Quick answer
It depends - Geoapify wins for most builders who want a simple, no-card free API tier with predictable pricing after that, while Mapbox wins if you need broader map and navigation products and can live with usage-based billing and a card on file.
How the free tiers compare
Geoapify and Mapbox both cover core location tasks, but they feel different in practice. Geoapify is a narrower API platform with a clean free allowance: 3,000 credits per day, up to 5 requests per second, multiple API keys, and no card required. Its paid path is straightforward too, with flat monthly plans starting at $59. That makes it easier to reason about if you are building geocoding, routing, or isochrone features and want cost predictability. Mapbox is much broader. Its free tier spans maps, navigation, search, tiles, and data products, with separate quotas for each. That breadth helps if you need a full location stack, but the pricing is more fragmented and usage-based. The free tier is generous in some areas, but it requires a credit card and costs can scale in uneven ways once you cross a product limit.
Geoapify Location Platform vs Mapbox free tier, side by side
| Geoapify Location PlatformFTV 71 | MapboxFTV 52 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier credits / requestsGeoapify uses a single daily credit pool; Mapbox splits limits by product. | 3,000 credits per day | Product-specific caps, including 100,000 monthly requests for several APIs |
| Requests per secondMapbox’s limits are product-specific in the provided input. | Up to 5 requests/second | Not stated as a single platform-wide quota |
| Commercial use on free tier | Limited commercial use | Not stated in the provided free-tier items |
| Multiple API keys | Yes | Not stated in the provided free-tier items |
| Credit card required for free tierOnly state this because the field is provided for both products. | No | Yes |
| Best-known starter paid optionMapbox does not provide a single flat starter tier in the input. | API 10 - $59 billed monthly | Usage-based pricing with free usage on several products, then per-unit charges |
After you outgrow the free tier
Geoapify moves from free to flat monthly plans, starting with API 10 at $59 billed monthly, then stepping up through higher-capacity flat tiers. That keeps costs predictable as usage grows. Mapbox is mostly usage-based in the provided data, with separate pricing for each product. That can stay cheaper at low volumes within free allowances, but once you exceed a product’s cap, costs rise with requests, users, or trips. For typical small-team use, Geoapify is easier to forecast; Mapbox is more flexible but less predictable.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Geoapify Location Platform | Mapbox |
|---|---|---|
| 100,000 Directions requests/moGeoapify does not publish per-request pricing in the input, so this is not directly comparable. | $59/mo or higher est. if using a comparable paid API tier | Free |
| 150,000 Directions requests/moMapbox calculation: 50,000 billable requests x $2.00 per 1,000 = $100 after the free 100,000. | $59/mo or higher est. | $100/mo |
| 5,000 requests/mo for a small routing appMapbox has separate free quotas for some products; Directions is free up to 100,000 monthly requests. | Free (within 3,000 credits/day and 5 rps limits, assuming the workload fits credits) | Free |
| 1,500 monthly active users on Navigation SDK v3.xMapbox scenario uses the plan with 100 free MAUs and $0.30 per MAU beyond that, ignoring trip charges if within the free trip cap. | $59/mo or higher est. | ~$450/mo |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick Geoapify Location Platform when…
- You want a free tier without entering a credit card.
- You are building against a smaller set of APIs and want one predictable monthly bill once you outgrow free.
- You need commercial use on a starter paid plan without navigating usage-based pricing.
- You care more about routing, geocoding, places, and isochrones than about SDKs and map rendering products.
Pick Mapbox when…
- You need a broader location platform that includes web and mobile maps SDKs, tiles, search, navigation, and data products.
- You expect to mix several Mapbox products under one account and are fine tracking separate quotas.
- You want free allowances for specific products like Directions, Map Matching, GL JS loads, or tile requests.
- You are comfortable with usage-based billing and have a card on file from the start.
Bottom line
For the most common builder scenario, Geoapify is the easier pick if you want to prototype and ship location features without a card and without modeling usage-based bills from day one. Mapbox is the better fit when you need a wider product surface, especially maps SDKs and several specialized APIs under one vendor, but you pay for that flexibility with more pricing complexity and a card requirement. If predictability matters most, Geoapify wins.
Read the full listings: Geoapify Location Platform and Mapbox. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.