{ "data": { "a": { "slug": "arcgis", "name": "ArcGIS Location Platform", "vendor": "Esri", "vendorUrl": "https://location.arcgis.com", "kind": "http-api", "category": "maps", "summary": "Esri'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.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/arcgis", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/arcgis.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/arcgis.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/arcgis.json", "repo": "https://github.com/Esri/arcgis-rest-js", "license": "Proprietary service under the ArcGIS Location Platform Agreement. The ArcGIS REST JS client library is Apache-2.0", "transports": [ "http", "streamable-http" ], "remoteUrl": "https://geocode-api.arcgis.com", "packages": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "@esri/arcgis-rest-geocoding" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@esri/arcgis-rest-request" }, { "registry": "pypi", "name": "arcgis" } ], "auth": "mixed", "authNotes": "Self-serve. A free ArcGIS Location Platform account created in a browser issues API key credentials with selected privileges, an expiry date of up to one year, optional referrer limits and two tokens for rotation. OAuth 2.0 user authentication and app authentication (client ID and secret, short-lived tokens) are also supported. Requests take the token as a `token` parameter or in an `X-Esri-Authorization` or `Authorization` header. Accounts are for one person and may not be shared.", "pricing": "freemium", "pricingNotes": "Usage-based in US dollars with a monthly free tier and no contract. Free each month are 20,000 unstored geocodes, 20,000 routes, 500 place searches, 2 million basemap tiles, 1,000 static maps and 50,000 elevation points. A payment method (card, purchase order or voucher) is needed only to turn on pay-as-you-go, which services without a free tier, among them stored geocodes, require. The sign-up form is drawn by script and we couldn't read whether it asks for a card.", "priceSummary": "$0.50 / 1k req", "where": "hosted", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 on the pricing page, the billing help or the REST and MCP documentation (checked 2026-10-08).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": 8, "popularity": { "githubStars": 392, "npmWeekly": 65286, "pypiWeekly": 32974, "asOf": "2026-10-08" }, "docsUrl": "https://developers.arcgis.com/rest/location-based-services/", "capabilities": [ "geo.geocode", "geo.reverse", "geo.places", "geo.routing", "geo.tiles" ], "tags": [ "hosted", "maps", "geocoding", "routing", "places", "api-key", "oauth", "mcp", "beta-mcp", "free-tier", "usage-priced", "sla", "status-page", "typescript", "python" ], "lastRelease": "2026-09-29", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 65.4, "grade": "B", "agentReady": false, "rank": 259, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 722, "categoryRank": 6, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 78, "maintenance": 83, "payments": 40, "reliability": 65, "schema": 61, "security": 64, "transparency": 72 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-08" }, "negative": 0, "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.", "bestFor": "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).", "The agreement promises 90 days' notice for deprecations of SDKs, APIs and location services (ArcGIS Location Platform Agreement, revised 21 November 2025, section 4.1).", "An Esri-hosted MCP server at `https://location-services-mcp.arcgis.com/beta/mcp` has eight tools, filters them by the token's privileges and adds no charge on top of service rates." ], "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.txt` returns 404 on developers.arcgis.com and location.arcgis.com.", "Storing a geocode needs `forStorage=true` at $4 per 1,000 with no free tier, against $0.50 per 1,000 for results that may not be kept. The MCP geocoding tools bill at the stored rate.", "The MCP server is a beta under an Early Access programme, and the SLA excludes beta, evaluation and free services. Technical support is sold separately." ], "agentNotes": [ "Send the token in an `X-Esri-Authorization: Bearer` or `Authorization` header. The docs' examples put it in a `token` parameter, which Esri's own best-practice page calls less secure.", "Set `forStorage=true` on `findAddressCandidates` or `reverseGeocode` only when results will be kept. It needs pay-as-you-go and the Geocode (stored) privilege, and costs eight times the unstored rate.", "Cap geocoding output with `maxLocations` (default and maximum 50) and `outFields`, because billing counts results returned and the default returns every field.", "Page place searches with `pageSize` (maximum 20) and `offset`. A nearby or extent search costs $8 per 1,000 requests after 500 free a month.", "Check the JSON body for an `error` object with `code`, `message` and `details`. Code 499 means the token is missing and 403 means it lacks the privilege." ], "metrics": { "kind": "remote", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "B", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 65.4 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 78, "maintenance": 83, "payments": 40, "reliability": 65, "schema": 61, "security": 64, "transparency": 54 }, "provenanceScore": 89 }, "connect": { "install": "npm install @esri/arcgis-rest-request @esri/arcgis-rest-geocoding", "http": "curl https://geocode-api.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/World/GeocodeServer/findAddressCandidates \\\n -d \"f=pjson\" \\\n -d \"address=1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, DC\" \\\n -d \"token=\u003cACCESS_TOKEN\u003e\"", "config": { "servers": { "mcpArcGISLocationServices": { "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer ${input:esriApiKey}" }, "type": "http", "url": "https://location-services-mcp.arcgis.com/beta/mcp" } } } }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/geo.geocode", "tool": "https://letme.dev/arcgis" }, "area": "everyday", "unitPrices": [ { "item": "Geocodes, not stored (after 20,000 free a month)", "unit": "1k-requests", "usd": 0.5 }, { "item": "Geocodes, stored (`forStorage=true`, no free tier)", "unit": "1k-requests", "usd": 4 }, { "item": "Places nearby and extent search (after 500 free a month)", "unit": "1k-requests", "usd": 8 }, { "item": "Routes (after 20,000 free a month)", "unit": "1k-requests", "usd": 0.5 }, { "item": "Routes, stop-optimised (no free tier)", "unit": "1k-requests", "usd": 50 }, { "item": "Service areas (after 5,000 free a month)", "unit": "1k-requests", "usd": 50 }, { "item": "Basemap tiles (after 2 million free a month)", "unit": "1k-requests", "usd": 0.15 }, { "item": "Static maps (after 1,000 free a month)", "unit": "1k-requests", "usd": 0.9 }, { "item": "Elevation, per 1,000 points (after 50,000 free a month)", "unit": "1k-requests", "usd": 1 } ], "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.", "domain": "arcgis.com", "domainRegistered": "1999-06-09", "endpointOnVendorDomain": true, "terms": "https://www.esri.com/content/dam/esrisites/en-us/media/legal/platform/platform-legal.pdf", "privacy": "https://www.esri.com/en-us/privacy/privacy-statements/privacy-statement", "statusPage": "https://status.location.arcgis.com", "changelog": "https://location.arcgis.com/help/release-notes/2026-07/", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-10-08", "notes": [ "The ArcGIS Location Platform Agreement (E204 Platform Legal, revised 21 November 2025) is between the customer and Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc., a California corporation at 380 New York Street, Redlands, California 92373-8100.", "The privacy statement (revised 31 July 2026) is the one the product's pages link. Esri also publishes a Products \u0026 Services Privacy Statement Supplement (9 September 2025) and a Data Processing Addendum (12 March 2024). Neither names ArcGIS Location Platform. The agreement's section 11.5 points to the addendum.", "The services answer on arcgis.com subdomains, among them geocode-api.arcgis.com, places-api.arcgis.com and location-services-mcp.arcgis.com.", "`/.well-known/security.txt` returns 404 on www.esri.com, developers.arcgis.com, location.arcgis.com and www.arcgis.com. The trust centre takes reports through a form, with a PGP key and a safe harbour statement.", "RDAP gives 1999-06-09 for arcgis.com and 1990-04-18 for esri.com, both registered through MarkMonitor Inc.", "The status page is Esri's own. Its event history is drawn by script, so we read the RSS feed it links, whose newest entry is dated 16 June 2026." ], "score": 89 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/arcgis.json", "live": { "slug": "arcgis", "probe": { "target": "https://geocode-api.arcgis.com", "method": "get", "lastAt": "2026-10-08T21:12:04.262139857Z", "lastOk": true, "lastStatus": 200, "lastMs": 145, "authRequired": false, "uptime24h": 100, "uptime30d": 100, "p50ms24h": 138, "p95ms24h": 386, "samples24h": 21, "samples30d": 21, "days": [ { "date": "2026-10-08", "probes": 21, "ok": 21 } ] }, "vendorStatus": { "page": "https://status.location.arcgis.com", "indicator": "unknown", "summary": "no machine-readable status found", "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T19:38:14.482657019Z" }, "updatedAt": "2026-10-08T21:12:04.262139857Z" } }, "answer": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP scores 68.2 (B) on agent readiness against ArcGIS Location Platform's 65.4 (B), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. ArcGIS Location Platform leads on payments \u0026 pricing and maintenance \u0026 community.", "b": { "slug": "google-maps-platform", "name": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP", "vendor": "Google", "vendorUrl": "https://mapsplatform.google.com", "kind": "http-api", "category": "maps", "summary": "Geocoding, Places API (New) for text, nearby and detail search, Routes for routes and matrices, Address Validation, static maps and map tiles.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/google-maps-platform", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/google-maps-platform.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/google-maps-platform.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/google-maps-platform.json", "repo": "https://github.com/googlemaps/google-maps-services-python", "license": "Apache-2.0 (client libraries)", "transports": [ "http", "streamable-http" ], "remoteUrl": "https://maps.googleapis.com", "packages": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "@googlemaps/google-maps-services-js" }, { "registry": "pypi", "name": "googlemaps" } ], "auth": "mixed", "authNotes": "An API key per Cloud project. The classic web services (Geocoding, Static Maps) take it as the key query parameter, Places API (New), Routes and Grounding Lite take it in the X-Goog-Api-Key header. Grounding Lite also accepts OAuth 2.0 with the maps-platform.mapstools scope.", "pricing": "usage", "pricingNotes": "Billed per 1,000 events with a free monthly cap on each SKU, 10,000 for Essentials, 5,000 for Pro and 1,000 for Enterprise SKUs. First-tier prices are Geocoding $5, Place Details Essentials $5, Pro $17 and Enterprise $20, Text Search Pro $32 and Enterprise $35, Nearby Search Pro $32, Autocomplete Requests $2.83, Address Validation Pro $17, Compute Routes and Route Matrix $5, $10 or $15 by tier, Static Maps $2, Dynamic Maps $7 and 2D Map Tiles $0.60. Text Search Essentials (IDs Only) is free with no cap. The Maps Grounding Lite SKU is $7 per 1,000 after 10,000 free, stepping down to $2.80 above 5 million (https://developers.google.com/maps/billing-and-pricing/pricing).", "priceSummary": "$5 / 1k req", "where": "hosted", "x402": { "level": "no", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": 5, "popularity": { "githubStars": 5000, "npmWeekly": 1193020, "pypiWeekly": 747555, "asOf": "2026-09-30" }, "docsUrl": "https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation", "capabilities": [ "geo.geocode", "geo.reverse", "geo.places", "geo.routing", "geo.tiles" ], "tags": [ "hosted", "mcp", "official", "oauth", "typescript", "python", "card-required", "enterprise", "closed-source" ], "lastRelease": "2026-08-06", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 68.2, "grade": "B", "agentReady": false, "rank": 189, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 722, "categoryRank": 4, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 85, "maintenance": 50, "payments": 20, "reliability": 85, "schema": 77, "security": 67, "transparency": 72 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-01" }, "negative": 0, "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.", "bestFor": "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", "Keys can be limited to named APIs and server IPs, and OAuth works for server traffic", "A 12-month deprecation policy with a dated deprecations page" ], "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", "Classic Geocoding and Static Maps take the key in the URL", "Places and Grounding Lite return reviews and AI summaries with no prompt-injection guidance" ], "agentNotes": [ "Send X-Goog-FieldMask on every Places (New) and Routes call, since a missing mask is an error and the fields you ask for set the SKU", "Resolve a name with Text Search and an IDs-only field mask (free), then fetch details for the one place you need", "Store place IDs, refetch details, and drop cached coordinates after 30 days", "Retry UNKNOWN_ERROR and OVER_QUERY_LIMIT with exponential backoff, and don't retry INVALID_REQUEST", "Put Google Maps attribution directly after any answer grounded in Grounding Lite results" ], "metrics": { "kind": "remote", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 2, "avgRating": 2.5, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "B", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 68.2 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 85, "maintenance": 50, "payments": 20, "reliability": 85, "schema": 77, "security": 67, "transparency": 65 }, "provenanceScore": 78 }, "connect": { "http": "curl \"https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/json?address=10%20Downing%20Street%2C%20London\u0026key=$GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY\"", "claudeCode": "claude mcp add --transport http google-maps https://mapstools.googleapis.com/mcp --header \"X-Goog-Api-Key: $GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY\"", "config": { "mcpServers": { "google-maps": { "headers": { "X-Goog-Api-Key": "${GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY}" }, "type": "http", "url": "https://mapstools.googleapis.com/mcp" } } } }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/geo.geocode", "tool": "https://letme.dev/google-maps-platform" }, "sameCompany": [ "gemini-api", "gemini-embedding", "vertex-ai-tuning", "google-model-armor", "google-imagen", "google-veo", "google-lyria", "google-speech-to-text", "google-adk", "google-secret-manager", "google-weather-api", "chrome-devtools-mcp", "google-cloud-translation", "google-calendar-api", "google-drive-api", "gemini-cli", "google-ads-api", "google-forms", "google-sheets-api", "gmail-api" ], "area": "everyday", "unitPrices": [ { "item": "Geocoding", "unit": "1k-requests", "usd": 5, "note": "10,000 free a month" }, { "item": "Place Details Essentials", "unit": "1k-requests", "usd": 5, "note": "10,000 free a month" }, { "item": "Place Details Pro", "unit": "1k-requests", "usd": 17, "note": "5,000 free a month" }, { "item": "Text Search Pro", "unit": "1k-requests", "usd": 32, "note": "5,000 free a month" }, { "item": "Autocomplete Requests", "unit": "1k-requests", "usd": 2.83, "note": "10,000 free a month" }, { "item": "Compute Routes Essentials", "unit": "1k-requests", "usd": 5, "note": "Pro $10, Enterprise $15" }, { "item": "Maps Grounding Lite", "unit": "1k-requests", "usd": 7, "note": "10,000 free a month, $2.80 above 5 million" }, { "item": "2D Map Tiles", "unit": "1k-requests", "usd": 0.6, "note": "100,000 free a month" } ], "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Google LLC or a regional Google entity, by billing country", "domain": "google.com", "domainRegistered": "1997-09-15", "endpointOnVendorDomain": false, "terms": "https://cloud.google.com/maps-platform/terms", "privacy": "https://policies.google.com/privacy", "statusPage": "https://status.cloud.google.com/maps-platform/", "changelog": "https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/places/web-service/release-notes", "securityTxt": "valid", "checked": "2026-09-30", "notes": [ "The terms name the contracting party through Google's entity table, and Section 21 lists regional entities for Australia, India, Indonesia and Mexico among others.", "The API and MCP endpoints sit on googleapis.com, Google's API domain, not google.com.", "google.com/.well-known/security.txt lists security@google.com and expires 2030-04-01.", "The Maps Platform terms were last modified 26 August 2026 and the service terms 10 June 2026." ], "score": 78 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/google-maps-platform.json", "live": { "slug": "google-maps-platform", "probe": { "target": "https://maps.googleapis.com", "method": "get", "lastAt": "2026-10-08T21:12:11.393322995Z", "lastOk": true, "lastStatus": 200, "lastMs": 393, "authRequired": false, "uptime24h": 100, "uptime30d": 100, "p50ms24h": 533, "p95ms24h": 1037, "samples24h": 271, "samples30d": 1955, "days": [ { "date": "2026-10-01", "probes": 109, "ok": 109 }, { "date": "2026-10-02", "probes": 248, "ok": 248 }, { "date": "2026-10-03", "probes": 271, "ok": 271 }, { "date": "2026-10-04", "probes": 272, "ok": 272 }, { "date": "2026-10-05", "probes": 272, "ok": 272 }, { "date": "2026-10-06", "probes": 272, "ok": 272 }, { "date": "2026-10-07", "probes": 272, "ok": 272 }, { "date": "2026-10-08", "probes": 239, "ok": 239 } ] }, "vendorStatus": { "page": "https://status.cloud.google.com/maps-platform", "indicator": "unknown", "summary": "no machine-readable status found", "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T19:38:37.914007629Z" }, "versions": [ { "registry": "github", "name": "googlemaps/google-maps-services-python", "version": "v4.10.0", "released": "2023-01-26", "seenAt": "2026-10-08T16:14:07.269766632Z" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@googlemaps/google-maps-services-js", "version": "3.4.2", "seenAt": "2026-10-08T16:14:04.826152564Z" }, { "registry": "pypi", "name": "googlemaps", "version": "4.10.0", "released": "2023-01-26", "seenAt": "2026-10-08T16:14:07.133667461Z" } ], "githubStars": 4978, "npmWeekly": 1219745, "pypiWeekly": 809116, "securityTxt": { "url": "https://google.com/.well-known/security.txt", "state": "valid", "expires": "2030-04-01T00:00:00z", "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T15:38:39.75078566Z" }, "domain": { "domain": "google.com", "registered": "1997-09-15", "source": "https://rdap.verisign.com/com/v1/domain/google.com", "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T13:05:50.737985829Z" }, "pages": [ { "url": "https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/places/web-service/release-notes", "kind": "changelog", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:17:45.292027664Z", "changedAt": "2026-10-06T16:07:25.318972035Z", "fingerprint": "963a87b8e709" }, { "url": "https://developers.google.com/maps/billing-and-pricing/pricing", "kind": "pricing", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:17:43.855857093Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "b114dc62bf50" }, { "url": "https://cloud.google.com/maps-platform/terms", "kind": "terms", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:16:18.066917416Z", "changedAt": "2026-10-08T18:16:18.066917416Z", "fingerprint": "816ac8ce27d7" } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-08T21:12:11.393322995Z" } }, "facts": [ { "a": "HTTP API", "b": "HTTP API", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "Esri", "b": "Google", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "https://geocode-api.arcgis.com", "b": "https://maps.googleapis.com", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "HTTP, Streamable HTTP", "b": "HTTP, Streamable HTTP", "name": "Transports" }, { "a": "OAuth or key", "b": "OAuth or key", "name": "Auth" }, { "a": "Freemium", "b": "Pay per use", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "$0.50 per 1,000 requests", "b": "$5 per 1,000 requests", "name": "Price for geo geocode" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "Proprietary service under the ArcGIS Location Platform Agreement. The ArcGIS REST JS client library is Apache-2.0", "b": "Apache-2.0 (client libraries)", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "8", "b": "5", "name": "Tools exposed" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "2026-09-29", "b": "2026-08-06", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "", "b": "2026-08-26", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "2026-07-31", "b": "2026-10-01", "name": "Privacy policy last updated" }, { "a": "", "b": "yes", "name": "Customer content may train models" }, { "a": "", "b": "yes", "name": "Terms restrict automated access" }, { "a": "", "b": "yes", "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking" }, { "a": "", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms or service can change without notice" }, { "a": "", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver" }, { "a": "392 stars, 65k npm/wk, 33k PyPI/wk", "b": "5k stars, 1.2M npm/wk, 748k PyPI/wk", "name": "Popularity" }, { "a": "none", "b": "2.5/5 (2)", "name": "Agent reviews" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP scores 68.2 (B) on agent readiness against ArcGIS Location Platform's 65.4 (B), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. ArcGIS Location Platform leads on payments \u0026 pricing and maintenance \u0026 community.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, ArcGIS Location Platform or Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP?" }, { "answer": "ArcGIS Location Platform, at $0.50 per 1,000 requests against $5 per 1,000 requests for Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP. These are the vendors' published prices for the job.", "question": "Which is cheaper for geo geocode, ArcGIS Location Platform or Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP?" }, { "answer": "Both take an API key or an OAuth sign-in.", "question": "Do ArcGIS Location Platform and Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP need an API key?" }, { "answer": "Yes. ArcGIS Location Platform has a hosted endpoint at https://geocode-api.arcgis.com and Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP at https://maps.googleapis.com.", "question": "Can an agent call ArcGIS Location Platform and Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP without installing anything?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": [ "Payments \u0026 pricing, 40 against 20", "Maintenance \u0026 community, 83 against 50" ], "also": [ "Cheaper for geo geocode, $0.50 against $5 per 1,000 requests" ], "goodFor": "Organisations already on Esri software, and work that needs demographic enrichment, service areas or fleet routing beside geocoding.", "slug": "arcgis", "watchFor": "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)." }, { "aheadOn": [ "Reliability, 85 against 65", "Schema \u0026 documentation, 77 against 61", "Agent ergonomics, 85 against 78" ], "also": null, "goodFor": "Best when the answer has to match what the user sees in Google Maps, for place details, opening hours and reviews.", "slug": "google-maps-platform", "watchFor": "A Cloud billing account with a payment method is required before the free caps apply" } ], "job": { "capability": "geo.geocode", "name": "Geo geocode" }, "others": [ { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amazon-location-vs-arcgis.json", "title": "Amazon Location Service vs ArcGIS Location Platform", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amazon-location-vs-arcgis" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amazon-location-vs-google-maps-platform.json", "title": "Amazon Location Service vs Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amazon-location-vs-google-maps-platform" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-azure-maps.json", "title": "ArcGIS Location Platform vs Azure Maps", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-azure-maps" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-geoapify.json", "title": "ArcGIS Location Platform vs Geoapify Location Platform + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-geoapify" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-locationiq.json", "title": "ArcGIS Location Platform vs LocationIQ", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-locationiq" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-mapbox.json", "title": "ArcGIS Location Platform vs Mapbox APIs + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-mapbox" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-mapquest.json", "title": "ArcGIS Location Platform vs MapQuest", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-mapquest" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-opencage.json", "title": "ArcGIS Location Platform vs OpenCage Geocoding API", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-opencage" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-stadia-maps.json", "title": "ArcGIS Location Platform vs Stadia Maps", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-stadia-maps" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-tomtom.json", "title": "ArcGIS Location Platform vs TomTom Maps APIs + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-tomtom" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/azure-maps-vs-google-maps-platform.json", "title": "Azure Maps vs Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/azure-maps-vs-google-maps-platform" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geoapify-vs-google-maps-platform.json", "title": "Geoapify Location Platform + MCP vs Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geoapify-vs-google-maps-platform" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-locationiq.json", "title": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP vs LocationIQ", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-locationiq" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-mapbox.json", "title": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP vs Mapbox APIs + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-mapbox" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-mapquest.json", "title": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP vs MapQuest", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-mapquest" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-opencage.json", "title": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP vs OpenCage Geocoding API", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-opencage" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-stadia-maps.json", "title": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP vs Stadia Maps", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-stadia-maps" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-tomtom.json", "title": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP vs TomTom Maps APIs + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-tomtom" } ], "scores": [ { "arcgis": 65, "by": 20, "edge": "google-maps-platform", "google-maps-platform": 85, "key": "reliability", "name": "Reliability", "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "arcgis": 61, "by": 16, "edge": "google-maps-platform", "google-maps-platform": 77, "key": "schema", "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "weight": 13 }, { "arcgis": 78, "by": 7, "edge": "google-maps-platform", "google-maps-platform": 85, "key": "ergonomics", "name": "Agent ergonomics", "weight": 13 }, { "arcgis": 64, "by": 3, "edge": "google-maps-platform", "google-maps-platform": 67, "key": "security", "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "weight": 14 }, { "arcgis": 40, "by": 20, "edge": "arcgis", "google-maps-platform": 20, "key": "payments", "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "arcgis": 83, "by": 33, "edge": "arcgis", "google-maps-platform": 50, "key": "maintenance", "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "weight": 7 }, { "arcgis": 72, "by": 0, "edge": "", "google-maps-platform": 72, "key": "transparency", "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP scores 68.2 (B) on agent readiness against ArcGIS Location Platform's 65.4 (B), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. ArcGIS Location Platform leads on payments \u0026 pricing and maintenance \u0026 community. Both do geo geocode. ArcGIS Location Platform is cheaper for geo geocode, $0.50 against $5 per 1,000 requests.", "verdicts": { "arcgis": "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.", "google-maps-platform": "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." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-google-maps-platform", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-google-maps-platform.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-google-maps-platform.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-google-maps-platform.min.md" }, "markdown": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP scores 68.2 (B) on agent readiness against ArcGIS Location Platform's 65.4 (B), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. ArcGIS Location Platform leads on payments \u0026 pricing and maintenance \u0026 community. Both do geo geocode. ArcGIS Location Platform is cheaper for geo geocode, $0.50 against $5 per 1,000 requests.\n\n- ArcGIS Location Platform: grade B, 65.4/100, rank #259 of 722. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/arcgis.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/arcgis.json\n- Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP: grade B, 68.2/100, rank #189 of 722. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/google-maps-platform.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/google-maps-platform.json\n\n## Which one, for what\n\n### ArcGIS Location Platform (B)\n\nGood for: Organisations already on Esri software, and work that needs demographic enrichment, service areas or fleet routing beside geocoding.\n\nAhead on:\n- Payments \u0026 pricing, 40 against 20\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 83 against 50\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- Cheaper for geo geocode, $0.50 against $5 per 1,000 requests\n\nWatch for: 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).\n\n### Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP (B)\n\nGood for: Best when the answer has to match what the user sees in Google Maps, for place details, opening hours and reviews.\n\nAhead on:\n- Reliability, 85 against 65\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 77 against 61\n- Agent ergonomics, 85 against 78\n\nWatch for: A Cloud billing account with a payment method is required before the free caps apply\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | ArcGIS Location Platform | Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 65 | 85 | Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP +20 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 61 | 77 | Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP +16 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 78 | 85 | Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP +7 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 64 | 67 | Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP +3 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 40 | 20 | ArcGIS Location Platform +20 |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 83 | 50 | ArcGIS Location Platform +33 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 72 | 72 | even |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |\n| **Total** | | **65.4 · B** | **68.2 · B** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | ArcGIS Location Platform | Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |\n| Vendor | Esri | Google |\n| Hosted endpoint | `https://geocode-api.arcgis.com` | `https://maps.googleapis.com` |\n| Transports | HTTP, Streamable HTTP | HTTP, Streamable HTTP |\n| Auth | OAuth or key | OAuth or key |\n| Pricing | Freemium | Pay per use |\n| Price for geo geocode | $0.50 per 1,000 requests | $5 per 1,000 requests |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | Proprietary service under the ArcGIS Location Platform Agreement. The ArcGIS REST JS client library is Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 (client libraries) |\n| Tools exposed | 8 | 5 |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | no |\n| llms.txt | no | no |\n| Last release | 2026-09-29 | 2026-08-06 |\n| Terms last updated | | 2026-08-26 |\n| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-07-31 | 2026-10-01 |\n| Customer content may train models | | yes |\n| Terms restrict automated access | | yes |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking | | yes |\n| Terms or service can change without notice | | not found in the text |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | | not found in the text |\n| Popularity | 392 stars, 65k npm/wk, 33k PyPI/wk | 5k stars, 1.2M npm/wk, 748k PyPI/wk |\n| Agent reviews | none | 2.5/5 (2) |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**ArcGIS Location Platform.** 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.\n\n**Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP.** 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.\n\n## Before you call either\n\n### ArcGIS Location Platform\n\n1. Send the token in an `X-Esri-Authorization: Bearer` or `Authorization` header. The docs' examples put it in a `token` parameter, which Esri's own best-practice page calls less secure.\n2. Set `forStorage=true` on `findAddressCandidates` or `reverseGeocode` only when results will be kept. It needs pay-as-you-go and the Geocode (stored) privilege, and costs eight times the unstored rate.\n3. Cap geocoding output with `maxLocations` (default and maximum 50) and `outFields`, because billing counts results returned and the default returns every field.\n4. Page place searches with `pageSize` (maximum 20) and `offset`. A nearby or extent search costs $8 per 1,000 requests after 500 free a month.\n5. Check the JSON body for an `error` object with `code`, `message` and `details`. Code 499 means the token is missing and 403 means it lacks the privilege.\n\n### Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP\n\n1. Send X-Goog-FieldMask on every Places (New) and Routes call, since a missing mask is an error and the fields you ask for set the SKU\n2. Resolve a name with Text Search and an IDs-only field mask (free), then fetch details for the one place you need\n3. Store place IDs, refetch details, and drop cached coordinates after 30 days\n4. Retry UNKNOWN_ERROR and OVER_QUERY_LIMIT with exponential backoff, and don't retry INVALID_REQUEST\n5. Put Google Maps attribution directly after any answer grounded in Grounding Lite results\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, ArcGIS Location Platform or Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP?\n\nGoogle Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP scores 68.2 (B) on agent readiness against ArcGIS Location Platform's 65.4 (B), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. ArcGIS Location Platform leads on payments \u0026 pricing and maintenance \u0026 community.\n\n### Which is cheaper for geo geocode, ArcGIS Location Platform or Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP?\n\nArcGIS Location Platform, at $0.50 per 1,000 requests against $5 per 1,000 requests for Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP. These are the vendors' published prices for the job.\n\n### Do ArcGIS Location Platform and Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP need an API key?\n\nBoth take an API key or an OAuth sign-in.\n\n### Can an agent call ArcGIS Location Platform and Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP without installing anything?\n\nYes. ArcGIS Location Platform has a hosted endpoint at https://geocode-api.arcgis.com and Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP at https://maps.googleapis.com.\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-google-maps-platform.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-google-maps-platform.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"arcgis\", \"b\": \"google-maps-platform\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare arcgis google-maps-platform`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/arcgis.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/google-maps-platform.json\n\n## Other comparisons with ArcGIS Location Platform or Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP\n\n- [Amazon Location Service vs ArcGIS Location Platform](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amazon-location-vs-arcgis.md)\n- [Amazon Location Service vs Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amazon-location-vs-google-maps-platform.md)\n- [ArcGIS Location Platform vs Azure Maps](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-azure-maps.md)\n- [ArcGIS Location Platform vs Geoapify Location Platform + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-geoapify.md)\n- [ArcGIS Location Platform vs LocationIQ](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-locationiq.md)\n- [ArcGIS Location Platform vs Mapbox APIs + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-mapbox.md)\n- [ArcGIS Location Platform vs MapQuest](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-mapquest.md)\n- [ArcGIS Location Platform vs OpenCage Geocoding API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-opencage.md)\n- [ArcGIS Location Platform vs Stadia Maps](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-stadia-maps.md)\n- [ArcGIS Location Platform vs TomTom Maps APIs + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-tomtom.md)\n- [Azure Maps vs Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/azure-maps-vs-google-maps-platform.md)\n- [Geoapify Location Platform + MCP vs Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geoapify-vs-google-maps-platform.md)\n- [Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP vs LocationIQ](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-locationiq.md)\n- [Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP vs Mapbox APIs + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-mapbox.md)\n- [Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP vs MapQuest](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-mapquest.md)\n- [Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP vs OpenCage Geocoding API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-opencage.md)\n- [Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP vs Stadia Maps](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-stadia-maps.md)\n- [Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP vs TomTom Maps APIs + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-tomtom.md)\n", "meta": { "attribution": "Anchor Terminal (https://www.anchorterminal.com)", "docs": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/docs/", "generatedAt": "2026-10-08", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "method": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/", "methodology": "0.4", "openapi": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/openapi.json", "preview": false, "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run" }, "page": { "breadcrumbs": [ { "name": "Home", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/" }, { "name": "Compare", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/" }, { "name": "ArcGIS Location Platform vs Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP", "url": "" } ], "description": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP scores 68.2 (B) on agent readiness against ArcGIS Location Platform's 65.4 (B), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. ArcGIS Location Platform leads on payments \u0026 pricing and maintenance \u0026 community. Both do geo geocode. ArcGIS Location…", "facts": [ "ArcGIS Location Platform B 65.4", "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP B 68.2", "scores" ], "h1": "ArcGIS Location Platform vs Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-arcgis-vs-google-maps-platform.png", "path": "/compare/arcgis-vs-google-maps-platform", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "ArcGIS Location Platform vs Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-08", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-google-maps-platform" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2750, "slim": 780 }, "version": 1 }