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Maps & Navigation · head to head

Citymapper vs Nominatim

Citymapper logo

Citymapper

Maps & Navigation

The ultimate urban mobility app for city commuters

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Nominatim logo

Nominatim

Maps & Navigation

Open-source geocoding tool for OpenStreetMap data, providing address search and reverse geocoding capabilities

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.; Nominatim the public API allows an absolute maximum of 1 request per second
  • They diverge on capability: Citymapper covers Multi-modal routing, Nominatim covers Core Functionality.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Citymapper and Nominatim actually diverge.

Attributes where Citymapper and Nominatim differ
AttributeCitymapperNominatim
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsIos, Android, WebWeb
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 Nominatim

  • Core Functionality
  • User Interface

What people use each for

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

Citymapper

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

Nominatim

  • Geocoding addresses to coordinates from OpenStreetMap datanot Citymapper
  • Reverse geocoding coordinates to a place namenot Citymapper
  • Self hosting a geocoder over an OSM extractnot 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.

Nominatim

  • The public API allows an absolute maximum of 1 request per second
  • Bulk geocoding must run in a single thread and cannot be distributed across machines
  • Scripts running longer than a day or on a schedule are limited to 4 requests per minute
  • Autocomplete search against the public API is explicitly prohibited
  • Systematic queries such as grid based reverse lookups and complete data downloads are prohibited
  • Reselling geocoding results or acting as an API intermediary is prohibited
  • Every request must send a valid HTTP Referer or User-Agent identifying the application, and default library headers are rejected
  • Results must be cached client side, and repeated identical queries can lead to blocking
  • Attribution to OpenStreetMap under ODbL must be displayed

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

Nominatim

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Nominatim 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 Nominatim if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You also want user interface.
Nominatim review

Questions people ask

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