Maps & Navigation · head to head
Citymapper vs PositionStack
Citymapper
Maps & Navigation
The ultimate urban mobility app for city commuters
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
PositionStack
Maps & Navigation
Free, developer-friendly geocoding API for forward and reverse geocoding with global coverage
- 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.; PositionStack the free plan allows only 100 requests per month
- They diverge on capability: Citymapper covers Multi-modal routing, PositionStack covers Core Functionality.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Citymapper and PositionStack actually diverge.
| Attribute | Citymapper | PositionStack |
|---|---|---|
| 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 PositionStack
- Core Functionality
- User Interface
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Citymapper
- Daily commutingnot PositionStack
- City explorationnot PositionStack
- Trip planningnot PositionStack
- Mobility as a servicenot PositionStack
PositionStack
- Forward geocoding addresses to coordinates via REST APInot Citymapper
- Reverse geocoding coordinates to addressesnot Citymapper
- Batch geocoding location data in a backend servicenot 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.
PositionStack
- The free plan allows only 100 requests per month
- The free plan is a personal licence, so commercial use requires a paid plan
- The free plan is rate limited, with an extended rate limit only from the Basic plan up
- Requests beyond the monthly quota are billed as overage, at $0.0003996 per request on Basic
- The lowest advertised rates require annual prepayment
- Enterprise volumes are priced by quote with no published rate
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
PositionStack
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the PositionStack 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.
Choose PositionStack if
- You need core functionality.
- You also want user interface.
Questions people ask
- Is Citymapper or PositionStack better?
- Neither clearly leads. Citymapper starts at Free and PositionStack at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Citymapper or PositionStack?
- Citymapper has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Citymapper and On request for PositionStack.
- Does Citymapper or PositionStack run on more platforms?
- Citymapper runs on Ios, Android, Web. PositionStack runs on Web.
- Can I use Citymapper for free?
- Yes. Citymapper has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PositionStack 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 PositionStack is typically brought in for.
- What can Citymapper do that PositionStack cannot?
- Citymapper covers Multi-modal routing, Real-time departures, Live bus tracking, Disruption alerts. PositionStack covers Core Functionality, User Interface.