Maps & Navigation · head to head
Citymapper vs Mapzen
Citymapper
Maps & Navigation
The ultimate urban mobility app for city commuters
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Mapzen
Maps & Navigation
Mapzen was an open-source mapping platform that provided geocoding, routing, and map rendering services
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
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.; Mapzen the vendor's own pricing page as captured by the Internet Archive on 2 January 2018 priced its mobility APIs on a free tier plus overage model: Turn-by-Turn navigation free for the first 5,000 requests per month then 50 cents per additional 1,000 requests, and Isochrone and Optimized Route each free for the first 100 requests per month then $1.50 per additional 1,000 requests; Mapzen shut down as a project in 2018 shortly after this capture and this pricing no longer applies to any live service
- They diverge on capability: Citymapper covers Multi-modal routing, Mapzen covers Core Functionality.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Citymapper and Mapzen actually diverge.
| Attribute | Citymapper | Mapzen |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Ios, Android, Web | Web |
| Founded | 2011 | Unknown |
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 Mapzen
- Core Functionality
- User Interface
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Citymapper
- Daily commutingnot Mapzen
- City explorationnot Mapzen
- Trip planningnot Mapzen
- Mobility as a servicenot Mapzen
Mapzen
No use cases recorded yet. See the Mapzen review.
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.
Mapzen
- The vendor's own pricing page as captured by the Internet Archive on 2 January 2018 priced its mobility APIs on a free tier plus overage model: Turn-by-Turn navigation free for the first 5,000 requests per month then 50 cents per additional 1,000 requests, and Isochrone and Optimized Route each free for the first 100 requests per month then $1.50 per additional 1,000 requests; Mapzen shut down as a project in 2018 shortly after this capture and this pricing no longer applies to any live service
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
Mapzen
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Mapzen 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.
Questions people ask
- Is Citymapper or Mapzen better?
- Neither clearly leads. Citymapper starts at Free and Mapzen at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Citymapper or Mapzen?
- Citymapper has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Citymapper and On request for Mapzen.
- Does Citymapper or Mapzen run on more platforms?
- Citymapper runs on Ios, Android, Web. Mapzen runs on Web.
- Can I use Citymapper for free?
- Yes. Citymapper has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Mapzen 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 Mapzen is typically brought in for.
- What can Citymapper do that Mapzen cannot?
- Citymapper covers Multi-modal routing, Real-time departures, Live bus tracking, Disruption alerts. Mapzen covers Core Functionality, User Interface.