{ "data": { "a": { "slug": "locationiq", "name": "LocationIQ", "vendor": "LocationIQ (Unwired Labs)", "vendorUrl": "https://locationiq.com", "kind": "http-api", "category": "maps", "summary": "Forward and reverse geocoding, autocomplete, nearby places, directions, matrix and map tiles, from US and EU endpoints.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/locationiq", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/locationiq.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/locationiq.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/locationiq.json", "transports": [ "http" ], "remoteUrl": "https://us1.locationiq.com/v1", "packages": [], "auth": "api-key", "authNotes": "Access token passed as the key query parameter. Same API on us1.locationiq.com and eu1.locationiq.com.", "pricing": "freemium", "pricingNotes": "Free 5,000 requests a day at 2 a second, no card, with a prominent link back required. Maps Lite $45 a month (10,000 a day, maps only), Developer $100 (25,000 a day, all APIs), Startup $200 (60,000 a day), Growth Plus $500 (7.5 million a month), Business Plus $950 (30 million a month), Enterprise custom. Paid plans need a card (https://locationiq.com/pricing).", "priceSummary": "$100 / mo", "where": "hosted", "x402": { "level": "no", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": null, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-09-30" }, "docsUrl": "https://docs.locationiq.com", "llmsTxt": "https://docs.locationiq.com/llms.txt", "openapi": "https://docs.locationiq.com/openapi.yaml", "capabilities": [ "geo.geocode", "geo.reverse", "geo.places", "geo.routing", "geo.tiles" ], "tags": [ "hosted", "llms-txt", "free-tier", "no-card", "eu", "closed-source" ], "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 60.3, "grade": "C", "agentReady": false, "rank": 405, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 722, "categoryRank": 8, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 74, "maintenance": 3, "payments": 30, "reliability": 83, "schema": 78, "security": 55, "transparency": 61 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-01" }, "negative": 0, "verdict": "5,000 free requests a day with no card, commercial use allowed with a link back. No changelog, release notes or blog.", "bestFor": "A prototype or a cost-sensitive geocoding and routing job, with EU and US endpoints.", "strengths": [ "5,000 free requests a day with no card, commercial use allowed with a link back", "Public OpenAPI 3.0 spec and an llms.txt with Markdown pages", "Scoped tokens with referrer or IP restrictions and per-token rate limits", "No incidents posted between 2 April and 1 October 2026, with history back to 2018", "Error messages that separate per-second, per-minute and per-day limits" ], "weaknesses": [ "No changelog, release notes or blog", "Official SDKs untouched since 2020", "No MCP server", "Key only in the query string", "Free plan must delete cached results after 48 hours and gets a single token" ], "agentNotes": [ "Use eu1.locationiq.com for European users or data", "Add format=json and limit=1 to keep responses small", "On 429 Rate Limited Second wait a second, on Rate Limited Day stop until the next day", "Call /balance before a large batch to see what's left of the day's quota", "Redact the key parameter before logging request URLs" ], "metrics": { "kind": "remote", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 2, "avgRating": 4.5, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "C", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 60.3 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 74, "maintenance": 3, "payments": 30, "reliability": 83, "schema": 78, "security": 55, "transparency": 40 }, "provenanceScore": 82 }, "connect": { "http": "curl \"https://eu1.locationiq.com/v1/search?key=$LOCATIONIQ_API_KEY\u0026q=10%20Downing%20Street%2C%20London\u0026format=json\u0026limit=1\"" }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/geo.geocode", "tool": "https://letme.dev/locationiq" }, "area": "everyday", "unitPrices": [ { "item": "Developer plan", "unit": "month", "usd": 100, "note": "25,000 requests a day, 20 a second, all APIs" }, { "item": "Startup plan", "unit": "month", "usd": 200, "note": "60,000 requests a day, 22 a second" }, { "item": "Growth Plus plan", "unit": "month", "usd": 500, "note": "7.5 million requests a month, 30 a second" }, { "item": "Business Plus plan", "unit": "month", "usd": 950, "note": "30 million requests a month, 40 a second" } ], "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Unwired Labs (India) Pvt Ltd", "domain": "locationiq.com", "domainRegistered": "2005-09-20", "endpointOnVendorDomain": true, "terms": "https://locationiq.com/tos", "privacy": "https://locationiq.com/privacy", "statusPage": "https://status.locationiq.com", "changelog": "", "securityTxt": "valid", "checked": "2026-10-01", "notes": [ "The terms were last updated 31 March 2026.", "security.txt lists hello@locationiq.com and expires 2028-01-01.", "LocationIQ's own privacy policy is at locationiq.com/privacy, last updated 22 May 2020. The parent's page at unwiredlabs.com/privacy embeds a Google Doc our reader couldn't see.", "The status page's RSS feed holds 74 incidents from March 2018 to 2 April 2026.", "We found no changelog or blog." ], "score": 82 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/locationiq.json", "live": { "slug": "locationiq", "probe": { "target": "https://us1.locationiq.com/v1", "method": "get", "lastAt": "2026-10-08T21:12:14.319436746Z", "lastOk": true, "lastStatus": 403, "lastMs": 265, "lastNote": "asks for credentials", "authRequired": true, "uptime24h": 100, "uptime30d": 100, "p50ms24h": 244, "p95ms24h": 363, "samples24h": 271, "samples30d": 1955, "days": [ { "date": "2026-10-01", "probes": 109, "ok": 109 }, { "date": "2026-10-02", "probes": 248, "ok": 248 }, { "date": "2026-10-03", "probes": 271, "ok": 271 }, { "date": "2026-10-04", "probes": 272, "ok": 272 }, { "date": "2026-10-05", "probes": 272, "ok": 272 }, { "date": "2026-10-06", "probes": 272, "ok": 272 }, { "date": "2026-10-07", "probes": 272, "ok": 272 }, { "date": "2026-10-08", "probes": 239, "ok": 239 } ] }, "vendorStatus": { "page": "https://status.locationiq.com", "indicator": "unknown", "summary": "no machine-readable status found", "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T19:38:45.561625017Z" }, "securityTxt": { "url": "https://locationiq.com/.well-known/security.txt", "state": "valid", "expires": "2028-01-01T00:00:00Z", "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T15:38:48.841279687Z" }, "llmsTxt": { "url": "https://docs.locationiq.com/llms.txt", "ok": true, "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T14:00:34.902764232Z" }, "domain": { "domain": "locationiq.com", "registered": "2005-09-20", "source": "https://rdap.verisign.com/com/v1/domain/locationiq.com", "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T13:04:09.085884687Z" }, "pages": [ { "url": "https://locationiq.com/pricing", "kind": "pricing", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:21:39.579305298Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "8ef406b8d494" }, { "url": "https://locationiq.com/privacy", "kind": "privacy", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:21:41.692191486Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "f99922f73f1e" }, { "url": "https://locationiq.com/tos", "kind": "terms", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:21:44.384411994Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "13f087788a40" } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-08T21:12:14.319436746Z" } }, "answer": "LocationIQ scores 60.3 (C) on agent readiness against MapQuest's 35.1 (F), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. MapQuest leads on maintenance \u0026 community.", "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": "2026-10-08T21:12:14.909748924Z", "lastOk": true, "lastStatus": 404, "lastMs": 251, "authRequired": false, "uptime24h": 100, "uptime30d": 100, "p50ms24h": 262, "p95ms24h": 311, "samples24h": 21, "samples30d": 21, "days": [ { "date": "2026-10-08", "probes": 21, "ok": 21 } ] }, "updatedAt": "2026-10-08T21:12:14.909748924Z" } }, "facts": [ { "a": "HTTP API", "b": "HTTP API", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "LocationIQ (Unwired Labs)", "b": "MapQuest (System1)", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "https://us1.locationiq.com/v1", "b": "https://www.mapquestapi.com", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "HTTP", "b": "HTTP, Streamable HTTP", "name": "Transports" }, { "a": "API key", "b": "OAuth or key", "name": "Auth" }, { "a": "Freemium", "b": "Pay per use", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "none", "b": "Proprietary service. No API terms were found published without a login", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "none", "b": "2026-07-16", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "2026-03-31", "b": "no document linked", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "2020-05-22", "b": "no document linked", "name": "Privacy policy last updated" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "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": "4.5/5 (2)", "b": "none", "name": "Agent reviews" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "LocationIQ scores 60.3 (C) on agent readiness against MapQuest's 35.1 (F), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. MapQuest leads on maintenance \u0026 community.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, LocationIQ or MapQuest?" }, { "answer": "LocationIQ needs an API key. MapQuest takes an API key or an OAuth sign-in.", "question": "Do LocationIQ and MapQuest need an API key?" }, { "answer": "Yes. LocationIQ has a hosted endpoint at https://us1.locationiq.com/v1 and MapQuest at https://www.mapquestapi.com.", "question": "Can an agent call LocationIQ and MapQuest without installing anything?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": [ "Reliability, 83 against 23", "Schema \u0026 documentation, 78 against 47", "Agent ergonomics, 74 against 60", "Security \u0026 auth, 55 against 28", "Transparency \u0026 trust, 61 against 28" ], "also": [ "Free to start without a card" ], "goodFor": "A prototype or a cost-sensitive geocoding and routing job, with EU and US endpoints.", "slug": "locationiq", "watchFor": "No changelog, release notes or blog" }, { "aheadOn": [ "Maintenance \u0026 community, 23 against 3" ], "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-locationiq.json", "title": "Amazon Location Service vs LocationIQ", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amazon-location-vs-locationiq" }, { "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-locationiq.json", "title": "ArcGIS Location Platform vs LocationIQ", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-locationiq" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-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-locationiq.json", "title": "Azure Maps vs LocationIQ", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/azure-maps-vs-locationiq" }, { "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-locationiq.json", "title": "Geoapify Location Platform + MCP vs LocationIQ", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geoapify-vs-locationiq" }, { "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-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/locationiq-vs-mapbox.json", "title": "LocationIQ vs Mapbox APIs + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/locationiq-vs-mapbox" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/locationiq-vs-opencage.json", "title": "LocationIQ vs OpenCage Geocoding API", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/locationiq-vs-opencage" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/locationiq-vs-stadia-maps.json", "title": "LocationIQ vs Stadia Maps", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/locationiq-vs-stadia-maps" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/locationiq-vs-tomtom.json", "title": "LocationIQ vs TomTom Maps APIs + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/locationiq-vs-tomtom" }, { "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": 60, "edge": "locationiq", "key": "reliability", "locationiq": 83, "mapquest": 23, "name": "Reliability", "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 31, "edge": "locationiq", "key": "schema", "locationiq": 78, "mapquest": 47, "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "weight": 13 }, { "by": 14, "edge": "locationiq", "key": "ergonomics", "locationiq": 74, "mapquest": 60, "name": "Agent ergonomics", "weight": 13 }, { "by": 27, "edge": "locationiq", "key": "security", "locationiq": 55, "mapquest": 28, "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "weight": 14 }, { "by": 0, "edge": "", "key": "payments", "locationiq": 30, "mapquest": 30, "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 20, "edge": "mapquest", "key": "maintenance", "locationiq": 3, "mapquest": 23, "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "weight": 7 }, { "by": 33, "edge": "locationiq", "key": "transparency", "locationiq": 61, "mapquest": 28, "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "LocationIQ scores 60.3 (C) on agent readiness against MapQuest's 35.1 (F), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. MapQuest leads on maintenance \u0026 community. Both do geo geocode.", "verdicts": { "locationiq": "5,000 free requests a day with no card, commercial use allowed with a link back. No changelog, release notes or blog.", "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/locationiq-vs-mapquest", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/locationiq-vs-mapquest.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/locationiq-vs-mapquest.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/locationiq-vs-mapquest.min.md" }, "markdown": "LocationIQ scores 60.3 (C) on agent readiness against MapQuest's 35.1 (F), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. MapQuest leads on maintenance \u0026 community. Both do geo geocode.\n\n- LocationIQ: grade C, 60.3/100, rank #405 of 722. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/locationiq.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/locationiq.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### LocationIQ (C)\n\nGood for: A prototype or a cost-sensitive geocoding and routing job, with EU and US endpoints.\n\nAhead on:\n- Reliability, 83 against 23\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 78 against 47\n- Agent ergonomics, 74 against 60\n- Security \u0026 auth, 55 against 28\n- Transparency \u0026 trust, 61 against 28\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- Free to start without a card\n\nWatch for: No changelog, release notes or blog\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- Maintenance \u0026 community, 23 against 3\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 | LocationIQ | MapQuest | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 83 | 23 | LocationIQ +60 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 78 | 47 | LocationIQ +31 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 74 | 60 | LocationIQ +14 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 55 | 28 | LocationIQ +27 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 30 | 30 | even |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 3 | 23 | MapQuest +20 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 61 | 28 | LocationIQ +33 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |\n| **Total** | | **60.3 · C** | **35.1 · F** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | LocationIQ | MapQuest |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |\n| Vendor | LocationIQ (Unwired Labs) | MapQuest (System1) |\n| Hosted endpoint | `https://us1.locationiq.com/v1` | `https://www.mapquestapi.com` |\n| Transports | HTTP | HTTP, Streamable HTTP |\n| Auth | API key | OAuth or key |\n| Pricing | Freemium | Pay per use |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | none | Proprietary service. No API terms were found published without a login |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | no |\n| llms.txt | yes | yes |\n| Last release | none | 2026-07-16 |\n| Terms last updated | 2026-03-31 | no document linked |\n| Privacy policy last updated | 2020-05-22 | no document linked |\n| Customer content may train models | not found in the text | |\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| Agent reviews | 4.5/5 (2) | none |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**LocationIQ.** 5,000 free requests a day with no card, commercial use allowed with a link back. No changelog, release notes or blog.\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### LocationIQ\n\n1. Use eu1.locationiq.com for European users or data\n2. Add format=json and limit=1 to keep responses small\n3. On 429 Rate Limited Second wait a second, on Rate Limited Day stop until the next day\n4. Call /balance before a large batch to see what's left of the day's quota\n5. Redact the key parameter before logging request URLs\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, LocationIQ or MapQuest?\n\nLocationIQ scores 60.3 (C) on agent readiness against MapQuest's 35.1 (F), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. MapQuest leads on maintenance \u0026 community.\n\n### Do LocationIQ and MapQuest need an API key?\n\nLocationIQ needs an API key. MapQuest takes an API key or an OAuth sign-in.\n\n### Can an agent call LocationIQ and MapQuest without installing anything?\n\nYes. LocationIQ has a hosted endpoint at https://us1.locationiq.com/v1 and MapQuest at https://www.mapquestapi.com.\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/locationiq-vs-mapquest.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/locationiq-vs-mapquest.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"locationiq\", \"b\": \"mapquest\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare locationiq mapquest`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/locationiq.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/mapquest.json\n\n## Other comparisons with LocationIQ or MapQuest\n\n- [Amazon Location Service vs LocationIQ](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amazon-location-vs-locationiq.md)\n- [Amazon Location Service vs MapQuest](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amazon-location-vs-mapquest.md)\n- [ArcGIS Location Platform vs LocationIQ](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-locationiq.md)\n- [ArcGIS Location Platform vs MapQuest](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/arcgis-vs-mapquest.md)\n- [Azure Maps vs LocationIQ](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/azure-maps-vs-locationiq.md)\n- [Azure Maps vs MapQuest](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/azure-maps-vs-mapquest.md)\n- [Geoapify Location Platform + MCP vs LocationIQ](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/geoapify-vs-locationiq.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 MapQuest](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-mapquest.md)\n- [LocationIQ vs Mapbox APIs + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/locationiq-vs-mapbox.md)\n- [LocationIQ vs OpenCage Geocoding API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/locationiq-vs-opencage.md)\n- [LocationIQ vs Stadia Maps](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/locationiq-vs-stadia-maps.md)\n- [LocationIQ vs TomTom Maps APIs + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/locationiq-vs-tomtom.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": "2026-10-08", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "method": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/", "methodology": "0.4", "openapi": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/openapi.json", "preview": false, "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run" }, "page": { "breadcrumbs": [ { "name": "Home", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/" }, { "name": "Compare", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/" }, { "name": "LocationIQ vs MapQuest", "url": "" } ], "description": "LocationIQ scores 60.3 (C) on agent readiness against MapQuest's 35.1 (F), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. MapQuest leads on maintenance \u0026 community. Both do geo geocode. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "LocationIQ C 60.3", "MapQuest F 35.1", "scores" ], "h1": "LocationIQ vs MapQuest", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-locationiq-vs-mapquest.png", "path": "/compare/locationiq-vs-mapquest", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "LocationIQ vs MapQuest for AI agents, C 60.3 vs F 35.1", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-08", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/locationiq-vs-mapquest" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2100, "slim": 680 }, "version": 1 }