Softwr

Maps & Navigation · head to head

Citymapper vs TomTom Developer Portal

Citymapper logo

Citymapper

Maps & Navigation

The ultimate urban mobility app for city commuters

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
T

TomTom Developer Portal

Maps & Navigation

TomTom provides mapping and traffic APIs, SDKs, and data products for developers

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.; TomTom Developer Portal default rate limits on self-serve plans are modest at approximately 5 requests per second; higher limits require contracts
  • They diverge on capability: Citymapper covers Multi-modal routing, TomTom Developer Portal covers Core Functionality.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Citymapper and TomTom Developer Portal actually diverge.

Attributes where Citymapper and TomTom Developer Portal differ
AttributeCitymapperTomTom Developer Portal
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsIos, Android, WebWeb, iOS, Android
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 TomTom Developer Portal

  • Core Functionality
  • User Interface

What people use each for

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

Citymapper

  • Daily commutingnot TomTom Developer Portal
  • City explorationnot TomTom Developer Portal
  • Trip planningnot TomTom Developer Portal
  • Mobility as a servicenot TomTom Developer Portal

TomTom Developer Portal

No use cases recorded yet. See the TomTom Developer Portal 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.

TomTom Developer Portal

  • Default rate limits on self-serve plans are modest at approximately 5 requests per second; higher limits require contracts
  • Limited POI rich media compared to Google Places; no reviews, photos, or user-generated content
  • Smaller developer community with fewer tutorials and Stack Overflow answers than Google or Mapbox
  • No official Flutter SDK; developers must use third-party plugins for Flutter integration
  • Maps SDK for Web v6 deprecated as of February 2026 with migration required to newer SDK

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

TomTom Developer Portal

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the TomTom Developer Portal 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 TomTom Developer Portal if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want user interface.
TomTom Developer Portal review

Questions people ask

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

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

TomTom Developer Portal: Does TomTom Developer Portal have a free tier?

Yes. TomTom offers a freemium plan with 50,000 tile requests plus 2,500 non-tile requests daily at no cost with no credit card required, and commercial use is permitted.

Source
TomTom Developer Portal: What APIs does TomTom provide?

TomTom provides REST APIs for Maps (display raster or vector maps), Navigation (routing and turn-by-turn), Places (geocoding and POI search), and Traffic (real-time flow and incidents), plus JavaScript SDK and mobile SDKs.

Source
TomTom Developer Portal: What JavaScript SDKs are available?

TomTom provides Maps SDK for JavaScript with TypeScript support, a Services library as a wrapper for REST APIs, and mobile integration through NativeScript WebView for iOS and Android.

ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Citymapper

More on TomTom Developer Portal

Keep looking

Other head to heads