. | $59 / mo | hosted |
3 more are ranked in the full table.
How to choose
- Country coverage for addressesTest addresses from every country the agent will serve, since accuracy against known coordinates can vary between countries and data sources.
- Storage and caching termsRead what the terms let you cache, store and display, because coordinates held beyond the permitted period can breach the agreed terms.
- AI use clauseCheck whether the terms permit results to be passed to an AI model, because an agent that forwards coordinates to one may breach them.
- Price per thousand callsConvert the price per thousand calls into a cost for the geocoding, places and route calls the agent makes, since one task may use several of them.
How the benchmark tests this category. The same addresses in five countries geocoded and reverse geocoded, a place search and a route with traffic. We check accuracy against known coordinates, latency, the storage terms and the cost.
Each one in detail
Mapbox APIs + MCP
BB 75/100Geocoding v6 with batch, Search Box for places and categories, Directions, Matrix, Isochrone, Map Matching, route optimisation, static images and map tiles.
Verdict Official MCP server, hosted at mcp.mapbox.com with OAuth or run locally, listed in the MCP registry. Storing geocodes needs the Permanent tier at $5 per 1,000, about 6.7 times the temporary rate.
Choose it for An agent that needs search, routing, isochrones, map matching and route optimisation from one vendor with a hosted, OAuth-protected MCP.
Strengths
- Official MCP server, hosted at mcp.mapbox.com with OAuth or run locally, listed in the MCP registry
- Every MCP tool annotated read-only and idempotent, with typed Zod input and output schemas
- Scoped public and secret tokens, URL restrictions and one-hour temporary tokens
Weaknesses
- Storing geocodes needs the Permanent tier at $5 per 1,000, about 6.7 times the temporary rate
- Geocoding results may only be used with a Mapbox map
- REST calls take the token as the access_token query parameter
Price $0.75 / 1k reqAuth OAuth or keyx402 nohosted and local
Amazon Location Service
BB 74.1/100Amazon Location Service is AWS's API for geocoding, place search, routing and map tiles, with geofences and device tracking. Agents call regional REST endpoints with an API key or IAM credentials, or through the AWS SDKs and CLI.
Verdict Places, Routes and Maps calls work over plain HTTPS with an API key limited to named actions, and every one of the 17 operations is read-only with typed inputs. Access starts with an AWS account a person opens, the key travels in the URL query string, and stored results cost eight times the single-use rate.
Choose it for Operators already on AWS who want geocoding, places and routing inside IAM, CloudTrail and one bill, with HERE data and GrabMaps for Southeast Asia.
Strengths
- API keys are limited to named actions and resources, can expire, and can be restricted by referrer or mobile app identifier
- All 17 Places, Routes and Maps operations are marked read-only in the public Smithy models, with enums and numeric ranges on inputs
- Default rates are published per operation (100 a second for each Places call, 20 for
CalculateRoutes) and can be doubled by self-service
Weaknesses
- The API key is sent as the
keyquery parameter, the only documented way to present it - Storing or caching results is barred unless
IntendedUseisStorage, billed at $4.00 per 1,000 against $0.50 for single use - An AWS account opened by a person in a browser is needed before any call, and no keyless or machine-payment route exists
Price $0.50 / 1k reqAuth API keyx402 nohosted
OpenCage Geocoding API
B 69.2/100Forward and reverse geocoding on one endpoint, built on OpenStreetMap and other open data, with optional annotations and JSON, GeoJSON, XML or Google-compatible output.
Verdict Permanent storage of results on every plan, including after you cancel. Geocoding only, no place search or routing.
Choose it for Bulk or repeated geocoding where results go into a database, and for EU data residency.
Strengths
- Permanent storage of results on every plan, including after you cancel
- Separate 402 (quota spent) and 429 (too fast) responses
- llms.txt with 70 or more Markdown pages, and agent skills on GitHub
Weaknesses
- Geocoding only, no place search or routing
- The key can only be sent as a query parameter
- The free trial isn't for production use
Price $50 / moAuth API keyx402 nohosted and local
Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP
B 68.2/100Geocoding, Places API (New) for text, nearby and detail search, Routes for routes and matrices, Address Validation, static maps and map tiles.
Verdict Maps Grounding Lite is GA, hosted, and takes an X-Goog-Api-Key header or OAuth with the maps-platform.mapstools scope. A Cloud billing account with a payment method is required before the free caps apply.
Choose it for Best when the answer has to match what the user sees in Google Maps, for place details, opening hours and reviews.
Strengths
- Maps Grounding Lite is GA, hosted, and takes an X-Goog-Api-Key header or OAuth with the maps-platform.mapstools scope
- A 99.9 per cent monthly SLA with credits up to 50 per cent
- Field masks size responses and pick the SKU, and Text Search Essentials (IDs Only) is free with no cap
Weaknesses
- A Cloud billing account with a payment method is required before the free caps apply
- Coordinates may be cached for 30 days at most and only shown on a Google map
- No llms.txt at developers.google.com/maps
Price $5 / 1k reqAuth OAuth or keyx402 nohosted
Azure Maps
B 67.9/100Microsoft Azure's mapping service. Its REST APIs at atlas.microsoft.com cover geocoding, reverse geocoding, place search, routing with traffic, map tiles, time zones and weather, with access by subscription key, SAS token or Microsoft Entra ID.
Verdict Azure Maps publishes OpenAPI documents for every service, per-service rate limits, a 99.9 per cent SLA and written rules on storing results, and Entra ID roles can limit a caller to one service. Place search exists only in Search 1.0, which the newer version has superseded, and the REST client libraries are all beta.
Choose it for Teams already on Azure that want geocoding and routing under Entra ID roles and one flat price.
Strengths
- Public OpenAPI documents for Search, Route, Render, Traffic, Weather, Timezone and Geolocation in
Azure/azure-rest-api-specs, with examples on every operation - Three credential types. Entra ID with built-in and custom roles, SAS tokens with a 24-hour limit, a rate cap and allowed regions, and two rotatable keys
- Default rate limits published per service, 500 requests a second for search, 250 for reverse geocoding and 50 for routing
Weaknesses
- Place and category search exist only in Search 1.0. Search 2026-01-01, which supersedes it, has geocoding, autocomplete, reverse geocoding and polygons
- Every REST client library is a beta.
azure-maps-searchon PyPI was last released on 12 December 2024 - The authentication guide tells callers to put the subscription key in the URL, and the key reaches every REST API on the account
Price $4.50 / 1k reqAuth OAuth or keyx402 nohosted
ArcGIS Location Platform
B 65.4/100Esri's pay-as-you-go location services for developers. REST APIs cover geocoding, reverse and batch geocoding, place search, routing, basemap tiles, static maps, elevation and demographic enrichment, with an Esri-hosted MCP server in beta.
Verdict Per-unit prices are public for every service, with a monthly free tier of 20,000 geocodes and 20,000 routes, keys limited to chosen privileges and a 99.9 per cent SLA. No rate limits or OpenAPI description were found, results may not be stored unless the dearer stored geocode is bought, and the agreement bars benchmarking without written permission.
Choose it for Organisations already on Esri software, and work that needs demographic enrichment, service areas or fleet routing beside geocoding.
Strengths
- Every service has a public unit price and most have a monthly free tier, such as 20,000 geocodes, 20,000 routes and 2 million basemap tiles (https://location.arcgis.com/pricing/).
- API key credentials carry selected privileges, an expiry date of up to one year, optional referrer limits and two tokens for rotation. OAuth 2.0 user and app authentication are also supported.
- A published SLA commits to 99.9 per cent monthly uptime for ten services, with credits of 10 or 20 per cent of the monthly bill for the affected service (document G632a, 23 December 2025).
Weaknesses
- The agreement bars benchmarking availability, performance or functionality, and publishing benchmark results, without prior written permission from Esri and its licensors (sections 3.1.b.6 and 3.1.c.6.F).
- No request rate limits, 429 behaviour or retry guidance were found in the geocoding, places or routing reference pages we read.
- No OpenAPI description or llms.txt was found.
/llms.txtreturns 404 on developers.arcgis.com and location.arcgis.com.
Price $0.50 / 1k reqAuth OAuth or keyx402 nohosted
Stadia Maps
B 65.2/100Geocoding, reverse geocoding, autocomplete and place details, routing, matrix, isochrones, static maps and hosted vector, raster and satellite tiles, sold in credits on plans from $20 a month.
Verdict Public OpenAPI spec (11.1.0) with generated TypeScript and Python SDKs. Free plan is for development, testing and demos only.
Choose it for Cost-sensitive geocoding, routing and tiles on OpenStreetMap data, with traffic-influenced routing since April 2026.
Strengths
- Public OpenAPI spec (11.1.0) with generated TypeScript and Python SDKs
- Published credit costs, with 50,000 geocodes for $20 a month on Starter
- Header auth keeps the key out of URLs, and keys rotate through an API
Weaknesses
- Free plan is for development, testing and demos only
- The same 429 signals a burst or a spent month of credits, with no Retry-After
- No SLA, no security.txt and no disclosure policy found
Price $20 / moAuth API keyx402 nohosted and local
LocationIQ
C 60.3/100Forward and reverse geocoding, autocomplete, nearby places, directions, matrix and map tiles, from US and EU endpoints.
Verdict 5,000 free requests a day with no card, commercial use allowed with a link back. No changelog, release notes or blog.
Choose it for A prototype or a cost-sensitive geocoding and routing job, with EU and US endpoints.
Strengths
- 5,000 free requests a day with no card, commercial use allowed with a link back
- Public OpenAPI 3.0 spec and an llms.txt with Markdown pages
- Scoped tokens with referrer or IP restrictions and per-token rate limits
Weaknesses
- No changelog, release notes or blog
- Official SDKs untouched since 2020
- No MCP server
Price $100 / moAuth API keyx402 nohosted
HERE Location Services
C 58/100HERE Technologies' REST APIs for geocoding, place search, routing, matrix and isoline routing, traffic, transit and map tiles, called with an API key or OAuth token. A hosted MCP server, HERE Location Reasoning, exposes 13 of these operations as tools.
Verdict Each endpoint page carries an OpenAPI 3.0 definition as Markdown, and HERE publishes 99.9 per cent monthly availability targets and a six-month deprecation policy. The Platform Terms of September 2023 forbid using HERE Materials in connection with a machine learning or AI system, and the price table could not be read.
Choose it for Fleet and logistics work that needs truck routing, large matrices, isolines, traffic and transit from one vendor with an SLA.
Strengths
- Every endpoint page has a Markdown twin holding its OpenAPI 3.0 definition, indexed from
llms.txtfiles per product - 99.9 per cent monthly availability targets published for Geocoding and Search v7 and Routing v8
- Lifecycle policy promises six months' notice before a product is discontinued and 6 to 12 months for a deprecated feature
Weaknesses
- Platform Terms section f forbids using HERE Materials in connection with a machine learning or AI system, generative AI included. This matters before any probe is run
- The Base Plan price table is drawn by script, so per-request prices, free allowances and rate limits were not read
- API keys travel in the
apiKeyquery parameter
Price FreemiumAuth OAuth or keyx402 nohosted
Geoapify Location Platform + MCP
C 55.3/100Geocoding, reverse geocoding, autocomplete, Places search by category, Routing, Route Matrix, isolines and map tiles, with OpenStreetMap attribution required on every plan.
Verdict Free plan allows commercial production use, 3,000 credits a day, no card. No security.txt, disclosure policy, bug bounty or certification found.
Choose it for Cheap geocoding, category place search, routing and isolines on OpenStreetMap data, with commercial use on the free plan and EU hosting.
Strengths
- Free plan allows commercial production use, 3,000 credits a day, no card
- OpenAPI 3.1 specs for 22 APIs and one per MCP tool, with error examples
- Data for successful requests held no longer than 24 hours, hosted in the EU
Weaknesses
- No security.txt, disclosure policy, bug bounty or certification found
- No public changelog or deprecation policy, and the terms allow changes without notice
- Storage rights appear in the docs but not in the terms
Price $59 / moAuth API keyx402 nohosted
Head to head
- Amazon Location Service vs Mapbox APIs + MCP BB 74.1 vs BB 75
- Mapbox APIs + MCP vs OpenCage Geocoding API BB 75 vs B 69.2
- Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP vs Mapbox APIs + MCP B 68.2 vs BB 75
- Azure Maps vs Mapbox APIs + MCP B 67.9 vs BB 75
- Amazon Location Service vs OpenCage Geocoding API BB 74.1 vs B 69.2
- Amazon Location Service vs Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP BB 74.1 vs B 68.2
- Amazon Location Service vs Azure Maps BB 74.1 vs B 67.9
- Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP vs OpenCage Geocoding API B 68.2 vs B 69.2
- Azure Maps vs OpenCage Geocoding API B 67.9 vs B 69.2
- Azure Maps vs Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP B 67.9 vs B 68.2
Questions
What are the highest-rated maps, geocoding and places APIs for AI agents?
Mapbox APIs + MCP has the highest benchmark score of the 13 ranked maps, geocoding and places APIs, 75 (BB). Amazon Location Service is second with 74.1 (BB).
How many maps, geocoding and places APIs are agent-ready?
2 of the 13 ranked here grade BB or better, the bar for agent-ready on the Anchor benchmark.
Which maps, geocoding and places APIs accept x402 payments?
None of the ranked listings here accepts x402 for its main call yet.
Which of these maps, geocoding and places APIs is cheapest?
By published paid prices, Amazon Location Service, at $0.04 per 1,000 requests, the lowest of the 8 listings here with a paid price in this unit (free allowances aside). Plans, volume tiers and free allowances change the sum, so check the listing's price table.
How is this list ranked?
By the Anchor benchmark score out of 100, a weighted mean of the scored categories minus deductions for negative events, from public evidence re-checked as vendors change. Listings cannot pay for a place. The latest assessment behind this page is from 9 October 2026.
How this list is made
The order is the Anchor benchmark score, the same number as on each listing and in the top list. Each listing is graded from public evidence against the benchmark checklist, and the picks above are worked out from those grades, prices and facts. No listing pays for its place, and paid audits or listing help never change a score.
Full ranked table · 78 head-to-head comparisons · Best tools in every category