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October 17, 2024
If you are an entrepreneur and thinking of getting an app developed you need to know how essential it is to choose the right API for user’s seamless interaction within your app. And one such essentiality is to choose the right map solution to meet the business needs.
From ride-hailing apps to food delivery platforms, maps display location-based data, calculate routes, and provide real-time directions.
Google Maps has long been the go-to maps and location data API provider – and it makes sense. Google’s solutions are strong and reliable, with a huge mapping data available for over 200 countries. However, as per the reports of the Economic Times later,
However, Google hiked its Maps API prices back in 2018, and developers have been turning to more affordable options like Map Box. But is it a worthy enough decision?
While integration of other map APIs is the cost-effective solution, will it match the business requirement?
Let’s find below in this article, we will compare both the APIs, Mapbox vs. Google API, to help you decide which one to use for your app. We will examine both services’ pricing structures, pros and cons. So you can choose the best API that fits your budget and business requirements.
Mapbox Vs Google Maps— The Key Difference
So, talking about the key difference between Google Maps and Mapbox usually depends on the customization, developer support, and pricing.
Mapbox provides dominant tailored and flexible pricing plans, making it ideal for projects that require unique map aesthetics and functionalities. Google Maps provides detailed data and a user-friendly interface with a simple pay-as-you-go pricing model, which is great for apps looking for reliable and extensive geographic coverage.
Here is a detailed guide on both, Mapbox vs Google Maps API:
🡆 Google Maps
The Google map is just an extraordinary API to integrate into an app. This is renowned for its huge and detailed database of places and decent routing. Including all the features of Google Maps stands in mobile app development.
These features include geocoding, pictures, routing, street view, and place information. Google Maps is available for public usage, which means your users are more comfortable using a map from Google due to its familiarity.
Map appearance can be easily tailored via the website. The utilization of the map itself is free, but you will have to pay to display places, their details, and directions.
Pros
- The first $200 of usage each month is free
- rich database of places with all the information about them
- geocoding (conversion of a location’s geographic coordinates into a human-readable street address and vice versa)
- Street view
- Routing
- Decent visual customization
Cons
- Heavy to render ( 1st time rendering freezes the app for a moment)
- Drains battery and needs workarounds to enhance energy consumption
- Markers and shapes are 100% static
- Routing is expensive
- Not open sourced
Apps that Use Google Maps:
- Uber
- Bolt
- Trip Advisor
🡆 MapBOX API
Mapbox is an iconic and flexible map API that can be integrated into APP development. Businesses can have full access to detailed location data to create and trailer dynamic and static maps with the help of Mapbox tilesets.
The tailored maps can be included within web applications with the provided JavaScript library or in mobile apps with the respective iOS and Android SDKs.
In fact, the reviews on Mapbox have been encouraging amongst many businesses. While Mapbox is not fully free, it has a free tier in its pricing packages that makes the service captivating for apps with a low user volume.
Pros
- Well organized documentation
- Visually-appealing base map
- Map customization is easy
- Simple to integrate in any app
Cons
- Steep learning curve.
- It’s not a free service.
- Geared towards larger projects.
- May disrupt existing background processes.
- The API is not customizable.
Apps that Use Mapbox
- Snap Inc.
- Shopify
So, we hope now you are aware of the Google Maps API vs Mapbox. Now it’s time to understand the Mapbox vs Google Maps pricing.
Mapbox VS Google Maps Pricing Model
Google Maps and Mapbox contain distinct pricing models that meet different user requirements.
Specifically looking at these pricing models businesses can decide what models fit best to their business requirements.
Want to know about the pricing? Here is a detailed breakdown of Mapbox VS Google Maps pricing:
Google Maps Pricing
Free Tier
This plan is limited to specific free requests per day. It typically includes basic features like normal maps, routes, and places.
Standard Pricing Plan
| Plans | Requests | Costing |
| Maps | Covers 28,000 free loads per month for Dynamic Maps | $200 monthly credit |
| Directions API | Per 1000 requests after exhausting the free quota | $5 |
| Geocoding API | Per 1000 requests beyond the free tier | $5 |
Note: High volume utilization can lead to significant costs, specifically in situations that demand more extensive map interactions and API calls.
Mapbox Pricing
Free Tier
This plan just provides generous limits that are suitable for development and small projects.
| Limit Type | Access |
| Map Loads For Web | Up to 50,000 map loads per month are free |
| Static and Raster Tiles API Requests | Up to 200,000 requests per month are free |
Paid Plans
- Map Loads For Web
| Loads | Costing |
| 50,001 to 100,000 loads | $5.00 per 1000 loads |
| 100,001 to 200,000 loads | $4.00 per 1000 loads |
| 200,001 to 1,000,000 loads | $3.00 per 1000 loads |
| Above 1,000,000 loads | Custom pricing available |
So, let’s understand this with the help of the example. Suppose a person takes monthly map loads of 60,000, they will have to pay $50.00 for the additional map loads 10,000 over the free tier provided by Mapbox as the first 50,000 map loads are free, and only the additional 10,000 map loads are charged.
- Directions API
| Requests | Costing |
| Up to 100,000 requests | Free |
| 100,001 to 500,000 requests | $2.00 per 1000 requests |
| Above 500,000 requests | Custom pricing |
- Vector Tiles API
| Requests | Costing |
| Up to 200,000 requests | Free |
| 200,001 to 2,000,000 requests | $0.25 per 1000 requests |
| Above 2,000,000 requests | Reduced rates and custom pricing |
How RichestSoft Will Smoothen This Situation
In the race of Google Maps API vs Mapbox, while some businesses prefer Google Maps for their apps, like Snapchat, Lyft, Accenture, and Alibaba, some apps choose Mapbox as their map APIs, for example, Hivestack, Channel Corp, Foursquare, and others.
However, whatever you choose, we at RichestSoft help businesses get any API— Google Maps vs Mapbox. We integrate map app programming interface providers that will enable you to add a fully functioning digital map to your website.
Choosing us in your custom mobile app development with Map API integration will help you stand out in your specific industry.
Conclusion
Overall, we hope now you can understand which API to choose for your business requirements. However, remember the choice between Google Maps VS Mapbox depends on the project’s particular requirements and budget.
Make an analysis of both platforms to identify which one meets your goals best. And remember to get in touch with the right mobile application development consulting company for a more productive integration.
