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Maps · head to head

MapQuest vs Potree

MapQuest logo

MapQuest

Maps

Free driving directions, live traffic updates, and road conditions for trip planning and navigation

From
On request
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

  • Only Potree has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: MapQuest subscription tiers cost more per transaction than the pay as you go rate at low volume, since $119 a month for 30,000 transactions is roughly $0.004 each against $0.0045 on demand; 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: MapQuest 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 MapQuest and Potree actually diverge.

Attributes where MapQuest and Potree differ
AttributeMapQuestPotree
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelfreemiumOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux

Identical on both: 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 MapQuest

  • 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.

MapQuest

  • Geocoding, routing and static maps over an APInot Potree
  • Adding directions and place search to an applicationnot 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 MapQuest
  • A heritage or archaeology project publishing a scanned site for public access without paying per-gigabyte hosting to a commercial platformnot MapQuest
  • An engineering consultancy embedding a point cloud viewer inside its own client portal without licensing a commercial web viewernot MapQuest
  • A university or research group that needs measurement and profiling in a shareable viewer for a dataset too large to emailnot MapQuest

Where each one falls short

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

MapQuest

  • Subscription tiers cost more per transaction than the pay as you go rate at low volume, since $119 a month for 30,000 transactions is roughly $0.004 each against $0.0045 on demand
  • The 50,000 free pay as you go transactions are described as available for a limited time rather than as a standing allowance
  • Plan allowances are monthly and do not carry over
  • Enterprise volume is custom priced

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

MapQuest

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the MapQuest review.

Potree

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

Which should you pick?

Choose MapQuest if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You also want user interface.
MapQuest 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 MapQuest or Potree better?
Neither clearly leads. MapQuest starts at On request and Potree at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MapQuest or Potree?
Potree has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for MapQuest and Free for Potree.
Does MapQuest or Potree run on more platforms?
MapQuest runs on Web. Potree runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use Potree for free?
Yes. Potree has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. MapQuest starts at On request.
What is MapQuest best used for?
MapQuest is most often used for geocoding, routing and static maps over an api, adding directions and place search to an application. Of those, geocoding, routing and static maps over an api and adding directions and place search to an application are not what Potree is typically brought in for.
What can MapQuest do that Potree cannot?
MapQuest covers Core Functionality, User Interface. Potree covers Octree streaming, Large dataset rendering, Measurement tools, Clipping and profiles.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

MapQuest: What is the cheapest way to use MapQuest APIs?

The MapQuestGO plan offers 50,000 free transactions for a limited time, then charges $0.0045 per transaction. Monthly subscription plans start at $119/month for 30,000 transactions.

Source
Potree: Does Potree cost anything?

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

MapQuest: Can I cache or store geocoding results on a monthly MapQuest plan?

No. Storing or caching geocodes is not allowed on monthly plans. Only Enterprise accounts can store geocodes off-map with the Extended Rights Geocoding feature.

Source
Potree: Is there commercial support?

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

MapQuest: What happens if I exceed my MapQuest monthly transaction limit?

The MapQuest pricing page does not specify overage charges. Users can modify their plan selection from their account dashboard at any time to scale up.

Source
Potree: Who maintains it?

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

MapQuest: Can I change my MapQuest plan mid-cycle?

Yes. Users can modify their plan selection from their account dashboard at any time, making it easy to scale as needs evolve.

Source
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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