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Maps & Navigation · head to head

Citymapper vs LocationIQ

Citymapper logo

Citymapper

Maps & Navigation

The ultimate urban mobility app for city commuters

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
LocationIQ logo

LocationIQ

Maps & Navigation

Enterprise-grade location APIs at affordable prices

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Citymapper has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Citymapper citymapper's own App Store listing states live transit and turn-by-turn features work only in a named list of specific cities (New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and dozens of other listed cities), not globally, per the developer's own description.; LocationIQ smaller ecosystem of integrations compared to Google Maps
  • They diverge on capability: Citymapper covers Multi-modal routing, LocationIQ covers Core Functionality.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Citymapper and LocationIQ actually diverge.

Attributes where Citymapper and LocationIQ differ
AttributeCitymapperLocationIQ
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsIos, Android, WebAPI
Founded2011Unknown

Identical on both: pricing model (freemium), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Maps & Navigation).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Citymapper

  • Multi-modal routing
  • Real-time departures
  • Live bus tracking
  • Disruption alerts
  • Walking directions
  • Uber
  • Lyft
  • Lime

Only in LocationIQ

  • Core Functionality
  • User Interface

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Citymapper

  • Daily commutingnot LocationIQ
  • City explorationnot LocationIQ
  • Trip planningnot LocationIQ
  • Mobility as a servicenot LocationIQ

LocationIQ

  • Geocoding and reverse geocoding addresses at scalenot Citymapper
  • Store locators and address autofill in web and mobile appsnot Citymapper
  • Asset and vehicle tracking with route optimisationnot Citymapper
  • Serving static and dynamic map tilesnot Citymapper
  • Distance matrix and route planningnot Citymapper

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Citymapper

  • Citymapper's own App Store listing states live transit and turn-by-turn features work only in a named list of specific cities (New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and dozens of other listed cities), not globally, per the developer's own description.

LocationIQ

  • Smaller ecosystem of integrations compared to Google Maps
  • Less documentation than industry-leading platforms
  • Less brand recognition than Google or Mapbox

Pricing, plan by plan

Citymapper

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Multi-modal routing
    • Real-time departures
    • Basic navigation
  • Citymapper Premium$4.99/month
    • Live location sharing
    • Weather integration
    • Widgets

LocationIQ

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the LocationIQ review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Citymapper if

  • You need multi-modal routing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want real-time departures.
Citymapper review

Choose LocationIQ if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You work on API.
  • You also want user interface.
LocationIQ review

Questions people ask

Is Citymapper or LocationIQ better?
Neither clearly leads. Citymapper starts at Free and LocationIQ at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Citymapper or LocationIQ?
Citymapper has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Citymapper and On request for LocationIQ.
Does Citymapper or LocationIQ run on more platforms?
Citymapper runs on Ios, Android, Web. LocationIQ runs on API.
Can I use Citymapper for free?
Yes. Citymapper has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. LocationIQ starts at On request.
What is Citymapper best used for?
Citymapper is most often used for daily commuting, city exploration, trip planning, mobility as a service. Of those, daily commuting and city exploration are not what LocationIQ is typically brought in for.
What can Citymapper do that LocationIQ cannot?
Citymapper covers Multi-modal routing, Real-time departures, Live bus tracking, Disruption alerts. LocationIQ covers Core Functionality, User Interface.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

LocationIQ: How much cheaper is LocationIQ than Google Maps?

At 100,000 requests per month, LocationIQ costs $49 whereas Google Maps charges $500 and Mapbox charges $75.

Source
LocationIQ: What is LocationIQ's free tier?

LocationIQ offers a free tier with 5,000 requests per day. Paid plans start at $49/month for the Geocoding Lite plan.

Source
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Related pages

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