Maps · alternatives
Alternatives to Foursquare Places API
22 maps tools sit alongside Foursquare Places API in this directory. Below is what separates each from Foursquare Places API on the figures we hold, price, model, tier count and rating, and a direct comparison for every one.
- Alternatives listed
- 22
- With a free tier
- 14
- Cheaper to start
- 0
- Foursquare Places API starts at
- Free
Why people look past Foursquare Places API
Nothing on the record flags a reason to move. Foursquare Places API has a free tier, and starts at Free against a category median of $149/month. People still switch over fit and workflow, and those are not things a catalogue entry can measure, which is what the comparisons below are for.
What each alternative does differently
Ordered by the aggregated rating on each catalogue entry. Differences are drawn from price, pricing model, tier count and rating, the fields the category listing carries. For a feature-level difference, follow the head-to-head link on each card: those pages read both full records.
Comprehensive set of APIs and SDKs that allow developers to embed Google
- Starts $100 a month dearer, at $100/month.
- 4 tiers to Foursquare Places API's 3.
Location data platform for mobile and web applications
Priced and rated the same as Foursquare Places API on the figures we hold. The difference, if there is one, is in the feature records.
Location data and technology company that provides mapping and location services to businesses globally
Priced and rated the same as Foursquare Places API on the figures we hold. The difference, if there is one, is in the feature records.
Serverless Python for geospatial: write a UDF, get a map tile endpoint and an HTTP API
- Starts $20 a month dearer, at $20/month.
- 4 tiers to Foursquare Places API's 3.
Long-running open source geospatial analysis engine for raster, vector and terrain processing
- 1 tier to Foursquare Places API's 3.
Hosted 3D geospatial tiling and streaming, metered by storage, streaming and gigapixels
- Starts $149 a month dearer, at $149/month.
- 4 tiers to Foursquare Places API's 3.
Every Foursquare Places API alternative at a glance
A dash means the catalogue entry carries no figure, not that the answer is nothing.
| Tool | Entry price | Model | Tiers | Head to head |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foursquare Places API (this page) | Free | - | 3 | |
| Google Maps PlatformComprehensive mapping solution with Places API, broader coverage, and established global infrastructure. | Free, then $100/month | Subscription | 4 | vs Foursquare Places API |
| MapboxFlexible map rendering with customizable styling, geocoding, and POI search with competitive free tier. | Free | - | - | vs Foursquare Places API |
| HERE TechnologiesEnterprise mapping platform with real-time traffic data and advanced location intelligence features. | Free | - | - | vs Foursquare Places API |
| Fused | Free, then $20/month | Per month by compute tier | 4 | vs Foursquare Places API |
| GRASS GIS | Free | Open source, no licence fee | 1 | vs Foursquare Places API |
| Cesium ion | Free, then $149/month | Per month by storage, streaming and gigapixels | 4 | vs Foursquare Places API |
| Google Maps | Free | Free consumer app, funded by Google's advertising business | 1 | vs Foursquare Places API |
| Felt | Free | Quote | 3 | vs Foursquare Places API |
| Potree | Free | Open source, no licence fee | 1 | vs Foursquare Places API |
| Emlid Studio | Free | Free of charge, no licence fee | 1 | vs Foursquare Places API |
| Atlas.co | Free, then $23/month | Per user per month | 4 | vs Foursquare Places API |
| Lonboard | Free | Open source, no licence fee | 1 | vs Foursquare Places API |
| SAGA GIS | Free | Open source, no licence fee | 1 | vs Foursquare Places API |
| Ride with GPS | Free | Freemium, per user per month | 3 | vs Foursquare Places API |
| ArcGIS Survey123 | On request | Per user per year by ArcGIS user type | 3 | vs Foursquare Places API |
| Correlator3D | $295/month | One-time purchase | 5 | vs Foursquare Places API |
| Leica Infinity | On request | Quote | 2 | vs Foursquare Places API |
| Global Mapper | $700/one-time | One-time purchase | 4 | vs Foursquare Places API |
| onX Maps | On request | Separate per-product subscriptions, per user per year | 4 | vs Foursquare Places API |
| Geographic Calculator | On request | Quote | 3 | vs Foursquare Places API |
| Agisoft Metashape | $179/one-time | One-time purchase | 3 | vs Foursquare Places API |
| ArcGIS Field Maps | On request | Included with an ArcGIS user type licence | 3 | vs Foursquare Places API |
Ratings are aggregated from third-party sources and imported with each catalogue entry; Softwr hosts no reviews of these products. How each figure is used is set out on the Foursquare Places API badges page.
Cheaper ways to solve the same problem
Free to start (14)
These publish a tier that costs nothing, so they can be evaluated before any money changes hands.
- Google Maps Platform , Free, then $100/month
- Mapbox , Free
- HERE Technologies , Free
- Fused , Free, then $20/month
- GRASS GIS , Free
- Cesium ion , Free, then $149/month
- Google Maps , Free
- Felt , Free
What you would be giving up
The record we hold does not list what Foursquare Places API is typically used for, so there is no honest way to enumerate what a switch would cost you from this page alone.
Two things this page cannot settle. It compares on price, model, tier count and rating, because those are the fields the category listing carries, feature-level differences need both full records, which is what the head-to-head pages load. And the ratings are third-party aggregates imported with each entry rather than reviews written here, so a 0.2 difference between two tools is noise rather than a finding.
If Foursquare Places API is broadly right and the question is cost, the Foursquare Places API pricing breakdown covers every tier and what each one adds. If you want the whole field rather than a shortlist, the Maps category lists everything the directory holds, and best maps tools ranks them.
Foursquare Places API runs on web, ios, android. Platform coverage is not carried on the category listing for the alternatives, so it is one more thing to check on each head-to-head page rather than here.
Questions about Foursquare Places API alternatives
- What are the main alternatives to Foursquare Places API?
- 22 other maps tools are listed in this directory, led by Google Maps Platform, Mapbox, HERE Technologies, Fused. They are ordered by the aggregated rating on each catalogue entry, not by any Softwr ranking.
- What is the best free alternative to Foursquare Places API?
- 14 of the alternatives listed here can be used without paying: Google Maps Platform, Mapbox, HERE Technologies, Fused, GRASS GIS.
- Is there a reason to switch away from Foursquare Places API?
- Nothing in the data flags one. Foursquare Places API has a free tier, and starts at Free against a category median of $149/month. Fit and workflow are the usual reasons to move, and those are not things this record can measure.
- What would I give up by switching from Foursquare Places API?
- The record we hold does not list what Foursquare Places API is typically used for, so the honest answer is to check the side-by-side comparison for whichever alternative you are considering. Each one puts the two full feature records against each other.
- Is there an open-source alternative to Foursquare Places API?
- None of the maps tools listed here are recorded as open source. That is what the licence field on each entry says, and the field is not always filled in, so it is worth checking directly for any tool you are serious about.
- How were these Foursquare Places API alternatives chosen?
- They are the tools filed in the same category, Maps, ordered by the aggregated rating on each entry. There is no editorial shortlist, and nothing on this page is paid: no sponsored placement runs on alternatives pages and the order cannot be bought. Softwr has not used these products.
- Where can I compare Foursquare Places API against one of these directly?
- Every alternative below has a side-by-side page against Foursquare Places API covering price, platforms, features and what each one is used for. Those pages read the full record for both products rather than the summary shown here.
- Does this list cover every maps tool?
- No. It covers what this directory holds in the Maps category, 22 tools beside Foursquare Places API. The category page lists the rest of the catalogue as it grows.