Maps & Navigation · head to head
PositionStack vs Foursquare Places API
PositionStack
Maps & Navigation
Free, developer-friendly geocoding API for forward and reverse geocoding with global coverage
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Foursquare Places API
Maps & Navigation
Access to the world's most trusted location data, including points of interest
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Foursquare Places API has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: PositionStack the free plan allows only 100 requests per month; Foursquare Places API premium endpoint features like photos and ratings require paid calls with no free option
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which PositionStack and Foursquare Places API actually diverge.
| Attribute | PositionStack | Foursquare Places API |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | freemium | Unknown |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web | Web, iOS, Android |
Identical on both: 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 PositionStack
Nothing recorded that Foursquare Places API does not also cover.
Only in Foursquare Places API
Nothing recorded that PositionStack does not also cover.
Both cover
- Core Functionality
- User Interface
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
PositionStack
- Forward geocoding addresses to coordinates via REST APInot Foursquare Places API
- Reverse geocoding coordinates to addressesnot Foursquare Places API
- Batch geocoding location data in a backend servicenot Foursquare Places API
Foursquare Places API
No use cases recorded yet. See the Foursquare Places API review.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Foursquare Places API
- Premium endpoint features like photos and ratings require paid calls with no free option
- Entry-level free tier ($200/month) may be insufficient for high-volume applications
- Limited real-time update frequency compared to enterprise solutions
- Requires API key management and developer portal familiarity
Pricing, plan by plan
PositionStack
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the PositionStack review.
Foursquare Places API
Free- Free TierFree
- $200 monthly free credits
- 500 free Pro endpoint calls
- Access to standard place data
- Pro Endpoints$0.00375/per call
- Basic place search
- Details and photos
- Premium Endpoints$18.75/per 1000 calls
- Photos
- Tips
- Hours
Which should you pick?
Choose PositionStack if
Nothing in the data separates PositionStack from Foursquare Places API on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Choose Foursquare Places API if
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
Questions people ask
- Is PositionStack or Foursquare Places API better?
- Neither clearly leads. PositionStack starts at On request and Foursquare Places API at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, PositionStack or Foursquare Places API?
- Foursquare Places API has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for PositionStack and Free for Foursquare Places API.
- Does PositionStack or Foursquare Places API run on more platforms?
- PositionStack runs on Web. Foursquare Places API runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- Can I use Foursquare Places API for free?
- Yes. Foursquare Places API has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PositionStack starts at On request.
- What is PositionStack best used for?
- PositionStack is most often used for forward geocoding addresses to coordinates via rest api, reverse geocoding coordinates to addresses, batch geocoding location data in a backend service. Of those, forward geocoding addresses to coordinates via rest api and reverse geocoding coordinates to addresses are not what Foursquare Places API is typically brought in for.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Foursquare Places API: How much free usage does Foursquare Places API provide?
All developer accounts receive $200 per month in free usage credits. After these are consumed, pay-as-you-go pricing applies. Pro endpoints have 500 free calls monthly, while premium endpoints have no free tier.
SourceFoursquare Places API: What data does Foursquare Places API provide?
Foursquare provides a dataset of 100M+ places across 200 countries with 50+ attributes per place, including venue details, categories, hours, ratings, photos, and tips.
SourceFoursquare Places API: What are the pricing tiers for premium endpoints?
Premium endpoints like photos, tips, hours, and ratings cost $18.75 per 1,000 calls with no free tier available. Pricing scales with usage.
Source