Quick answer
Geocodify - Geocodify wins for most builders because its free tier is much larger and already allows commercial use, while Positionstack is better only if you need a no-card, personal-use starter with very light traffic.
How the free tiers compare
These two free tiers are aimed at different stages of use. Geocodify gives you a real working allowance for a production-minded project: 30,000 calls per month, 1 request per second, commercial use, and attribution required. That makes it useful for small apps, internal tools, and early customer-facing features where you want to test actual volume without immediately paying. Positionstack is much smaller at 100 requests per month and is explicitly personal use only on the free plan, so it fits demos, prototypes, or hobby projects, not most app launches. After the free tier, Geocodify stays flat-priced and simple. Positionstack moves into usage-based paid plans with overage charges, so costs scale more directly with request volume.
Geocodify vs Positionstack free tier, side by side
| GeocodifyFTV 60 | PositionstackFTV 46 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free monthly requests/callsGeocodify’s free tier is far larger. | 30,000 calls/month | 100 requests/month |
| Rate limit | 1 request/second | Not stated in the provided free-tier data |
| Commercial use on free tierThis is the biggest practical difference for builders. | Allowed | Not allowed; personal use only |
| Attribution requirement | Required | Not stated in the provided free-tier data |
| Support on free tier | Community support included | No support included |
| Credit card requiredOnly state this for Positionstack because the field is present. | Unknown | No |
After you outgrow the free tier
Geocodify’s paid path is flat subscription pricing: Starter at $49/month, then Business at $150/month, with Enterprise quoted separately. Positionstack uses usage-based pricing: Basic at $9.99/month plus overage, then Professional at $49.99/month, Business at $99.99/month, and Enterprise by quote. For typical small-team usage, Geocodify is simpler but jumps sooner to a meaningful monthly fee. Positionstack starts cheaper, but once request volume grows, overage and higher tiers make the bill depend much more on usage.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Geocodify | Positionstack |
|---|---|---|
| 100k requests/calls per monthPositionstack’s Basic plan includes 100,000 requests/month and charges $0.0003996 per extra request. | Starter - $49/mo | $9.99/mo base, plus overage if above 100,000 requests |
| 300k requests/calls per monthPositionstack estimate: $9.99 + 200,000 overage requests at $0.0003996 each. | Starter - $49/mo | ~$89.91/mo est. |
| 1M requests/calls per monthPositionstack Professional includes 1,000,000 requests/month. Geocodify’s Business tier includes 700,000 calls/month, so 1M calls would exceed it. | Business - $150/mo | $49.99/mo |
| 3M requests/calls per monthPositionstack Business includes 3,000,000 requests/month and then charges $0.00013332 per extra request. | Enterprise - contact sales / $4,000/year listed | $99.99/mo |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick Geocodify when…
- You want a free geocoding API you can use in a commercial project.
- You need enough volume to test a real app or internal workflow, not just a demo.
- You want a free tier with 30,000 monthly calls and 1 request per second.
- You are fine with attribution in exchange for a much larger allowance.
- You expect to move into a simple flat monthly plan if you outgrow free.
Pick Positionstack when…
- You only need a tiny free allowance for a personal project or prototype.
- You want a free tier with no credit card requirement stated in the listing.
- You need forward and reverse geocoding for a non-commercial use case.
- You are okay with 100 requests per month and no support on free.
- You want a usage-based paid path where cost tracks request volume more directly.
Bottom line
For the most common builder use case, Geocodify is the better free-tier pick because it gives you enough room to build something real and still allows commercial use. Positionstack is the better choice only when your needs are tiny and personal, or when you value no-card access and a low-priced entry plan more than free-tier breadth. If you expect traffic, Geocodify’s larger free allowance matters much more than Positionstack’s smaller starting price after free.
Read the full listings: Geocodify and Positionstack. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.