The Google Maps alternative with no surprise bills
Compare maps.guru vs Google Maps Platform: pricing, free tiers, and what changed after March 2025.
| Metric | Google Maps Platform | maps.guru |
|---|---|---|
| Free tile requests / month | 10K/SKU (100K for Map Tiles API), global; 70K/SKU India$200 credit removed March 2025 | 50,000 tiles |
| Free geocoding calls / month | 10K (global); 70K (India billing) | 10,000 geocoding |
| Free routing / month | 5K (Pro SKU) | 10,000 routing (coming soon) |
| Paid tier (entry) | Starter $100/mo (50K calls, Maps + Geocoding only) | Pro $49/mo (1M tiles + 200K geocoding) |
| Paid tier (mid) | Essentials $275/mo (100K calls, 4 API families) | Pro $49/mo or ₹3,999/mo: same APIs, 10× cheaper |
| Overage billing | Yes, $5/1K geocoding (Tier 1) | None: hard quota, no surprise bills |
| India pricing | 7× higher free tiers (70K vs 10K) | ₹3,999/mo Pro: flat, global data |
Google removed the flat $200/month credit in March 2025, replacing it with per-SKU free tiers (10K for Essentials, 5K for Pro, 1K for Enterprise). Applications that relied on the $200 credit for usage beyond the new per-SKU limits now pay PAYG from call #1 in those SKUs.
Source: Google Maps Platform March 2025 Pricing ChangesYou must enable a billing account and attach a payment method before making any API calls. Even the free tier requires this. Unexpected usage spikes result in PAYG charges at $5/1K for geocoding Tier 1.
Source: Google Maps Platform Pricing OverviewDirections API, Distance Matrix API, and Places API (legacy) are now marked "Legacy". They remain functional but new features are exclusively in Routes API and Places API (New), which have different pricing and endpoint structures requiring migration work.
Source: Google Maps Platform Core Services Pricing ListJoin developers worldwide who trust maps.guru for their mapping needs. Start free, no credit card required.