Google Maps API vs Mapbox API

Two free Geocoding APIs compared on access, reliability and developer ratings, using data from our daily health checks.

The verdict

Choose Google Maps API for its data: Create/customize digital maps based on Google Maps data.
Choose Mapbox API if you want faster responses.

	Google Maps API	Mapbox API
What it does	Create/customize digital maps based on Google Maps data.	Create/customize beautiful digital maps. A free geocoding API by Mapbox.
Provider	Google Maps Platform	Mapbox
API key	Required	Required
HTTPS	Yes	Yes
CORS (browser calls)	Unknown	Unknown
Status today	Online · 1896 ms	Online · 532 ms
Uptime (30 days)	Up	Up
Developer rating	Not rated yet	Not rated yet
Price	Free / free tier	Free / free tier

Create/customize digital maps based on Google Maps data.

Millions of websites and apps use Google Maps Platform to power location experiences for their users.

Strengths

Create/customize beautiful digital maps. A free geocoding API by Mapbox.

Strengths

Prototyping or a tutorial? Pick the one that needs no API key (neither does, so compare their free tiers).
Calling from a web page? You need CORS. Otherwise route requests through your own server or a serverless function.
Going to production? Favour HTTPS, a strong uptime record and a provider with clear rate limits and terms. Check each API's docs before you commit.
Still unsure? Both are free to try: send one request to each and compare the data you get back.