# NextBillion.ai vs Nominatim

> Nominatim scores 63.5 (B) to NextBillion.ai's 55.4 (C) for geocoding. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nextbillion-vs-nominatim
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nextbillion-vs-nominatim.md (~3,900 tokens)
- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (the key docs and every listing in one file, at most 16 MB, about 4 million tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (the whole catalogue as tools, no key)
- DNS: dig +short TXT <slug>.grade.anchorterminal.com (the grade as a DNS TXT record, for a sandbox with no HTTP where names still resolve; also top., best.<category>. and <a>.vs.<b>. under the zone, and the same under grade.letme.dev)
- Licence: CC BY 4.0, credit Anchor Terminal and link this page (https://www.anchorterminal.com/terms/#data)
- Updated: 2026-11-07

Nominatim scores 63.5 (B) on agent readiness against NextBillion.ai's 55.4 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. NextBillion.ai leads on schema & documentation and maintenance & community. Both do geocoding.

- NextBillion.ai: grade C, 55.4/100, rank #874 of 1510. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/nextbillion.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/nextbillion.json
- Nominatim: grade B, 63.5/100, rank #513 of 1510. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/nominatim.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/nominatim.json
- Best maps, geocoding and places APIs for AI agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/maps/index.md
- All 153 maps comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/maps/index.md

## Which one, for what

### NextBillion.ai (C)

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

Ahead on:
- Schema & documentation, 73 against 51
- Maintenance & community, 73 against 60

Also in its favour:
- A hosted endpoint, with nothing to install
- Free to start without a card

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

### Nominatim (B)

Good for: Self-hosted worldwide geocoding from OpenStreetMap data with no per-call cost or storage limits beyond ODbL.

Ahead on:
- Reliability, 82 against 45
- Payments & pricing, 60 against 20

Also in its favour:
- No key needed to call it
- Open source

Watch for: No OpenAPI spec and no llms.txt


## Why the edge

### Payments & pricing: Nominatim +40

- NextBillion.ai (20): No x402, MPP or L402 (0). Pricing is by quote, with annual licences per order, asset or API call and no published unit price (0). A 7-day free trial with an API key and 'No credit card required' (20). A person signs up through the console or emails support for a key (0). 0+0+20+0 = 20.
- Nominatim (60): Self-hosted rule. No payment protocol (0). Free software with nothing to buy (20 + 20 + 20). The public instance is also free and keyless, within its usage policy. 0+20+20+20 = 60.

### Reliability: Nominatim +37

- NextBillion.ai (45): Hosted lines, for the REST APIs at api.nextbillion.io and the hosted MCP server. A status page at status.nextbillion.io, 'NextBillion.AI API Status', renders only in a browser, and its Statuspage-style JSON paths return 404, so we couldn't see its components (10) or read any history. That's our limit, not a finding, and the rubric gives 5 (5). The API reference states 2,400 queries a minute, or 40 a second, for continuous requests (15). Each endpoint's error table lists 429 as 'QPM or API request count quota reached', with no Retry-After or backoff guidance (5). No SLA found; the terms say access isn't warranted to be uninterrupted (0). The REST APIs are GA. The MCP server is at version 0.5.3 (10). 10+5+15+5+0+10 = 45.
- Nominatim (82): Read with the local-software lines, since the listing is the Nominatim server an operator runs. The public instance at nominatim.openstreetmap.org belongs to the OpenStreetMap Foundation and its usage policy caps it at one request a second, so it isn't graded as a hosted service. Official packages nominatim-db and nominatim-api on PyPI (5.3.3 on 14 October 2026, Python 3.9 or later) and installation guides for Ubuntu 22 and 24 (20). A public CI workflow runs unit and BDD tests on every push across Ubuntu 24 and 26 with PostgreSQL 13 to 18, and Windows unit tests. We couldn't see run results (20). Issue counts and reply times couldn't be read because the GitHub API was rate-limited for us; Sarah Hoffmann made 76 of the 106 commits since 8 August (12). A ChangeLog per release and semantic version numbers (15). Version 5.3.3 (15). 20+20+12+15+15 = 82.

### Schema & documentation: NextBillion.ai +22

- NextBillion.ai (73): No OpenAPI document for the REST APIs was found in llms.txt or the docs. The hosted MCP server's 27 tools are defined with Zod schemas, so they carry typed JSON Schema inputs (15 of 25). llms.txt, llms-full.txt and a Markdown file for each docs page (10). Endpoint pages explain each parameter, and MCP tool descriptions say when not to use a tool, such as the geometry tools being straight-line rather than road distance (16). Parameter tables give types, allowed values and defaults, such as `types` and `limit` (default 10), though `in` packs several filters into one string (12). curl examples and a per-endpoint error table with causes (13). The MCP server has a dated changelog. No API changelog or versioned path was found (7). 15+10+16+12+13+7 = 73.
- Nominatim (51): No OpenAPI or machine-readable contract (0). nominatim.org/llms.txt returns 404, and the manual is HTML, though its Markdown sources sit in the repository's docs folder (0). The API reference explains each endpoint and parameter and when not to use one, such as the details endpoint being for debugging (14). Types, enums and limits are documented, such as format, layer and limit (at most 40), but there's no schema to validate against (12). Example queries and outputs per endpoint, with errors described in prose (10). A versioned manual per release, a ChangeLog and a migration guide (15). 0+0+14+12+10+15 = 51.

### Maintenance & community: NextBillion.ai +13

- NextBillion.ai (73): MCP server 0.5.3 on 30 October 2026 (30). Eleven tagged MCP releases between 7 October and 30 October, adding hosted mode, truck routing and geometry tools (20). Support by email, a public MCP repository with a changelog, but no public API changelog (8). The MCP server isn't in the official MCP registry, and we didn't check the mobile SDK versions (7). The MCP repository runs CI with unit and end-to-end tests (8). 30+20+8+7+8 = 73.
- Nominatim (60): Release 5.3.3 on 14 October 2026, 23 days before this check (30). Only one release in the 90 days from 8 August, against 106 commits on the default branch; commits aren't counted as releases (0). Commits from the lead maintainer and seven or more contributors since August, but we couldn't read issue reply times (12). The nominatim-api Python library is current with the server (10). CI on every push, current PostgreSQL and Python versions (8). 30+0+12+10+8 = 60.

## Score by category

| Category | Weight | NextBillion.ai | Nominatim | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 45 | 82 | Nominatim +37 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 73 | 51 | NextBillion.ai +22 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 77 | 75 | NextBillion.ai +2 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 46 | 50 | Nominatim +4 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 20 | 60 | Nominatim +40 |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 73 | 60 | NextBillion.ai +13 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 58 | 59 | Nominatim +1 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |
| **Total** | | **55.4 · C** | **63.5 · B** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | NextBillion.ai | Nominatim |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |
| Vendor | NextBillion.ai Pte. Ltd. | Nominatim project (osm-search) |
| Hosted endpoint | `https://mcp.nextbillion.io` | no (local only) |
| Transports | HTTP, Streamable HTTP | HTTP |
| Auth | OAuth or key | None |
| Pricing | Paid | Free |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | none | GPL-3.0-or-later |
| Tools exposed | 27 | none |
| Read-only variant documented | yes | no |
| llms.txt | yes | no |
| Last release | 2026-10-30 | 2026-10-14 |
| Terms last updated | no date given | no date given |
| Privacy policy last updated | no date given | no document linked |
| Customer content may train models | not found in the text | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict automated access | not found in the text | yes |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | not found in the text | not found in the text |
| Terms or service can change without notice | not found in the text | not found in the text |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | not found in the text | not found in the text |
| Popularity | none | 2.1k PyPI/wk |

## Verdicts

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

**Nominatim.** Nominatim is the open-source OpenStreetMap geocoder, free to run with a documented search, reverse and lookup API, tested releases and two years of security support per release. It has no OpenAPI spec, no built-in authentication, and the public instance allows one request a second and restricts LLM-suggested use, so agents at scale need their own server.

## Before you call either

### NextBillion.ai

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

### Nominatim

1. Don't send bulk or repeated queries to nominatim.openstreetmap.org; keep to one request a second, cache results and set an identifying User-Agent
2. Tell the user about the OSMF usage policy before suggesting the public instance, as the policy requires
3. For regular or large jobs, run your own Nominatim or use a commercial provider listed on the Nominatim wiki
4. Pass format=jsonv2 or geojson and limit, since omitting format sends the request to the web UI
5. Attribute OpenStreetMap and respect the ODbL share-alike terms when storing results

## Questions

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

Nominatim scores 63.5 (B) on agent readiness against NextBillion.ai's 55.4 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. NextBillion.ai leads on schema & documentation and maintenance & community.

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

NextBillion.ai takes an API key or an OAuth sign-in. Nominatim needs no key.

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

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

### Are NextBillion.ai and Nominatim open source?

No open-source release is listed for NextBillion.ai. Nominatim is open source (GPL-3.0-or-later).


## For agents

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

## Other comparisons with NextBillion.ai or Nominatim

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

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