Head to head
Geoapify vs Mapbox
As a maps & geocoding API, Mapbox rates higher on the APIbenchmarks Index, 88.8 to 72.4, a 16.4-point gap. Here is how they compare on each criterion.
Criterion by criterion
| Criterion | Geoapify | Mapbox |
|---|---|---|
| Documentation & DX | ||
| Reliability | ||
| Ecosystem & SDKs | ||
| Accessibility | ||
| APIbenchmarks Index | 72.4 | 88.8 |
Specifications
| Geoapify | Mapbox | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Affordable OSM-based geocoding & maps | Customizable maps & nav SDKs |
| Free tier | 3k credits/day (free plan) | 50k web map loads/mo + free geocoding tier |
| Pricing | Per credit (per req) | Per 1k req / MAU-based |
| Official SDKs | 9 languages | 9 languages |
Is Geoapify better than Mapbox?
On the APIbenchmarks Index, Mapbox rates higher (88.8 vs 72.4). It leads on the four weighted criteria, but price is reported separately, so the best choice still depends on your budget.
Verdict in one line
Mapbox leads by 16.4 points (88.8 vs 72.4) and wins 3 of 4 criteria; Geoapify wins 1.
Winner by criterion
| Criterion | Winner | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Documentation & DX | 75 | 90 | |
| Reliability | 68 | 85 | |
| Ecosystem & SDKs | 58 | 90 | |
| Accessibility | 92 | 90 |
Choose Geoapify if… / choose Mapbox if…
- →accessibility matters most to you (92 vs 90)
- →your use case matches its focus: affordable osm-based geocoding & maps
- →documentation & dx matters most to you (90 vs 75)
- →reliability matters most to you (85 vs 68)
- →ecosystem & sdks matters most to you (90 vs 58)
- →your use case matches its focus: customizable maps & nav sdks
Pricing side by side
- Model
- Per credit (per req)
- Free tier
- 3k credits/day (free plan)
- Free$0/mo
- API 10$59/mo
- API 25$109/mo
- API 50$179/mo
- API 100$299/mo
- API 250 / Custom$609/mo; Custom from $860/mo
- Model
- Per 1k req / MAU-based
- Free tier
- 50k web map loads/mo + free geocoding tier
- Map Loads (GL JS web)Free up to 50,000/mo, then $5.00 per 1,000
- Temporary GeocodingFree up to 100,000/mo, then $0.75 per 1,000
- Permanent Geocoding$5.00 per 1,000 (no free tier)
- Directions APIFree up to 100,000/mo, then $2.00 per 1,000
- Static ImagesFree up to 50,000/mo, then $1.00 per 1,000
- Mobile Maps SDK (MAU)Free up to 25,000 MAU/mo, then $4.00 per 1,000
Vendor-published pricing, verified 2026-06-27 (Geoapify) and 2026-06-27 (Mapbox).
SDK and language coverage
Both · 0
None
Only Geoapify · 9
JavaScript / TypeScript (Geocoder Autocomplete library)React (@geoapify component wrappers)Angular (component wrappers)Node.js (Route Planner SDK, code samples)Python (official code samples)Leaflet integrationMapLibre GL integrationOpenLayers integrationQGIS integration
Only Mapbox · 9
Mapbox GL JS (JavaScript/Web)Maps SDK for iOS (Swift/Objective-C)Maps SDK for Android (Kotlin/Java)Navigation SDK for iOSNavigation SDK for AndroidMapbox Unity SDKGL Native (C++ core; Node.js, Qt, macOS)React Native (community-maintained rnmapbox/maps wrapper)Mapbox Turf (geospatial analysis JS library)
Strengths and weaknesses
- +Cache-friendly licensing: OSM-based data may be stored/cached, unlike Google Maps which forbids it
- +Unified, predictable credit pricing (1 geocoding request = 1 credit; map tiles = 0.25 credit) across all APIs
- +Generous no-credit-card free tier (3,000 credits/day) usable for prototypes and light production
- –OSM-backed accuracy can trail Google for rooftop precision and some addresses fail to resolve
- –Lower tiers cap rate at 5-15 req/s, which can bottleneck very large dataset processing
- –Modest 99.5% SLA and no prominent public real-time status page for transparent uptime reporting
- +Deep map customization via Mapbox Studio and GL JS/GL Native - control over styles, fonts, colors, and layers down to the vector-tile level
- +Fast, smooth WebGL/vector-tile rendering that reviewers describe as snappy even with heavy custom maps
- +Generous free tier (50K web map loads, 100K geocoding and directions requests, 25K mobile MAU monthly)
- –Geocoding accuracy trails Google, especially for small villages and rooftop-level precision outside North America and Western Europe
- –No hard spending caps - each API bills independently with unlimited financial exposure, producing documented bill-shock cases
- –Cost modeling at scale is complex because web map loads, mobile MAU, geocoding, directions, and search all meter and bill separately
Geoapify vs Mapbox: questions
- Which has better documentation, Geoapify or Mapbox?
- Mapbox scores higher on documentation and developer experience: 90 vs 75 out of 100.
- Which is more reliable, Geoapify or Mapbox?
- Mapbox scores higher on reliability: 85 vs 68 out of 100.
- Do Geoapify and Mapbox have a free tier?
- Geoapify: yes (3k credits/day (free plan)). Mapbox: yes (50k web map loads/mo + free geocoding tier).
- How are Geoapify and Mapbox priced?
- Geoapify: Per credit (per req). Mapbox: Per 1k req / MAU-based.
- Which has more official SDKs?
- Both list 9 official SDKs.