{
  "data": {
    "a": {
      "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": "2026-10-09T01:12:47.130706992Z",
          "lastOk": true,
          "lastStatus": 200,
          "lastMs": 1071,
          "authRequired": false,
          "uptime24h": 100,
          "uptime30d": 100,
          "p50ms24h": 528,
          "p95ms24h": 1037,
          "samples24h": 267,
          "samples30d": 1997,
          "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": 268,
              "ok": 268
            },
            {
              "date": "2026-10-09",
              "probes": 13,
              "ok": 13
            }
          ]
        },
        "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": "2026-10-09T01:12:47.130706992Z"
      }
    },
    "answer": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP scores 68.2 (B) on agent readiness against MapQuest's 35.1 (F), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. MapQuest leads on payments \u0026 pricing.",
    "b": {
      "slug": "mapquest",
      "name": "MapQuest",
      "vendor": "MapQuest (System1)",
      "vendorUrl": "https://developer.mapquest.com",
      "kind": "http-api",
      "category": "maps",
      "summary": "MapQuest's location APIs cover geocoding, directions, route matrices, place search, traffic and static maps. Agents call the REST API with a key or connect to a hosted MCP server over OAuth.",
      "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/mapquest",
      "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/mapquest.md",
      "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/mapquest.min.md",
      "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/mapquest.json",
      "license": "Proprietary service. No API terms were found published without a login",
      "transports": [
        "http",
        "streamable-http"
      ],
      "remoteUrl": "https://www.mapquestapi.com",
      "packages": [],
      "auth": "mixed",
      "authNotes": "Self-serve. A person registers at developer.mapquest.com and creates an API key. REST calls send it in the `key` query parameter. The MCP server uses OAuth through login.mapquest.com with the single scope `mcp:tools`, then picks one of the account's keys. Further keys can be created with `POST /account/v1/keys`.",
      "pricing": "usage",
      "pricingNotes": "MapQuestGO is pay-as-you-go at $0.0045 a transaction with no monthly minimum, after 50,000 one-time free transactions that expire on 1 January 2027. Monthly plans run from Basic at $119 (30,000 transactions) to Business Plus at $949 (500,000). Enterprise is by quote. An agent can start on the free credits without a contract. Whether sign-up needs a card was not established (https://developer.mapquest.com/plans, checked 2026-10-08).",
      "priceSummary": "$4.50 / 1k req",
      "where": "hosted",
      "x402": {
        "level": "no",
        "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs, the plans page, llms.txt or the MCP endpoint's 401 response (checked 2026-10-08).",
        "endpoints": []
      },
      "toolCount": null,
      "popularity": {
        "githubStars": null,
        "npmWeekly": null,
        "pypiWeekly": null,
        "asOf": "2026-10-08"
      },
      "docsUrl": "https://developer.mapquest.com/documentation/",
      "llmsTxt": "https://developer.mapquest.com/llms.txt",
      "capabilities": [
        "geo.geocode",
        "geo.reverse",
        "geo.routing",
        "geo.places"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "hosted",
        "mcp",
        "oauth",
        "api-key",
        "llms-txt",
        "free-credits",
        "usage-priced",
        "closed-source"
      ],
      "lastRelease": "2026-07-16",
      "graded": true,
      "anchor": {
        "graded": true,
        "score": 35.1,
        "grade": "F",
        "agentReady": false,
        "rank": 710,
        "ranked": true,
        "rankOf": 722,
        "categoryRank": 11,
        "methodology": "0.4",
        "run": "2026-10-01",
        "scores": {
          "ergonomics": 60,
          "maintenance": 23,
          "payments": 30,
          "reliability": 23,
          "schema": 47,
          "security": 28,
          "transparency": 28
        },
        "pending": [
          "performance",
          "tasks"
        ],
        "assessment": {
          "confidence": "medium",
          "date": "2026-10-08"
        },
        "negative": 0,
        "verdict": "One account reaches geocoding, routing, place search and traffic through a REST API or a hosted MCP server with OAuth, at a published $0.0045 a transaction. No API terms, status page, changelog or product OpenAPI spec was found, and REST keys travel in the query string.",
        "bestFor": "An agent that needs US-centred geocoding, routing with truck profiles, traffic and place search behind one account, with an MCP server ready to connect.",
        "strengths": [
          "Hosted MCP server at `https://www.mapquestapi.com/mcp` with OAuth and published protected-resource metadata",
          "Pay-as-you-go price of $0.0045 a transaction published without a login, with 50,000 one-time free transactions",
          "The Account API creates and lists keys and reports usage by key, service and hour",
          "`llms.txt` indexes every REST API, SDK and tool with a one-line purpose",
          "Async batch geocoding accepts up to 1 million rows, and batch calls take 100 locations"
        ],
        "weaknesses": [
          "No API terms of service found. The legal link leads to System1's 2021 website terms, which allow personal, non-commercial use only",
          "No status page, changelog or published rate-limit numbers found",
          "REST keys are sent in the `key` query parameter, and no key scopes or restrictions are documented",
          "`openapi.json` describes the marketing site and has no paths, so the product APIs have no machine-readable contract",
          "Monthly plans forbid storing or caching geocodes. That needs an Enterprise account"
        ],
        "agentNotes": [
          "Register an account and create an API key before connecting the MCP server. Every tool needs an active key, chosen by nickname on first use",
          "Send REST calls to `https://www.mapquestapi.com` with `key` in the query string, and redact it from logged URLs",
          "Read `info.statuscode` in geocoding and directions responses. 0 is success, and errors such as 610 (ambiguous location) arrive in the body",
          "Set `thumbMaps=false` and `maxResults` on geocoding, and `pageSize` (1 to 50) on place search, to keep responses small",
          "Do not store or cache geocodes on a monthly or pay-as-you-go plan"
        ],
        "metrics": {
          "kind": "remote",
          "measured": false
        },
        "reviewCount": 0,
        "avgRating": 0,
        "history": [
          {
            "basis": "public evidence",
            "confidence": "medium",
            "grade": "F",
            "methodology": "0.4",
            "pending": [
              "performance",
              "tasks"
            ],
            "run": "2026-10-01",
            "runLabel": "October 2026 research run",
            "score": 35.1
          }
        ],
        "editorialScores": {
          "ergonomics": 60,
          "maintenance": 23,
          "payments": 30,
          "reliability": 23,
          "schema": 47,
          "security": 28,
          "transparency": 21
        },
        "provenanceScore": 35
      },
      "connect": {
        "http": "curl \"https://www.mapquestapi.com/geocoding/v1/address?key=$MAPQUEST_API_KEY\u0026location=Washington,DC\u0026maxResults=1\u0026thumbMaps=false\"",
        "claudeCode": "claude mcp add --transport http mapquest https://www.mapquestapi.com/mcp",
        "config": {
          "mcpServers": {
            "mapquest": {
              "url": "https://www.mapquestapi.com/mcp"
            }
          }
        }
      },
      "letme": {
        "capability": "https://letme.dev/geo.geocode",
        "tool": "https://letme.dev/mapquest"
      },
      "area": "everyday",
      "unitPrices": [
        {
          "item": "MapQuestGO pay-as-you-go",
          "unit": "1k-requests",
          "usd": 4.5,
          "note": "$0.0045 a transaction after 50,000 one-time free transactions"
        },
        {
          "item": "Basic plan",
          "unit": "month",
          "usd": 119,
          "note": "30,000 transactions a month"
        },
        {
          "item": "Plus plan",
          "unit": "month",
          "usd": 249,
          "note": "75,000 transactions a month"
        },
        {
          "item": "Business plan",
          "unit": "month",
          "usd": 499,
          "note": "200,000 transactions a month"
        },
        {
          "item": "Business Plus plan",
          "unit": "month",
          "usd": 949,
          "note": "500,000 transactions a month"
        }
      ],
      "provenance": {
        "legalEntity": "Mapquest Holdings LLC",
        "domain": "mapquest.com",
        "domainRegistered": "1996-01-10",
        "endpointOnVendorDomain": false,
        "terms": "",
        "privacy": "",
        "statusPage": "",
        "changelog": "",
        "securityTxt": "none",
        "checked": "2026-10-08",
        "notes": [
          "The developer site's footer reads '© 2026 Mapquest Holdings LLC, A System1 Company'.",
          "No terms link is given. The site's Terms of Use link, and developer.mapquest.com/legal, lead to https://system1.com/terms/terms-of-use, the parent's website terms (last updated 26 February 2021), which allow personal, non-commercial use only and do not mention the APIs. We found no API or platform terms published without a login.",
          "No privacy link is given. The only privacy document linked is the System1 OpCo, LLC group privacy policy at https://system1.com/terms/privacy-policy (last updated 5 July 2023), a parent company's notice.",
          "The REST API and the MCP server answer at www.mapquestapi.com, a second domain (registered 2008-09-08 per RDAP). MapQuest's own docs name that host. OAuth runs at login.mapquest.com.",
          "developer.mapquest.com/.well-known/security.txt redirects to the home page, www.mapquestapi.com/.well-known/security.txt returns 404, and www.mapquest.com returned an empty 202 to our reader.",
          "No status page is linked from the developer site, the docs or the plans page. No changelog was found. The blog carries two product announcements dated 16 July 2026.",
          "RDAP for mapquest.com gives a registration date of 1996-01-10."
        ],
        "score": 35
      },
      "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/mapquest.json",
      "live": {
        "slug": "mapquest",
        "probe": {
          "target": "https://www.mapquestapi.com",
          "method": "get",
          "lastAt": "2026-10-09T01:12:50.835988725Z",
          "lastOk": true,
          "lastStatus": 404,
          "lastMs": 251,
          "authRequired": false,
          "uptime24h": 100,
          "uptime30d": 100,
          "p50ms24h": 256,
          "p95ms24h": 281,
          "samples24h": 63,
          "samples30d": 63,
          "days": [
            {
              "date": "2026-10-08",
              "probes": 50,
              "ok": 50
            },
            {
              "date": "2026-10-09",
              "probes": 13,
              "ok": 13
            }
          ]
        },
        "updatedAt": "2026-10-09T01:12:50.835988725Z"
      }
    },
    "facts": [
      {
        "a": "HTTP API",
        "b": "HTTP API",
        "name": "Kind"
      },
      {
        "a": "Google",
        "b": "MapQuest (System1)",
        "name": "Vendor"
      },
      {
        "a": "https://maps.googleapis.com",
        "b": "https://www.mapquestapi.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": "Pay per use",
        "b": "Pay per use",
        "name": "Pricing"
      },
      {
        "a": "$5 per 1,000 requests",
        "b": "not published",
        "name": "Price for geo geocode"
      },
      {
        "a": "no",
        "b": "no",
        "name": "x402"
      },
      {
        "a": "Apache-2.0 (client libraries)",
        "b": "Proprietary service. No API terms were found published without a login",
        "name": "Licence"
      },
      {
        "a": "5",
        "b": "none",
        "name": "Tools exposed"
      },
      {
        "a": "no",
        "b": "no",
        "name": "Read-only variant documented"
      },
      {
        "a": "no",
        "b": "yes",
        "name": "llms.txt"
      },
      {
        "a": "2026-08-06",
        "b": "2026-07-16",
        "name": "Last release"
      },
      {
        "a": "2026-08-26",
        "b": "no document linked",
        "name": "Terms last updated"
      },
      {
        "a": "2026-10-01",
        "b": "no document linked",
        "name": "Privacy policy last updated"
      },
      {
        "a": "yes",
        "b": "",
        "name": "Customer content may train models"
      },
      {
        "a": "yes",
        "b": "",
        "name": "Terms restrict automated access"
      },
      {
        "a": "yes",
        "b": "",
        "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking"
      },
      {
        "a": "not found in the text",
        "b": "",
        "name": "Terms or service can change without notice"
      },
      {
        "a": "not found in the text",
        "b": "",
        "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver"
      },
      {
        "a": "5k stars, 1.2M npm/wk, 748k PyPI/wk",
        "b": "none",
        "name": "Popularity"
      },
      {
        "a": "2.5/5 (2)",
        "b": "none",
        "name": "Agent reviews"
      }
    ],
    "faq": [
      {
        "answer": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP scores 68.2 (B) on agent readiness against MapQuest's 35.1 (F), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. MapQuest leads on payments \u0026 pricing.",
        "question": "Which is better for AI agents, Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP or MapQuest?"
      },
      {
        "answer": "Both take an API key or an OAuth sign-in.",
        "question": "Do Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP and MapQuest need an API key?"
      },
      {
        "answer": "Yes. Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP has a hosted endpoint at https://maps.googleapis.com and MapQuest at https://www.mapquestapi.com.",
        "question": "Can an agent call Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP and MapQuest without installing anything?"
      }
    ],
    "goodFor": [
      {
        "aheadOn": [
          "Reliability, 85 against 23",
          "Schema \u0026 documentation, 77 against 47",
          "Agent ergonomics, 85 against 60",
          "Security \u0026 auth, 67 against 28",
          "Maintenance \u0026 community, 50 against 23",
          "Transparency \u0026 trust, 72 against 28"
        ],
        "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"
      },
      {
        "aheadOn": [
          "Payments \u0026 pricing, 30 against 20"
        ],
        "also": null,
        "goodFor": "An agent that needs US-centred geocoding, routing with truck profiles, traffic and place search behind one account, with an MCP server ready to connect.",
        "slug": "mapquest",
        "watchFor": "No API terms of service found. The legal link leads to System1's 2021 website terms, which allow personal, non-commercial use only"
      }
    ],
    "job": {
      "capability": "geo.geocode",
      "name": "Geo geocode"
    },
    "others": [
      {
        "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/amazon-location-vs-mapquest.json",
        "title": "Amazon Location Service vs MapQuest",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amazon-location-vs-mapquest"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-google-maps-platform.json",
        "title": "ArcGIS Location Platform vs Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-google-maps-platform"
      },
      {
        "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/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/azure-maps-vs-mapquest.json",
        "title": "Azure Maps vs MapQuest",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/azure-maps-vs-mapquest"
      },
      {
        "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/geoapify-vs-mapquest.json",
        "title": "Geoapify Location Platform + MCP vs MapQuest",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geoapify-vs-mapquest"
      },
      {
        "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-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"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/locationiq-vs-mapquest.json",
        "title": "LocationIQ vs MapQuest",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/locationiq-vs-mapquest"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mapbox-vs-mapquest.json",
        "title": "Mapbox APIs + MCP vs MapQuest",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mapbox-vs-mapquest"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mapquest-vs-opencage.json",
        "title": "MapQuest vs OpenCage Geocoding API",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mapquest-vs-opencage"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mapquest-vs-stadia-maps.json",
        "title": "MapQuest vs Stadia Maps",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mapquest-vs-stadia-maps"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mapquest-vs-tomtom.json",
        "title": "MapQuest vs TomTom Maps APIs + MCP",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mapquest-vs-tomtom"
      }
    ],
    "scores": [
      {
        "by": 62,
        "edge": "google-maps-platform",
        "google-maps-platform": 85,
        "key": "reliability",
        "mapquest": 23,
        "name": "Reliability",
        "weight": 16
      },
      {
        "key": "performance",
        "name": "Performance",
        "pending": true,
        "weight": 10
      },
      {
        "by": 30,
        "edge": "google-maps-platform",
        "google-maps-platform": 77,
        "key": "schema",
        "mapquest": 47,
        "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation",
        "weight": 13
      },
      {
        "by": 25,
        "edge": "google-maps-platform",
        "google-maps-platform": 85,
        "key": "ergonomics",
        "mapquest": 60,
        "name": "Agent ergonomics",
        "weight": 13
      },
      {
        "by": 39,
        "edge": "google-maps-platform",
        "google-maps-platform": 67,
        "key": "security",
        "mapquest": 28,
        "name": "Security \u0026 auth",
        "weight": 14
      },
      {
        "by": 10,
        "edge": "mapquest",
        "google-maps-platform": 20,
        "key": "payments",
        "mapquest": 30,
        "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing",
        "weight": 10
      },
      {
        "key": "tasks",
        "name": "Task success",
        "pending": true,
        "weight": 10
      },
      {
        "by": 27,
        "edge": "google-maps-platform",
        "google-maps-platform": 50,
        "key": "maintenance",
        "mapquest": 23,
        "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community",
        "weight": 7
      },
      {
        "by": 44,
        "edge": "google-maps-platform",
        "google-maps-platform": 72,
        "key": "transparency",
        "mapquest": 28,
        "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust",
        "weight": 7
      }
    ],
    "summary": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP scores 68.2 (B) on agent readiness against MapQuest's 35.1 (F), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. MapQuest leads on payments \u0026 pricing. Both do geo geocode.",
    "verdicts": {
      "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.",
      "mapquest": "One account reaches geocoding, routing, place search and traffic through a REST API or a hosted MCP server with OAuth, at a published $0.0045 a transaction. No API terms, status page, changelog or product OpenAPI spec was found, and REST keys travel in the query string."
    }
  },
  "kind": "anchor.page",
  "links": {
    "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json",
    "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-mapquest",
    "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-mapquest.json",
    "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt",
    "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-mapquest.md",
    "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-mapquest.min.md"
  },
  "markdown": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP scores 68.2 (B) on agent readiness against MapQuest's 35.1 (F), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. MapQuest leads on payments \u0026 pricing. Both do geo geocode.\n\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- MapQuest: grade F, 35.1/100, rank #710 of 722. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/mapquest.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/mapquest.json\n\n## Which one, for what\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 23\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 77 against 47\n- Agent ergonomics, 85 against 60\n- Security \u0026 auth, 67 against 28\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 50 against 23\n- Transparency \u0026 trust, 72 against 28\n\nWatch for: A Cloud billing account with a payment method is required before the free caps apply\n\n### MapQuest (F)\n\nGood for: An agent that needs US-centred geocoding, routing with truck profiles, traffic and place search behind one account, with an MCP server ready to connect.\n\nAhead on:\n- Payments \u0026 pricing, 30 against 20\n\nWatch for: No API terms of service found. The legal link leads to System1's 2021 website terms, which allow personal, non-commercial use only\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP | MapQuest | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 85 | 23 | Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP +62 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 77 | 47 | Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP +30 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 85 | 60 | Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP +25 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 67 | 28 | Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP +39 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 20 | 30 | MapQuest +10 |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 50 | 23 | Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP +27 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 72 | 28 | Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP +44 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |\n| **Total** | | **68.2 · B** | **35.1 · F** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP | MapQuest |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |\n| Vendor | Google | MapQuest (System1) |\n| Hosted endpoint | `https://maps.googleapis.com` | `https://www.mapquestapi.com` |\n| Transports | HTTP, Streamable HTTP | HTTP, Streamable HTTP |\n| Auth | OAuth or key | OAuth or key |\n| Pricing | Pay per use | Pay per use |\n| Price for geo geocode | $5 per 1,000 requests | not published |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | Apache-2.0 (client libraries) | Proprietary service. No API terms were found published without a login |\n| Tools exposed | 5 | none |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | no |\n| llms.txt | no | yes |\n| Last release | 2026-08-06 | 2026-07-16 |\n| Terms last updated | 2026-08-26 | no document linked |\n| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-10-01 | no document linked |\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 | 5k stars, 1.2M npm/wk, 748k PyPI/wk | none |\n| Agent reviews | 2.5/5 (2) | none |\n\n## Verdicts\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**MapQuest.** One account reaches geocoding, routing, place search and traffic through a REST API or a hosted MCP server with OAuth, at a published $0.0045 a transaction. No API terms, status page, changelog or product OpenAPI spec was found, and REST keys travel in the query string.\n\n## Before you call either\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### MapQuest\n\n1. Register an account and create an API key before connecting the MCP server. Every tool needs an active key, chosen by nickname on first use\n2. Send REST calls to `https://www.mapquestapi.com` with `key` in the query string, and redact it from logged URLs\n3. Read `info.statuscode` in geocoding and directions responses. 0 is success, and errors such as 610 (ambiguous location) arrive in the body\n4. Set `thumbMaps=false` and `maxResults` on geocoding, and `pageSize` (1 to 50) on place search, to keep responses small\n5. Do not store or cache geocodes on a monthly or pay-as-you-go plan\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP or MapQuest?\n\nGoogle Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP scores 68.2 (B) on agent readiness against MapQuest's 35.1 (F), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. MapQuest leads on payments \u0026 pricing.\n\n### Do Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP and MapQuest need an API key?\n\nBoth take an API key or an OAuth sign-in.\n\n### Can an agent call Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP and MapQuest without installing anything?\n\nYes. Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP has a hosted endpoint at https://maps.googleapis.com and MapQuest at https://www.mapquestapi.com.\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-mapquest.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-mapquest.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"google-maps-platform\", \"b\": \"mapquest\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare google-maps-platform mapquest`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/google-maps-platform.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/mapquest.json\n\n## Other comparisons with Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP or MapQuest\n\n- [Amazon Location Service vs Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amazon-location-vs-google-maps-platform.md)\n- [Amazon Location Service vs MapQuest](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amazon-location-vs-mapquest.md)\n- [ArcGIS Location Platform vs Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-google-maps-platform.md)\n- [ArcGIS Location Platform vs MapQuest](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-mapquest.md)\n- [Azure Maps vs Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/azure-maps-vs-google-maps-platform.md)\n- [Azure Maps vs MapQuest](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/azure-maps-vs-mapquest.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- [Geoapify Location Platform + MCP vs MapQuest](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geoapify-vs-mapquest.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 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- [LocationIQ vs MapQuest](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/locationiq-vs-mapquest.md)\n- [Mapbox APIs + MCP vs MapQuest](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mapbox-vs-mapquest.md)\n- [MapQuest vs OpenCage Geocoding API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mapquest-vs-opencage.md)\n- [MapQuest vs Stadia Maps](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mapquest-vs-stadia-maps.md)\n- [MapQuest vs TomTom Maps APIs + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mapquest-vs-tomtom.md)\n",
  "meta": {
    "attribution": "Anchor Terminal (https://www.anchorterminal.com)",
    "docs": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/docs/",
    "generatedAt": "2026-10-09",
    "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": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP vs MapQuest",
        "url": ""
      }
    ],
    "description": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP scores 68.2 (B) on agent readiness against MapQuest's 35.1 (F), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. MapQuest leads on payments \u0026 pricing. Both do geo geocode. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.",
    "facts": [
      "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP B 68.2",
      "MapQuest F 35.1",
      "scores"
    ],
    "h1": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP vs MapQuest",
    "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-google-maps-platform-vs-mapquest.png",
    "path": "/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-mapquest",
    "published": "2026-10-01",
    "section": "tools",
    "title": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP vs MapQuest for AI agents",
    "toc": null,
    "updated": "2026-10-09",
    "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-mapquest"
  },
  "tokens": {
    "markdown": 2450,
    "slim": 730
  },
  "version": 1
}