Head to head
Mapbox vs OpenCage
As a maps & geocoding API, Mapbox rates higher on the APIbenchmarks Index, 88.8 to 74.8, a 14-point gap. Here is how they compare on each criterion.
Criterion by criterion
| Criterion | Mapbox | OpenCage |
|---|---|---|
| Documentation & DX | ||
| Reliability | ||
| Ecosystem & SDKs | ||
| Accessibility | ||
| APIbenchmarks Index | 88.8 | 74.8 |
Specifications
| Mapbox | OpenCage | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Customizable maps & nav SDKs | Pure forward/reverse geocoding |
| Free tier | 50k web map loads/mo + free geocoding tier | 2,500 req/day (free trial) |
| Pricing | Per 1k req / MAU-based | Per day req tier (subscription) |
| Official SDKs | 9 languages | 12 languages |
Is Mapbox better than OpenCage?
On the APIbenchmarks Index, Mapbox rates higher (88.8 vs 74.8). 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 14 points (88.8 vs 74.8) and wins 3 of 4 criteria; OpenCage wins 1.
Winner by criterion
| Criterion | Winner | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Documentation & DX | 90 | 80 | |
| Reliability | 85 | 65 | |
| Ecosystem & SDKs | 90 | 62 | |
| Accessibility | 90 | 95 |
Choose Mapbox if… / choose OpenCage if…
- →documentation & dx matters most to you (90 vs 80)
- →reliability matters most to you (85 vs 65)
- →ecosystem & sdks matters most to you (90 vs 62)
- →your use case matches its focus: customizable maps & nav sdks
- →accessibility matters most to you (95 vs 90)
- →you need broad SDK coverage (12 official SDKs vs 9)
- →your use case matches its focus: pure forward/reverse geocoding
Pricing side by side
- 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
- Model
- Per day req tier (subscription)
- Free tier
- 2,500 req/day (free trial)
- Free Trial€0
- X-Small€45/mo
- Small€110/mo
- Medium€450/mo
- Large€900/mo
- Enterprise€1,800+/mo
Vendor-published pricing, verified 2026-06-27 (Mapbox) and 2026-06-27 (OpenCage).
SDK and language coverage
Both · 0
None
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)
Only OpenCage · 12
PythonNode.js / JavaScriptJavaPHPRubyPerlMATLABCommand-line (CLI)Leaflet pluginMCP serverGo (community)Rust (community)
Strengths and weaknesses
- +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
- +Permissive open-data license: store and reuse geocoding results forever, even after cancelling, unlike Google/Mapbox
- +Predictable flat-rate pricing with soft daily limits (no surge charges or hard cut-offs for subscribers)
- +Single endpoint returns rich annotations: timezone, currency, calling code, sunrise/sunset, what3words, MGRS, confidence score
- –Pure geocoding only, no routing, distance matrix, map tiles, or rich place search
- –Coverage and accuracy thin in developing regions where OpenStreetMap data is sparse
- –Fixed subscription tiers rather than true granular pay-as-you-go billing
Mapbox vs OpenCage: questions
- Which has better documentation, Mapbox or OpenCage?
- Mapbox scores higher on documentation and developer experience: 90 vs 80 out of 100.
- Which is more reliable, Mapbox or OpenCage?
- Mapbox scores higher on reliability: 85 vs 65 out of 100.
- Do Mapbox and OpenCage have a free tier?
- Mapbox: yes (50k web map loads/mo + free geocoding tier). OpenCage: yes (2,500 req/day (free trial)).
- How are Mapbox and OpenCage priced?
- Mapbox: Per 1k req / MAU-based. OpenCage: Per day req tier (subscription).
- Which has more official SDKs?
- OpenCage lists 12 official SDKs, Mapbox lists 9.