Using open data can significantly reduce your geocoding costs
Are you spending too much on geocoding?
If you are using only Google, the answer is almost certainly YES.What can you do about it?
For many use cases open data (for example OpenStreetMap) will meet your needs just as well as expensive data from providers like Google. Open data has many other benefits beyond just being radicaly more affordable, but it can be a bit complex to get up to speed with the open data ecosystem and tools. This is where a service like OpenCage comes in. We provide a highly-available, well documented, simple to understand, affordable geocoding API. You can use our API to completely replace Google, or in combination with Google. Many customers first try us, if they get an answer that meets their needs they are done, if not they use Google. In this way they can typically cut their geocoding costs by 80-90%.Some numbers
| Monthly geocoding API requests | Google geocoding pricing | OpenCage pricing |
| 100,000 | $300 |
$50
(x-small plan) |
| 250,000 | $900 |
$50
(x-small plan) |
| 500,000 | $1,900 |
$100
(small plan) |
| 1,000,000 | unclear, contact sales |
$500
(medium plan) |
| 10,000,000 | unclear, contact sales |
$1,000
(large plan) |
Notes:
- Google pricing taken from this page and assumes full use of the $200 monthly credit.
- Full details of OpenCage pricing.
- All prices are in USD, but at OpenCage we glaldy accept payment in many other currencies.
- OpenCage pricing assumes a monthly subscription, but is even more affordable via an annual subscription. We also offer one-time purchases.
- Unexpected surges will result in additional costs with Google, but do not with OpenCage. We win by being a stable, long-term partners for our clients, not by running a meter when they suddenly need a bit more.
- Last updated August 2020.