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Maps · head to head

LocationIQ vs Potree

LocationIQ logo

LocationIQ

Maps

Enterprise-grade location APIs at affordable prices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Potree logo

Potree

Maps

Open source WebGL viewer for publishing very large point clouds in a browser

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: LocationIQ smaller ecosystem of integrations compared to Google Maps; Potree there is no vendor, no support contract and no service level, so anything you build on Potree is your organisation’s responsibility to maintain when a browser update breaks rendering.
  • They diverge on capability: LocationIQ covers Core Functionality, Potree covers Octree streaming.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which LocationIQ and Potree actually diverge.

Attributes where LocationIQ and Potree differ
AttributeLocationIQPotree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsAPIWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Maps).

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 LocationIQ

  • Core Functionality
  • User Interface

Only in Potree

  • Octree streaming
  • Large dataset rendering
  • Measurement tools
  • Clipping and profiles
  • Annotations
  • Attribute colouring
  • PotreeDesktop
  • Self-hosting

What people use each for

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

LocationIQ

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

Potree

  • A drone survey firm delivering a point cloud to a client who has no desktop software, by publishing a browser viewer link instead of a 40 GB LAZ filenot LocationIQ
  • A heritage or archaeology project publishing a scanned site for public access without paying per-gigabyte hosting to a commercial platformnot LocationIQ
  • An engineering consultancy embedding a point cloud viewer inside its own client portal without licensing a commercial web viewernot LocationIQ
  • A university or research group that needs measurement and profiling in a shareable viewer for a dataset too large to emailnot LocationIQ

Where each one falls short

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

LocationIQ

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

Potree

  • There is no vendor, no support contract and no service level, so anything you build on Potree is your organisation’s responsibility to maintain when a browser update breaks rendering.
  • Conversion is a separate manual step with PotreeConverter, and building an automated publishing pipeline around it is engineering work the project does not provide.
  • Rendering quality and performance depend on the client machine and WebGL support, so a client on a locked-down corporate laptop with poor graphics may see a viewer that stutters or fails outright.
  • A WebGPU rewrite, Potree-Next, is in progress and is not a drop-in upgrade, so current integrations face an eventual migration with no vendor to manage it.
  • There is no access control, user management or audit layer; anyone with the URL sees the data unless you build authentication around the static files yourself, which is a real problem for confidential sites.

Pricing, plan by plan

LocationIQ

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 5,000 requests/day
    • Limited commercial use with attribution
  • Maps Lite$45/month
    • 10,000 map views/day
    • Geocoding APIs
    • No routing
  • Developer$100/month
    • 25,000 requests/day
    • All APIs (geocoding, routing, maps)
  • Startup$200/month
    • 60,000 requests/day
    • Priority email support

Potree

Free
  • PotreeFree
    • BSD-style open source licence
    • Unlimited datasets and viewers
    • Self-hosted on any static web server

Which should you pick?

Choose LocationIQ if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on API.
  • You also want user interface.
LocationIQ review

Choose Potree if

  • You need octree streaming.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want large dataset rendering.
Potree review

Questions people ask

Is LocationIQ or Potree better?
Neither clearly leads. LocationIQ starts at Free and Potree at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, LocationIQ or Potree?
LocationIQ starts at Free and Potree at Free.
Does LocationIQ or Potree run on more platforms?
LocationIQ runs on API. Potree runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use LocationIQ for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is LocationIQ best used for?
LocationIQ is most often used for geocoding and reverse geocoding addresses at scale, store locators and address autofill in web and mobile apps, asset and vehicle tracking with route optimisation, serving static and dynamic map tiles. Of those, geocoding and reverse geocoding addresses at scale and store locators and address autofill in web and mobile apps are not what Potree is typically brought in for.
What can LocationIQ do that Potree cannot?
LocationIQ covers Core Functionality, User Interface. Potree covers Octree streaming, Large dataset rendering, Measurement tools, Clipping and profiles.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

LocationIQ: How much does LocationIQ cost?

LocationIQ offers a Free plan with 5,000 requests/day, Maps Lite at $45/month for 10,000 map views/day, Developer at $100/month for 25,000 requests/day, and higher tiers up to Business Plus at $950/month for 30M requests/month. All plans are billed monthly with 2 months free for annual prepayment.

Source
Potree: Does Potree cost anything?

No. It is open source and free. You supply the hosting, which for a static viewer is inexpensive.

LocationIQ: Is LocationIQ free?

Yes, LocationIQ offers a free tier with 5,000 requests/day, providing access to geocoding and mapping APIs. Free tier users must include attribution and cannot use for commercial purposes.

Source
Potree: Is there commercial support?

No. There is no vendor and no support contract. Support is GitHub issues and the community.

LocationIQ: What support levels does LocationIQ offer?

Free and early paid tiers receive best-effort email support. The Startup plan ($200/month) includes priority email support. Business Plus ($950/month) includes priority live chat support with dedicated AWS endpoints for improved performance.

Source
Potree: Who maintains it?

It originated at TU Wien and is maintained principally by Markus Schütz, with community contributions.

Potree: Can it handle very large clouds?

Yes, hundreds of millions of points, because PotreeConverter builds a multi-resolution octree that streams only what is visible.

Potree: Is my data private?

Only if you make it so. Potree serves static files with no built-in authentication, so access control is entirely your responsibility.

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