{ "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": 227, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 950, "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", "gemini-live", "google-adk", "google-secret-manager", "google-cloud-document-ai", "google-weather-api", "chrome-devtools-mcp", "google-cloud-translation", "google-calendar-api", "firebase-cloud-messaging", "google-drive-api", "gemini-cli", "google-search-console", "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": "2026-10-10T01:37:52.867115639Z", "lastOk": true, "lastStatus": 200, "lastMs": 487, "authRequired": false, "uptime24h": 100, "uptime30d": 100, "p50ms24h": 525, "p95ms24h": 1041, "samples24h": 250, "samples30d": 2251, "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": 250, "ok": 250 }, { "date": "2026-10-10", "probes": 17, "ok": 17 } ] }, "vendorStatus": { "page": "https://status.cloud.google.com/maps-platform", "indicator": "unknown", "summary": "no machine-readable status found", "checkedAt": "2026-10-10T00:50:37.966501081Z" }, "versions": [ { "registry": "github", "name": "googlemaps/google-maps-services-python", "version": "v4.10.0", "released": "2023-01-26", "seenAt": "2026-10-09T16:55:51.894396685Z" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@googlemaps/google-maps-services-js", "version": "3.4.2", "seenAt": "2026-10-09T16:55:50.903798225Z" }, { "registry": "pypi", "name": "googlemaps", "version": "4.10.0", "released": "2023-01-26", "seenAt": "2026-10-09T16:55:51.707739637Z" } ], "githubStars": 4978, "npmWeekly": 965099, "pypiWeekly": 809667, "securityTxt": { "url": "https://google.com/.well-known/security.txt", "state": "valid", "expires": "2030-04-01T00:00:00z", "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T15:39:28.443612679Z" }, "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": "2026-10-09T18:35:53.242396899Z", "changedAt": "2026-10-06T16:07:25.318972035Z", "fingerprint": "963a87b8e709" }, { "url": "https://developers.google.com/maps/billing-and-pricing/pricing", "kind": "pricing", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T18:35:51.669367189Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "b114dc62bf50" }, { "url": "https://cloud.google.com/maps-platform/terms", "kind": "terms", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T18:33:55.343358746Z", "changedAt": "2026-10-08T18:16:18.066917416Z", "fingerprint": "816ac8ce27d7" } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-10T01:37:52.867115639Z" } }, "answer": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP scores 68.2 (B) on agent readiness against Radar's 53.3 (D), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Radar leads on maintenance \u0026 community.", "b": { "slug": "radar", "name": "Radar", "vendor": "Radar Labs", "vendorUrl": "https://radar.com", "kind": "http-api", "category": "maps", "summary": "Radar is a location platform from Radar Labs with REST APIs for forward, reverse and IP geocoding, address autocomplete and validation, places search, distance, matrix, directions and route optimisation, plus geofencing, trip tracking and base maps.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/radar", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/radar.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/radar.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/radar.json", "repo": "https://github.com/radarlabs/radar-sdk-js", "license": "Proprietary service under Radar's Terms of Use. The web SDK in radarlabs/radar-sdk-js is Apache-2.0", "transports": [ "http" ], "remoteUrl": "https://api.radar.io/v1", "packages": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "radar-sdk-js" } ], "auth": "api-key", "authNotes": "API key in the `Authorization` header, with no query-string option documented. Each project has four keys, test and live, publishable and secret. Publishable keys reach 16 of the 36 documented operations, including all geocoding, search and routing calls, and can be restricted by website domain or mobile app identifier. Secret keys reach the rest and can read or write any data. Keys come from the dashboard. Whether sign-up is self-serve was not established, because dashboard.radar.com's robots.txt closes every path.", "pricing": "paid", "pricingNotes": "Core Maps (forward, reverse and IP geocoding, autocomplete, static maps, distance, directions, matrix) starts at $0.50 per 1,000 API calls and Premium Maps (address validation, places search, route matching, route optimisation, satellite maps) at $2.00. Matrix bills per element. Every plan is an annual commitment with a monthly quota, at a rate Radar sets by quote. The pricing page says there is no free tier, and that teams can start with a technical validation period arranged with sales (https://radar.com/pricing).", "priceSummary": "$0.50 / 1k req", "where": "hosted", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the API reference, the docs index or the pricing page (checked 2026-10-09).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": null, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-09" }, "docsUrl": "https://docs.radar.com/api", "llmsTxt": "https://docs.radar.com/llms.txt", "capabilities": [ "geo.geocode", "geo.reverse", "geo.places", "geo.routing", "geo.tiles" ], "tags": [ "hosted", "api-key", "llms-txt", "status-page", "sales-led", "annual-contract", "soc2", "closed-source" ], "lastRelease": "2026-09-14", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 53.3, "grade": "D", "agentReady": false, "rank": 713, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 950, "categoryRank": 12, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 65, "maintenance": 77, "payments": 10, "reliability": 70, "schema": 50, "security": 56, "transparency": 55 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-09" }, "negative": -2, "negativeNotes": [ "9 October 2026. The Maps product page says the geocoding APIs come with 'the right to store, reuse, and export results freely' (https://radar.com/product/maps), while section 2(d) of the Terms of Use forbids storing address or point-of-interest data from the geocoding, autocomplete or place search APIs for more than 30 days (https://radar.com/terms) and the geocoding docs repeat the 30-day limit (https://docs.radar.com/maps/geocoding.md). 2 points for a claim the published terms contradict. A quoted enterprise agreement may differ and is not published." ], "verdict": "Radar documents 36 REST operations in Markdown with a rate limit on each, and its status feed shows two short API incidents in 90 days. Access is sales-led. The pricing page says there is no free tier, every plan is an annual commitment, and no OpenAPI description or API changelog was found.", "bestFor": "A company that already has a Radar contract, or wants geofencing and trip tracking with geocoding and routing on one key.", "strengths": [ "Each of the 36 documented operations states its key level and a default rate limit, from 10 to 100 requests a second", "docs.radar.com publishes llms.txt and a Markdown twin of every page, including the whole API reference in one file", "Statuspage history lists two API incidents in the 90 days to 9 October 2026, of 3 minutes and about an hour", "Publishable keys are limited to 16 client-safe operations and can be restricted by website domain or mobile app identifier", "The DPA names two sub-processors (AWS and MongoDB) and the FAQ states default retention periods" ], "weaknesses": [ "The pricing page says Radar has no free tier and every plan is an annual commitment set by quote", "No OpenAPI description and no API changelog were found in the docs index", "The terms cap storage of geocoding, autocomplete and place results at 30 days, while the Maps product page claims a right to store results freely", "The terms of 24 May 2023 let Radar change or stop the services without notice, and still describe a free version", "A secret key can read or write any project data, with no scopes found", "The terms forbid using the services to develop or test other geocoding, autocomplete or place search APIs, which matters before any probe is run" ], "agentNotes": [ "Send the key in the `Authorization` header with no `Bearer` prefix, and call `https://api.radar.io/v1`, not radar.com", "Use a publishable key for geocoding, search and routing. Keep the secret key for users, trips, geofences and beacons", "Call `/v1/search/autocomplete` for partial addresses and place names. `/v1/geocode/forward` is documented as best for complete addresses", "Set `units=metric` on routing calls. The default is imperial, with distances in feet", "Treat 429 as one of three things (rate limit, no state change or selective throttling) and 402 as usage exceeded. No Retry-After header is documented", "Do not keep geocoding, autocomplete or place results for more than 30 days" ], "metrics": { "kind": "remote", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "D", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 53.3 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 65, "maintenance": 77, "payments": 10, "reliability": 70, "schema": 50, "security": 56, "transparency": 51 }, "provenanceScore": 58 }, "connect": { "install": "npm install radar-sdk-js", "http": "curl \"https://api.radar.io/v1/geocode/forward?query=20+jay+st+brooklyn+ny\" -H \"Authorization: $RADAR_PUBLISHABLE_KEY\"" }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/geo.geocode", "tool": "https://letme.dev/radar" }, "area": "everyday", "unitPrices": [ { "item": "Core Maps API calls, starting price", "unit": "1k-requests", "usd": 0.5, "note": "Geocoding, autocomplete, static maps, distance, directions, matrix (per element). Annual commitment, rate set by quote" }, { "item": "Premium Maps API calls, starting price", "unit": "1k-requests", "usd": 2, "note": "Address validation, places search, route matching, route optimisation, satellite maps. Annual commitment, rate set by quote" } ], "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Radar Labs, Inc.", "domain": "radar.com", "domainRegistered": "1994-12-16", "endpointOnVendorDomain": false, "terms": "https://radar.com/terms", "privacy": "https://radar.com/privacy", "statusPage": "https://status.radar.com", "changelog": "", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-10-09", "notes": [ "The privacy notice (last updated 13 May 2025) names Radar Labs, Inc., a Delaware corporation at 111 5th Ave, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10003.", "The Terms of Use (last updated 24 May 2023) cover the SDK and Radar's APIs and incorporate the DPA at radar.com/dpa. They describe a free version, which the pricing page says Radar does not have. Paid plans are by quote, and no enterprise agreement is published.", "The API answers at api.radar.io, a second domain. Nothing was sent to it, and its registrant was not checked.", "radar.com/.well-known/security.txt answers 404. The FAQ gives security@radar.com for reports.", "No API changelog was found in the docs index. The web SDK repository has dated release tags.", "RDAP gives 16 December 1994 as the registration date of radar.com.", "robots.txt answers on the day. radar.com 200 with a sitemap line only. docs.radar.com 200 with ai-input=yes. status.radar.com 200 disallowing /api/ and /embed/. dashboard.radar.com 200 disallowing every path. trust.radar.com answers the request with its page shell." ], "score": 58 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/radar.json", "live": { "slug": "radar", "probe": { "target": "https://api.radar.io/v1", "method": "get", "lastAt": "2026-10-10T01:38:03.858495583Z", "lastOk": true, "lastStatus": 404, "lastMs": 119, "authRequired": false, "uptime24h": 100, "uptime30d": 100, "p50ms24h": 124, "p95ms24h": 231, "samples24h": 102, "samples30d": 102, "days": [ { "date": "2026-10-09", "probes": 85, "ok": 85 }, { "date": "2026-10-10", "probes": 17, "ok": 17 } ] }, "vendorStatus": { "page": "https://status.radar.com", "indicator": "none", "summary": "All Systems Operational", "checkedAt": "2026-10-10T01:34:07.147754926Z" }, "versions": [ { "registry": "github", "name": "radarlabs/radar-sdk-js", "version": "autocomplete-v1.1.1", "released": "2026-09-14", "seenAt": "2026-10-09T17:15:51.370576682Z" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "radar-sdk-js", "version": "5.2.0", "seenAt": "2026-10-09T17:15:50.510226325Z" } ], "githubStars": 52, "npmWeekly": 62814, "pages": [ { "url": "https://radar.com/pricing", "kind": "pricing", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T18:44:14.0723216Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "22ff53a04e1c" }, { "url": "https://radar.com/privacy", "kind": "privacy", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T18:44:16.223416673Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "12f29204b40d" }, { "url": "https://radar.com/terms", "kind": "terms", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T18:44:18.136602575Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "411754a84910" } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-10T01:38:03.858495583Z" } }, "facts": [ { "a": "HTTP API", "b": "HTTP API", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "Google", "b": "Radar Labs", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "https://maps.googleapis.com", "b": "https://api.radar.io/v1", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "HTTP, Streamable HTTP", "b": "HTTP", "name": "Transports" }, { "a": "OAuth or key", "b": "API key", "name": "Auth" }, { "a": "Pay per use", "b": "Paid", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "$5 per 1,000 requests", "b": "not published", "name": "Price for geocoding" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "Apache-2.0 (client libraries)", "b": "Proprietary service under Radar's Terms of Use. The web SDK in radarlabs/radar-sdk-js is Apache-2.0", "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": "2026-09-14", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "2026-08-26", "b": "2023-05-24", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "2026-10-01", "b": "2025-05-13", "name": "Privacy policy last updated" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Customer content may train models" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms restrict automated access" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "yes", "name": "Terms or service can change without notice" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "yes", "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 Radar's 53.3 (D), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Radar leads on maintenance \u0026 community.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP or Radar?" }, { "answer": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP takes an API key or an OAuth sign-in. Radar needs an API key.", "question": "Do Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP and Radar need an API key?" }, { "answer": "Yes. Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP has a hosted endpoint at https://maps.googleapis.com and Radar at https://api.radar.io/v1.", "question": "Can an agent call Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP and Radar without installing anything?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": [ "Reliability, 85 against 70", "Schema \u0026 documentation, 77 against 50", "Agent ergonomics, 85 against 65", "Security \u0026 auth, 67 against 56", "Payments \u0026 pricing, 20 against 10", "Transparency \u0026 trust, 72 against 55" ], "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": [ "Maintenance \u0026 community, 77 against 50" ], "also": null, "goodFor": "A company that already has a Radar contract, or wants geofencing and trip tracking with geocoding and routing on one key.", "slug": "radar", "watchFor": "The pricing page says Radar has no free tier and every plan is an annual commitment set by quote" } ], "job": { "capability": "geo.geocode", "name": "Geocoding" }, "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-radar.json", "title": "Amazon Location Service vs Radar", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amazon-location-vs-radar" }, { "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-radar.json", "title": "ArcGIS Location Platform vs Radar", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-radar" }, { "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-radar.json", "title": "Azure Maps vs Radar", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/azure-maps-vs-radar" }, { "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-radar.json", "title": "Geoapify Location Platform + MCP vs Radar", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geoapify-vs-radar" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-here-location-services.json", "title": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP vs HERE Location Services", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-here-location-services" }, { "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" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/here-location-services-vs-radar.json", "title": "HERE Location Services vs Radar", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/here-location-services-vs-radar" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/locationiq-vs-radar.json", "title": "LocationIQ vs Radar", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/locationiq-vs-radar" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mapbox-vs-radar.json", "title": "Mapbox APIs + MCP vs Radar", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mapbox-vs-radar" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mapquest-vs-radar.json", "title": "MapQuest vs Radar", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mapquest-vs-radar" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/opencage-vs-radar.json", "title": "OpenCage Geocoding API vs Radar", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/opencage-vs-radar" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/radar-vs-stadia-maps.json", "title": "Radar vs Stadia Maps", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/radar-vs-stadia-maps" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/radar-vs-tomtom.json", "title": "Radar vs TomTom Maps APIs + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/radar-vs-tomtom" } ], "scores": [ { "by": 15, "edge": "google-maps-platform", "google-maps-platform": 85, "key": "reliability", "name": "Reliability", "radar": 70, "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 27, "edge": "google-maps-platform", "google-maps-platform": 77, "key": "schema", "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "radar": 50, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 20, "edge": "google-maps-platform", "google-maps-platform": 85, "key": "ergonomics", "name": "Agent ergonomics", "radar": 65, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 11, "edge": "google-maps-platform", "google-maps-platform": 67, "key": "security", "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "radar": 56, "weight": 14 }, { "by": 10, "edge": "google-maps-platform", "google-maps-platform": 20, "key": "payments", "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "radar": 10, "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 27, "edge": "radar", "google-maps-platform": 50, "key": "maintenance", "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "radar": 77, "weight": 7 }, { "by": 17, "edge": "google-maps-platform", "google-maps-platform": 72, "key": "transparency", "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "radar": 55, "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP scores 68.2 (B) on agent readiness against Radar's 53.3 (D), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Radar leads on maintenance \u0026 community. Both do geocoding.", "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.", "radar": "Radar documents 36 REST operations in Markdown with a rate limit on each, and its status feed shows two short API incidents in 90 days. Access is sales-led. The pricing page says there is no free tier, every plan is an annual commitment, and no OpenAPI description or API changelog was found." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-radar", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-radar.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-radar.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-radar.min.md" }, "markdown": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP scores 68.2 (B) on agent readiness against Radar's 53.3 (D), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Radar leads on maintenance \u0026 community. Both do geocoding.\n\n- Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP: grade B, 68.2/100, rank #227 of 950. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/google-maps-platform.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/google-maps-platform.json\n- Radar: grade D, 53.3/100, rank #713 of 950. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/radar.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/radar.json\n- Best maps, geocoding and places APIs for AI agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/maps/index.md\n- All 78 maps comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/maps/index.md\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 70\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 77 against 50\n- Agent ergonomics, 85 against 65\n- Security \u0026 auth, 67 against 56\n- Payments \u0026 pricing, 20 against 10\n- Transparency \u0026 trust, 72 against 55\n\nWatch for: A Cloud billing account with a payment method is required before the free caps apply\n\n### Radar (D)\n\nGood for: A company that already has a Radar contract, or wants geofencing and trip tracking with geocoding and routing on one key.\n\nAhead on:\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 77 against 50\n\nWatch for: The pricing page says Radar has no free tier and every plan is an annual commitment set by quote\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP | Radar | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 85 | 70 | Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP +15 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 77 | 50 | Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP +27 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 85 | 65 | Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP +20 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 67 | 56 | Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP +11 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 20 | 10 | Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP +10 |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 50 | 77 | Radar +27 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 72 | 55 | Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP +17 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | -2 | |\n| **Total** | | **68.2 · B** | **53.3 · D** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP | Radar |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |\n| Vendor | Google | Radar Labs |\n| Hosted endpoint | `https://maps.googleapis.com` | `https://api.radar.io/v1` |\n| Transports | HTTP, Streamable HTTP | HTTP |\n| Auth | OAuth or key | API key |\n| Pricing | Pay per use | Paid |\n| Price for geocoding | $5 per 1,000 requests | not published |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | Apache-2.0 (client libraries) | Proprietary service under Radar's Terms of Use. The web SDK in radarlabs/radar-sdk-js is Apache-2.0 |\n| Tools exposed | 5 | none |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | no |\n| llms.txt | no | yes |\n| Last release | 2026-08-06 | 2026-09-14 |\n| Terms last updated | 2026-08-26 | 2023-05-24 |\n| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-10-01 | 2025-05-13 |\n| Customer content may train models | yes | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict automated access | yes | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking | yes | yes |\n| Terms or service can change without notice | not found in the text | yes |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | not found in the text | yes |\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**Radar.** Radar documents 36 REST operations in Markdown with a rate limit on each, and its status feed shows two short API incidents in 90 days. Access is sales-led. The pricing page says there is no free tier, every plan is an annual commitment, and no OpenAPI description or API changelog was found.\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### Radar\n\n1. Send the key in the `Authorization` header with no `Bearer` prefix, and call `https://api.radar.io/v1`, not radar.com\n2. Use a publishable key for geocoding, search and routing. Keep the secret key for users, trips, geofences and beacons\n3. Call `/v1/search/autocomplete` for partial addresses and place names. `/v1/geocode/forward` is documented as best for complete addresses\n4. Set `units=metric` on routing calls. The default is imperial, with distances in feet\n5. Treat 429 as one of three things (rate limit, no state change or selective throttling) and 402 as usage exceeded. No Retry-After header is documented\n6. Do not keep geocoding, autocomplete or place results for more than 30 days\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP or Radar?\n\nGoogle Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP scores 68.2 (B) on agent readiness against Radar's 53.3 (D), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Radar leads on maintenance \u0026 community.\n\n### Do Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP and Radar need an API key?\n\nGoogle Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP takes an API key or an OAuth sign-in. Radar needs an API key.\n\n### Can an agent call Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP and Radar without installing anything?\n\nYes. Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP has a hosted endpoint at https://maps.googleapis.com and Radar at https://api.radar.io/v1.\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-radar.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-radar.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"google-maps-platform\", \"b\": \"radar\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare google-maps-platform radar`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/google-maps-platform.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/radar.json\n\n## Other comparisons with Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP or Radar\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 Radar](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amazon-location-vs-radar.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 Radar](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-radar.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 Radar](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/azure-maps-vs-radar.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 Radar](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geoapify-vs-radar.md)\n- [Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP vs HERE Location Services](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-here-location-services.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- [HERE Location Services vs Radar](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/here-location-services-vs-radar.md)\n- [LocationIQ vs Radar](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/locationiq-vs-radar.md)\n- [Mapbox APIs + MCP vs Radar](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mapbox-vs-radar.md)\n- [MapQuest vs Radar](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mapquest-vs-radar.md)\n- [OpenCage Geocoding API vs Radar](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/opencage-vs-radar.md)\n- [Radar vs Stadia Maps](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/radar-vs-stadia-maps.md)\n- [Radar vs TomTom Maps APIs + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/radar-vs-tomtom.md)\n", "meta": { "attribution": "Anchor Terminal (https://www.anchorterminal.com)", "docs": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/docs/", "generatedAt": "2026-10-10", "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 Radar", "url": "" } ], "description": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP scores 68.2 (B) to Radar's 53.3 (D) for geocoding. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP B 68.2", "Radar D 53.3", "scores" ], "h1": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP vs Radar", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-google-maps-platform-vs-radar.png", "path": "/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-radar", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "Google Maps Platform + Grounding Lite MCP vs Radar (2026)", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-09", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-radar" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2650, "slim": 730 }, "version": 1 }