# Geocodio vs NextBillion.ai

> Geocodio scores 72.2 (BB) to NextBillion.ai's 55.4 (C) for geocoding. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geocodio-vs-nextbillion
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geocodio-vs-nextbillion.md (~4,700 tokens)
- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (the key docs and every listing in one file, at most 16 MB, about 4 million tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (the whole catalogue as tools, no key)
- DNS: dig +short TXT <slug>.grade.anchorterminal.com (the grade as a DNS TXT record, for a sandbox with no HTTP where names still resolve; also top., best.<category>. and <a>.vs.<b>. under the zone, and the same under grade.letme.dev)
- Licence: CC BY 4.0, credit Anchor Terminal and link this page (https://www.anchorterminal.com/terms/#data)
- Updated: 2026-11-07

Geocodio scores 72.2 (BB) on agent readiness against NextBillion.ai's 55.4 (C), and leads in every scored category. Both do geocoding.

- Geocodio: grade BB, 72.2/100, rank #137 of 1486. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/geocodio.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/geocodio.json
- NextBillion.ai: grade C, 55.4/100, rank #869 of 1486. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/nextbillion.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/nextbillion.json
- Best maps, geocoding and places APIs for AI agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/maps/index.md
- All 153 maps comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/maps/index.md

## Which one, for what

### Geocodio (BB)

Good for: Batch geocoding and district or census enrichment of addresses in the US, Canada, Mexico, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, where results must be stored.

Ahead on:
- Reliability, 70 against 45
- Schema & documentation, 92 against 73
- Security & auth, 58 against 46
- Payments & pricing, 40 against 20
- Maintenance & community, 86 against 73
- Transparency & trust, 87 against 58

Also in its favour:
- Agent-ready, a grade of BB or better

Watch for: Covers only the US, Canada, Mexico, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, and UK needs a Flex or Unlimited plan

### NextBillion.ai (C)

Good for: Fleet and delivery routing, distance matrices and route optimisation with truck profiles, plus geocoding and POI search, for companies ready for an annual contract.

Also in its favour:
- A hosted endpoint, with nothing to install

Watch for: Pricing is by quote on annual licences, with no public unit prices


## Why the edge

### Transparency & trust: Geocodio +29

- Geocodio (87): Editorial half only. Closed service with clear, dated terms under Virginia law, and libraries and CLI under MIT (20). The privacy policy says API and spreadsheet input and results are deleted within 45 days, error logs kept 90 days, and customer data isn't used to train AI models. A separate data retention policy and llms.txt put Lists API data at 72 hours. Results may be stored permanently by the customer (27). Replaced API versions are guaranteed for at least 12 months, breaking changes come only with a new version, and the changelog marks each one 'Breaking' (18). The privacy policy names its processors, such as Sentry and Laravel Nightwatch, and the security page says self-serve is hosted in Europe (15). 20+27+18+15 = 80.
- NextBillion.ai (58): Editorial half only. Closed service under terms that name NextBillion.ai Pte. Ltd. and Singapore law, and an Apache-2.0 MCP server (18). The privacy policy keeps personal data while a legitimate business need exists, with no periods given. The MCP README says only tool arguments are sent to the API and nothing is retained between requests (14). No deprecation policy or dated notices found. The terms promise 10 days' notice of material changes to the terms (3). Data is mainly processed in Singapore, with transfers abroad under standard clauses. No sub-processor list found (8). 18+14+3+8 = 43.

### Reliability: Geocodio +25

- Geocodio (70): Hosted lines. incident.io status page at status.geocod.io with five components (Geocodio API, Dashboard, Enterprise API, Enterprise Dashboard, Website) and an incidents feed at /api/v2/incidents.json (20). In the 90 days to 6 November 2026 the feed lists one incident marked major, 'Spreadsheet geocoding jobs are failing' on 27 October from 12:35 to 15:15 UTC, and a PHP security patch on 21 October marked no impact, so one major outage of a core feature (10). 1,000 requests a minute on single geocoding for pay-as-you-go and Flex, 100 on Enterprise Flex (15). 429 carries X-RateLimit-Remaining, -Limit and -Period, and llms.txt and AGENTS.md give a retry rule per status code with capped backoff, plus client-side idempotency guidance for the non-idempotent list and batch writes (15). The pricing page lists custom SLAs as an add-on on Unlimited and Enterprise plans, with no published terms, so no SLA (0). GA (10). 20+10+15+15+0+10 = 70.
- NextBillion.ai (45): Hosted lines, for the REST APIs at api.nextbillion.io and the hosted MCP server. A status page at status.nextbillion.io, 'NextBillion.AI API Status', renders only in a browser, and its Statuspage-style JSON paths return 404, so we couldn't see its components (10) or read any history. That's our limit, not a finding, and the rubric gives 5 (5). The API reference states 2,400 queries a minute, or 40 a second, for continuous requests (15). Each endpoint's error table lists 429 as 'QPM or API request count quota reached', with no Retry-After or backoff guidance (5). No SLA found; the terms say access isn't warranted to be uninterrupted (0). The REST APIs are GA. The MCP server is at version 0.5.3 (10). 10+5+15+5+0+10 = 45.

### Payments & pricing: Geocodio +20

- Geocodio (40): No x402, MPP or L402 (0). $1 per 1,000 lookups after the free tier, and per-credit rates for every Flex tier, public without login (20). 2,500 lookups a day free with no card until usage passes the free tier (20). Signup and key creation are a browser flow at dash.geocod.io (0). 0+20+20+0 = 40.
- NextBillion.ai (20): No x402, MPP or L402 (0). Pricing is by quote, with annual licences per order, asset or API call and no published unit price (0). A 7-day free trial with an API key and 'No credit card required' (20). A person signs up through the console or emails support for a key (0). 0+0+20+0 = 20.

### Schema & documentation: Geocodio +19

- Geocodio (92): OpenAPI 3.0.1 spec, version 2.1.0, with 11 paths (25). llms.txt and an AGENTS.md written for agents (10). llms.txt and AGENTS.md say when to use each endpoint and when not to, such as the Lists API over looping single calls, the upload tool for a one-off spreadsheet and straightline over driving distance unless road distance is needed (19). Typed parameters with country values, component fields and documented limits, though `fields` is a comma-separated string (12). Error table with retry guidance, examples throughout, but the spec documents 200, 400, 403, 404, 422 and 424 and not 429 or 500 (11). Versioned paths from v1 to v2.1 and a dated public changelog with entries back to 2024 (15). 25+10+19+12+11+15 = 92.
- NextBillion.ai (73): No OpenAPI document for the REST APIs was found in llms.txt or the docs. The hosted MCP server's 27 tools are defined with Zod schemas, so they carry typed JSON Schema inputs (15 of 25). llms.txt, llms-full.txt and a Markdown file for each docs page (10). Endpoint pages explain each parameter, and MCP tool descriptions say when not to use a tool, such as the geometry tools being straight-line rather than road distance (16). Parameter tables give types, allowed values and defaults, such as `types` and `limit` (default 10), though `in` packs several filters into one string (12). curl examples and a per-endpoint error table with causes (13). The MCP server has a dated changelog. No API changelog or versioned path was found (7). 15+10+16+12+13+7 = 73.

### Maintenance & community: Geocodio +13

- Geocodio (86): API v2.1 released 3 November 2026 (Australia and New Zealand), and PHP library 3.4.1 on 4 November (30). Dated changelog entries on 8 September, 1, 8, 9, 19, 22 and 31 October and 3 November 2026, plus library releases in October (20). Public changelog, support by email and a team-staffed help desk named on the pricing page. We didn't read GitHub issue reply times (12). Official Python 1.6.0 and Node 2.3.0 from 12 October and PHP 3.4.1 from 4 November are current (15). Each library and the CLI run CI on GitHub Actions; we didn't check whether the runs pass (9). 30+20+12+15+9 = 86.
- NextBillion.ai (73): MCP server 0.5.3 on 30 October 2026 (30). Eleven tagged MCP releases between 7 October and 30 October, adding hosted mode, truck routing and geometry tools (20). Support by email, a public MCP repository with a changelog, but no public API changelog (8). The MCP server isn't in the official MCP registry, and we didn't check the mobile SDK versions (7). The MCP repository runs CI with unit and end-to-end tests (8). 30+20+8+7+8 = 73.

### Security & auth: Geocodio +12

- Geocodio (58): Revocable keys, five on pay-as-you-go, each with permissions (Lists and Distance off by default), which earns 25. Less 10 because the docs say 'All requests require &api_key=YOUR_API_KEY' and the OpenAPI spec defines only the query scheme, though an Authorization header has worked since March 2025 (15). Per-key permissions limit what a key can reach. DELETE on lists and distance jobs needs no confirmation (13). Results are addresses and government district, census and legislator data rather than user-written text. No prompt-injection guidance found (9). Usage per API key in the dashboard, downloadable as CSV, and billable-lookup headers on every response (8). Valid security.txt to 30 January 2030 with a PGP key and a responsible disclosure policy. SOC 2 Type II and annual penetration tests apply to the Enterprise platform only. No bug bounty found (13). 15+13+9+8+13 = 58.
- NextBillion.ai (46): The REST APIs take a single `key` query parameter, so a plain key that travels in URLs, which earns 20 less 10. The MCP server adds OAuth 2.1 with PKCE, seals the key into tokens with AES-256-GCM, accepts a Bearer header and stores nothing server-side, so 5 back (15). Every tool is read-only, and keys can carry an IP allowlist (12). Places results are POI and address text with no prompt-injection guidance (7). Usage alerts at 50, 75 and 90 per cent of credits, per the pricing FAQ. No per-call log found (5). /.well-known/security.txt returns 404, and we found no disclosure policy or bug bounty. The about page says the company follows ISO 27001 standards, without naming a certificate (7). 15+12+7+5+7 = 46.

## Score by category

| Category | Weight | Geocodio | NextBillion.ai | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 70 | 45 | Geocodio +25 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 92 | 73 | Geocodio +19 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 80 | 77 | Geocodio +3 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 58 | 46 | Geocodio +12 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 40 | 20 | Geocodio +20 |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 86 | 73 | Geocodio +13 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 87 | 58 | Geocodio +29 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |
| **Total** | | **72.2 · BB** | **55.4 · C** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | Geocodio | NextBillion.ai |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |
| Vendor | Dotsquare LLC | NextBillion.ai Pte. Ltd. |
| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | `https://mcp.nextbillion.io` |
| Transports | HTTP | HTTP, Streamable HTTP |
| Auth | API key | OAuth or key |
| Pricing | Freemium | Paid |
| Price for geocoding | $1600 per month (plan) | not published |
| x402 | no | no |
| Tools exposed | none | 27 |
| Read-only variant documented | no | yes |
| llms.txt | yes | yes |
| Last release | 2026-11-03 | 2026-10-30 |
| Terms last updated | no date given | no date given |
| Privacy policy last updated | 2018-05-25 | no date given |
| Customer content may train models | not found in the text | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict automated access | yes | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | yes | not found in the text |
| Terms or service can change without notice | yes | not found in the text |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | not found in the text | not found in the text |
| Popularity | 21k npm/wk, 921 PyPI/wk | none |

## Verdicts

**Geocodio.** Geocodio publishes llms.txt, an AGENTS.md on cost and retries, an OpenAPI spec and a dated changelog, and its results may be stored permanently. Coverage stops at six countries, there's no MCP server or published SLA for self-serve plans, and the docs still put the key in the query string by default.

**NextBillion.ai.** NextBillion.ai covers routing, distance matrices, route optimisation, geocoding and places, and runs a hosted MCP server with 27 read-only annotated tools and OAuth sign-in. Pricing is by quote on annual licences, the REST API key travels in the query string, and no OpenAPI spec, API changelog or readable status history was found.

## Before you call either

### Geocodio

1. Always set `country`, because an address with none falls back to the US and is billed even when it's wrong
2. Send the key as `Authorization: Bearer`, not in the query string, so it stays out of logs
3. Use batch POST /geocode (up to 10,000 lookups) or the Lists API rather than looping single requests
4. Treat accuracy_type place, county or state as not found, and check `_warnings` for appends that were billed but skipped
5. Don't retry 403 or 422. On 429 read X-RateLimit headers and back off, and never re-upload a list sitting in ENQUEUED

### NextBillion.ai

1. Connect through https://mcp.nextbillion.io so the key stays in a Bearer header or OAuth token rather than in request URLs
2. Use the geometry tools only for straight-line questions; use directions or distance_matrix for travel time
3. Batch up to 100 geocodes with geocode_batch instead of one call per address
4. On 429 the quota or the 2,400-a-minute limit is reached; slow down and tell the user if credits are spent
5. Search the docs with the MCP documentation tools before guessing a parameter

## Questions

### Which is better for AI agents, Geocodio or NextBillion.ai?

Geocodio scores 72.2 (BB) on agent readiness against NextBillion.ai's 55.4 (C), and leads in every scored category.

### Do Geocodio and NextBillion.ai need an API key?

Geocodio needs an API key. NextBillion.ai takes an API key or an OAuth sign-in.

### Can an agent call Geocodio and NextBillion.ai without installing anything?

No hosted endpoint is listed for Geocodio. NextBillion.ai has a hosted endpoint at https://mcp.nextbillion.io.


## For agents

- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geocodio-vs-nextbillion.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geocodio-vs-nextbillion.min.md
- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {"a": "geocodio", "b": "nextbillion"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare geocodio nextbillion`
- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/geocodio.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/nextbillion.json

## Other comparisons with Geocodio or NextBillion.ai

- [Amazon Location Service vs Geocodio](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amazon-location-vs-geocodio.md)
- [Amazon Location Service vs NextBillion.ai](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amazon-location-vs-nextbillion.md)
- [ArcGIS Location Platform vs Geocodio](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-geocodio.md)
- [ArcGIS Location Platform vs NextBillion.ai](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-nextbillion.md)
- [Azure Maps vs Geocodio](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/azure-maps-vs-geocodio.md)
- [Azure Maps vs NextBillion.ai](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/azure-maps-vs-nextbillion.md)
- [Geoapify Location Platform + MCP vs Geocodio](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geoapify-vs-geocodio.md)
- [Geoapify Location Platform + MCP vs NextBillion.ai](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geoapify-vs-nextbillion.md)
- [Geocodio vs Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geocodio-vs-google-maps-platform.md)
- [Geocodio vs HERE Location Services](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geocodio-vs-here-location-services.md)
- [Geocodio vs LocationIQ](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geocodio-vs-locationiq.md)
- [Geocodio vs Mapbox APIs + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geocodio-vs-mapbox.md)
- [Geocodio vs MapQuest](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geocodio-vs-mapquest.md)
- [Geocodio vs MapTiler Cloud](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geocodio-vs-maptiler.md)
- [Geocodio vs Nominatim](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geocodio-vs-nominatim.md)
- [Geocodio vs OpenCage Geocoding API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geocodio-vs-opencage.md)
- [Geocodio vs Radar](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geocodio-vs-radar.md)
- [Geocodio vs Stadia Maps](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geocodio-vs-stadia-maps.md)
- [Geocodio vs TomTom Maps APIs + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geocodio-vs-tomtom.md)
- [Geocodio vs Woosmap](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geocodio-vs-woosmap.md)
- [Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP vs NextBillion.ai](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-nextbillion.md)
- [HERE Location Services vs NextBillion.ai](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/here-location-services-vs-nextbillion.md)
- [LocationIQ vs NextBillion.ai](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/locationiq-vs-nextbillion.md)
- [Mapbox APIs + MCP vs NextBillion.ai](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mapbox-vs-nextbillion.md)
- [MapQuest vs NextBillion.ai](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mapquest-vs-nextbillion.md)
- [MapTiler Cloud vs NextBillion.ai](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/maptiler-vs-nextbillion.md)
- [NextBillion.ai vs Nominatim](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nextbillion-vs-nominatim.md)
- [NextBillion.ai vs OpenCage Geocoding API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nextbillion-vs-opencage.md)
- [NextBillion.ai vs Radar](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nextbillion-vs-radar.md)
- [NextBillion.ai vs Stadia Maps](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nextbillion-vs-stadia-maps.md)
- [NextBillion.ai vs TomTom Maps APIs + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nextbillion-vs-tomtom.md)
- [NextBillion.ai vs Woosmap](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nextbillion-vs-woosmap.md)

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Query this catalogue directly over MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (Streamable HTTP, no key). How: https://www.anchorterminal.com/agents/#mcp