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Maps & Navigation · head to head

What3words vs CesiumJS

What3words logo

What3words

Maps & Navigation

What3words has divided the world into 3m squares and given each one

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
CesiumJS logo

CesiumJS

Maps & Navigation

Open-source JavaScript library for creating 3D globes and 2D maps with support

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only CesiumJS has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: What3words the free API plan includes no coordinate conversion, only AutoSuggest, and is rate limited to 5 requests per second; CesiumJS the free Community tier does not permit commercial use

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which What3words and CesiumJS actually diverge.

Attributes where What3words and CesiumJS differ
AttributeWhat3wordsCesiumJS
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelfreemiumopen-source
Free tierNoYes

Identical on both: platforms (Web), 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 What3words

Nothing recorded that CesiumJS does not also cover.

Only in CesiumJS

Nothing recorded that What3words 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.

What3words

  • Referring to a 3 metre square location with three wordsnot CesiumJS
  • Adding location entry to a delivery or dispatch appnot CesiumJS
  • Converting between coordinates and what3words addresses via APInot CesiumJS

CesiumJS

  • Streaming 3D terrain, imagery and building data into web applicationsnot What3words
  • Tiling and hosting large geospatial and reality capture datasetsnot What3words

Where each one falls short

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

What3words

  • The free API plan includes no coordinate conversion, only AutoSuggest, and is rate limited to 5 requests per second
  • Converting to and from what3words addresses starts on the Basic plan at $9.99 per month for 1,000 conversions
  • Priority and developer support require the Standard plan at $45 per month
  • 24/7 phone support requires the Plus plan at $125 per month
  • Custom invoicing and annual payment require the Premium plan at $300 per month
  • Overage pricing is not published; the page states only that a fair usage policy applies
  • The three word address scheme is proprietary and licensed rather than open data

CesiumJS

  • The free Community tier does not permit commercial use
  • The cheapest commercial plan is $149 a month for an individual and $524 for a team
  • Team accounts are capped at 5 members on both the Commercial and Premium plans
  • Three separate quotas apply at once, being storage, monthly streaming and monthly reality modelling gigapixels, and exceeding any one of them constrains the account
  • Streaming is capped at 15 GB a month on the free tier

Pricing, plan by plan

What3words

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the What3words review.

CesiumJS

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the CesiumJS review.

Which should you pick?

Choose What3words if

Nothing in the data separates What3words from CesiumJS on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

What3words review

Choose CesiumJS if

  • You want to start without paying.
CesiumJS review

Questions people ask

Is What3words or CesiumJS better?
Neither clearly leads. What3words starts at On request and CesiumJS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, What3words or CesiumJS?
CesiumJS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for What3words and Free for CesiumJS.
Does What3words or CesiumJS run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use CesiumJS for free?
Yes. CesiumJS has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. What3words starts at On request.
What is What3words best used for?
What3words is most often used for referring to a 3 metre square location with three words, adding location entry to a delivery or dispatch app, converting between coordinates and what3words addresses via api. Of those, referring to a 3 metre square location with three words and adding location entry to a delivery or dispatch app are not what CesiumJS is typically brought in for.
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