What is a free geocoding API in 2026?

Nominatim’s public instance is free with a strict fair-use policy (~1 req/s, proper User-Agent, no bulk scraping). Google and Mapbox offer free monthly credits/tiers, then charge. For production volume, self-host Nominatim or pay a hosted provider.

Can I geocode every keystroke from a webpage?

Not against public Nominatim. Debounce, cache, and preferably call from a backend that enforces rate limits. Browser tokens for Mapbox/Google must be restricted.

Nominatim vs Google vs Mapbox — which should I pick?

OSM/Nominatim when cost and open data matter and volume is low or self-hosted. Google when you need Places-quality coverage and already pay for Maps. Mapbox when your maps stack is already Mapbox.

API guides/Geo, weather, and places

FreeFreemium

Free Geocoding API Comparison (2026) — Nominatim, Google, Mapbox

Compare free and freemium geocoding APIs in 2026: Nominatim (OpenStreetMap), Google Geocoding, and Mapbox. Rate limits, CORS, commercial use, and copy-paste examples.

Check official docs

3 providers · 7 min · Limits change — verify before you ship

Geo, weather, and places

What this is for

Geocoding turns an address or place name into coordinates (and reverse geocoding does the opposite). In 2026 the usual shortlist is Nominatim (OpenStreetMap), Google Geocoding, and Mapbox. The public Nominatim instance is free but strict; Google and Mapbox are paid products with free tiers. Pick based on volume, commercial terms, and whether you can call from a backend.

Quick comparison (2026)

Confirm limits and pricing on each vendor’s current docs before you ship — free tiers change.

Provider	Free tier	Typical rate limit	API key	CORS / browser	Commercial
Nominatim (public OSM)	Yes (shared)	~1 req/s; fair-use policy	None	Prefer backend + User-Agent	Not for heavy/commercial SLA — self-host or buy
Google Geocoding	Monthly credit	Per project quotas	Required	Server / Maps SDKs	Yes — billed after free credit
Mapbox Geocoding	Monthly free requests	Per-token quotas	Required	Token + URL restrictions	Yes — usage-based after free tier

Prototype / low volume + OSM data OK → Nominatim (self-host if you grow).
Need Google’s place coverage and are already on GCP → Google Geocoding.
Already on Mapbox maps → Mapbox Geocoding keeps one vendor.
India PIN → post office mapping is a different job — see the Indian PIN code API guide.

Provider	Pricing	Key	HTTPS	CORS
Nominatim (public OSM)	Free	No key	Yes	Verify
Google Geocoding API	Freemium	Required	Yes	Backend only
Mapbox Geocoding API	Freemium	Required	Yes	Usually yes

Nominatim (public OSM)

Free

GET https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/search

Official docs

HTTPS

Yes

API key

No key

CORS

Verify

Use

Free tier

Limits. About 1 request/second on the public instance. Identify a valid User-Agent. No bulk scraping.

Commercial. Public instance is not a commercial SLA. Self-host or use a paid OSM geocoder for products.

Note. Read https://operations.osmfoundation.org/policies/nominatim/ before you ship. Reverse: /reverse?lat=&lon=&format=json.

curl -sS -A "PureDevKitDocs/1.0 (kasgroupapps@gmail.com)" \
  "https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/search?q=Bengaluru&format=json&limit=1"

Google Geocoding API

Freemium

GET https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/json

Official docs

HTTPS

Yes

API key

Required

CORS

Backend only

Use

See limits

Limits. Free monthly Maps credit, then billed. Enable Geocoding API on a GCP project and restrict the key.

Commercial. Allowed under Google Maps Platform terms. Check current pricing and attribution rules.

Note. Call from a server. Restrict API keys by IP or referrer. Do not ship unrestricted keys in a SPA.

curl -sS "https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/json?address=Bengaluru&key=YOUR_KEY"

Mapbox Geocoding API

Freemium

GET https://api.mapbox.com/search/geocode/v6/forward

Official docs

HTTPS

Yes

API key

Required

CORS

Usually yes

Use

See limits

Limits. Free monthly request allowance on Mapbox accounts; then usage-based. See current Mapbox pricing.

Commercial. Allowed on paid Mapbox plans. Follow token scopes and attribution.

Note. URL paths and response shapes evolve — confirm against current Mapbox Search / Geocoding docs. Prefer temporary tokens in demos.

curl -sS "https://api.mapbox.com/search/geocode/v6/forward?q=Bengaluru&access_token=YOUR_TOKEN&limit=1"

PureDevKit does not host or proxy these APIs. Pricing, rate limits, CORS, authentication, and JSON shapes can change without notice. Always confirm the current rules on the provider’s official documentation before you ship.

Frequently asked questions

Related API guides

Freemium

Free weather forecast API

Open-Meteo JSON forecasts with no API key for non-commercial use. Attribution required. Paid plans for commercial volume.

Free

REST Countries API

Country names, ISO codes, currencies, calling codes, and flags. Free, no key. Cache it — this is reference data.

FreeFreemium

Indian PIN Code API — Free Post Office Lookup

Free Indian PIN code API options: unofficial postalpincode.in for quick lookups vs official data.gov.in datasets. Step-by-step examples for post office, district, and state.

Free Geocoding API Comparison (2026) — Nominatim, Google, Mapbox

What this is for

Quick comparison (2026)

Nominatim (public OSM)

Google Geocoding API

Mapbox Geocoding API

Frequently asked questions

Related API guides

Related tools

JSON Formatter

URL tools

Time zones