Google Maps Platform is the default pick for most teams because it combines familiar maps, places data, geocoding and routing in one platform, with a Starter subscription at $100 per month for 50,000 calls. Mapbox is the best choice when the map itself must match a brand, with 50,000 free web map loads per month and full style control in Mapbox Studio. TomTom and Geoapify are the budget picks, with TomTom giving 200,000 free map tile requests per month and Geoapify giving 3,000 free credits per day with commercial use allowed.
Live maps software covers the platforms that draw an interactive map, turn addresses into coordinates, find nearby places, and route vehicles in real time. The products below are developer platforms rather than consumer navigation apps, so the comparison turns on free allowances, per-1,000 rates, and which services sit behind one key. Pick by the service you will call most, because a cheap tile rate means little if geocoding costs $5.00 per 1,000 requests on the same platform.
On this page
Best live maps software: comparison table
Swipe the table sideways on a phone to see every column.
| # | Name | Best for | Starting price | Free plan / trial | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Google Maps Platform | familiar maps, places data and routing at scale | $100 per month | Yes | Visit |
| 2 | Mapbox | custom styled interactive maps for developers | $5.00 per 1,000 web map loads after 50,000… | Yes | Visit |
| 3 | HERE | fleet, automotive and logistics mapping | $0 Base plan with 30,000 free transactions… | Yes | Visit |
| 4 | TomTom | traffic aware routing with a large free tier | $0 Freemium plan with 200,000 free map tile… | Yes | Visit |
| 5 | MapTiler Cloud | affordable custom basemaps for small projects | $25 per month | Yes | Visit |
| 6 | Azure Maps | Azure teams adding maps and geocoding | $4.50 per 1,000 transactions after 5,000… | Yes | Visit |
| 7 | Amazon Location Service | AWS teams adding maps, geocoding and tracking | $0.50 per 1,000 geocoding and place search… | Free trial (first 3 months) | Visit |
| 8 | Geoapify | low cost geocoding, places and routing on open data | $59 per month | Yes | Visit |
The 8 best best live maps software tools, in detail
Google Maps Platform
Best for: familiar maps, places data and routing at scale
Google Maps Platform is the most complete option on this list, and it is the one most users already recognise. The Starter subscription costs $100 per month and includes 50,000 monthly calls across Dynamic Maps and Geocoding, while Essentials costs $275 per month for 100,000 calls. On pay-as-you-go billing, Dynamic Maps costs $7.00 per 1,000 loads after 10,000 free loads per month, and Geocoding costs $5.00 per 1,000 requests after 10,000 free.
- One limit: the free amount is set per SKU, not per account, so heavy use of one service can start billing while another stays free.
- Text Search in the Pro category costs $32.00 per 1,000 requests after 5,000 free, far above the $2.83 per 1,000 charged for Autocomplete requests.
- Set per-API quotas in Google Cloud, because the platform has no automatic spending cap.
Pros
- 10,000 free Essentials events per month per SKU
- Places, Geocoding, Routes and Maps in one platform
Cons
- billing account and card needed even inside the free amounts
- per-SKU rates vary from $2 to $32 per 1,000 events
Mapbox
Best for: custom styled interactive maps for developers
Mapbox is the developer favourite for maps that look like the product around them. Mapbox Studio gives control over every part of the map style, and the GL JS library draws fast vector maps with 3D terrain. Billing is pure usage with no platform fee: 50,000 web map loads are free each month, then loads cost $5.00 per 1,000 in the first band and fall to $2.50 per 1,000 above 1,000,000 loads.
- Mobile maps are billed per monthly active user, with 25,000 users free and $4.00 per 1,000 after that.
- Temporary geocoding gives 100,000 free requests per month at $0.75 per 1,000 above that, while permanent geocoding, where results are stored, has no f
- That split matters for any app that saves addresses.
Pros
- 50,000 free web map loads and 100,000 free directions requests per month
- Mapbox Studio for full style control
Cons
- permanent geocoding has no free allowance and starts at $5.00 per 1,000 requests
- Search Box API gives only 500 free sessions per month
HERE
Best for: fleet, automotive and logistics mapping
HERE is the location platform behind a large share of in-car navigation and fleet systems, and it suits logistics work better than a general purpose map API. The Base plan costs $0 and includes 30,000 free transactions per month across geocoding, routing and base maps. Geocoding above the free amount is billed from $0.88 per 1,000 requests, and the Pro plan costs $449 per month with 1 million transactions included.
- The platform covers truck routing with vehicle dimensions, EV range routing, traffic data, geofencing and intermodal routing, which mixes driving with
- One limit: the pricing page spreads rates across several pages and asks larger buyers to start a conversation rather than showing every rate up front.
- Confirm the rate for each service before launch, because one map view can count as several transactions.
Pros
- 30,000 free transactions per month on the Base plan
- truck routing, EV range routing and traffic data
Cons
- pricing page does not show a full per-1,000 rate card for every service
- a payment method is required during onboarding
TomTom
Best for: traffic aware routing with a large free tier
TomTom gives one of the largest free tiers in this list, and it asks for no credit card to start. The Freemium plan includes 200,000 free map tile requests per month, 20,000 free geocoding requests, 20,000 free reverse geocoding requests, 20,000 free routing requests and 10,000 free Places Search Suggest requests. Matrix Routing gives 2,500 free requests per month.
- Above the free amounts, map tiles cost $0.08 per 1,000 requests, geocoding costs about $0.75 per 1,000, reverse geocoding costs $0.50 per 1,000 and Pl
- One limit: on the free tier, requests above the allowance are blocked until the next billing cycle, so a traffic spike can stop the map rather than ra
- It suits a store locator or a routing app that needs generous free volume and strong traffic data.
Pros
- 200,000 free map tile requests and 20,000 free geocoding requests per month
- no credit card needed to start
Cons
- requests stop when the monthly allowance runs out unless extra credit is added
- some data products are automotive only
MapTiler Cloud
Best for: affordable custom basemaps for small projects
MapTiler Cloud is the low cost basemap specialist, built on OpenStreetMap data with vector tiles, satellite imagery, terrain and geocoding through APIs that work with MapLibre GL JS. The free plan costs $0 and includes 100,000 API requests and 5,000 map sessions per month, with no card needed, but the MapTiler logo must stay on the map. A map session starts when a page with a map loads, and it covers unlimited tile requests plus 3D terrain, so interaction inside one session does not add to the bill.
- The Flex plan costs $25 per month and adds commercial use, higher quotas and support, while Unlimited costs $295 per month.
- One limit: the free tier is contractually non-commercial, so a production business site needs at least Flex even when usage stays inside the free numb
- It suits a side project, a prototype or a small site that needs a custom basemap at a low monthly cost.
Pros
- free plan gives 100,000 API requests and 5,000 map sessions per month
- map sessions include unlimited tile requests
Cons
- free plan is for non-commercial use only, so a business site needs Flex
- routing support is narrower than the routing first platforms above
Azure Maps
Best for: Azure teams adding maps and geocoding
Azure Maps fits teams that already run on Microsoft Azure, because maps, search, routing, traffic and weather sit on the same bill as the rest of the cloud account. Gen2 pricing gives 5,000 free search transactions per month, 5,000 free base map tile transactions and 1,000 free routing transactions. Above those amounts, each service costs $4.50 per 1,000 transactions, and 15 tile requests count as one transaction.
- The Gen2 change matters for cost planning: the Gen1 S0 tier priced geocoding at $0.50 per 1,000 transactions, and Gen1 pricing was retired on 15 Septe
- One limit: the pricing page shows free amounts but no dollar figures, so the $4.50 rate comes from the Azure retail prices list.
- Re-check the bill after migration if the account was on Gen1.
Pros
- 5,000 free search and 5,000 free base map tile transactions per month
- bills inside the same Azure account as other services
Cons
- an Azure account needs a card for identity verification before the free amounts apply
- Gen2 rates are $4.50 per 1,000 against $0.50 under the retired Gen1 S0 tier
Amazon Location Service
Best for: AWS teams adding maps, geocoding and tracking
Amazon Location Service is the AWS option for maps, places, routing, tracking and geofencing. Geocoding and place search cost $0.50 per 1,000 requests for single use, while the same call costs $1.50 per 1,000 with advanced fields such as contact or time zone data, and $4.00 per 1,000 when results are stored. Routes cost $0.50 per 1,000 requests and map tiles cost $0.04 per 1,000 requests.
- The free tier covers the first three months, with 20,000 core Places requests, 10,000 routes and 500,000 map tiles per month in that window.
- One limit: stored results are billed at eight times the single use rate, so caching addresses needs its own budget.
- It suits an app that already runs on AWS and needs device tracking or geofences next to its maps.
Pros
- map tiles cost $0.04 per 1,000 requests
- geofences, trackers and routing in one service
Cons
- storing geocode results costs $4.00 per 1,000 requests, eight times the single use rate
- free tier lasts only the first three months
Geoapify
Best for: low cost geocoding, places and routing on open data
Geoapify bundles geocoding, reverse geocoding, address autocomplete, places search, routing and map tiles into one credit based plan built on OpenStreetMap data. The free plan gives 3,000 credits per day, about 90,000 per month, with no credit card required and commercial use allowed as long as the map shows Powered by Geoapify plus the data source attribution. A simple geocoding, places or routing call costs 1 credit, and map tiles cost 0.25 credit each.
- The API 10 plan costs $59 per month for 10,000 credits per day, and the range runs to the API 250 plan at $609 per month for 250,000 credits per day.
- One limit: limits are enforced per day rather than per month, so a single launch day with 15,000 calls hits the ceiling even when the monthly total lo
- It suits a small team that wants one key, one credit currency and a free tier that works in production.
Pros
- 3,000 free credits per day with commercial use allowed when attribution is shown
- one credit covers a simple geocoding, places or routing call
Cons
- limits are counted per day, so one busy day can hit the cap
- isochrones are capped at 15 minutes on the free plan
How we chose
We included platforms with a live map, geocoding, routing or places service, an official pricing page, and a free tier or a published entry price. We did not test any tool hands-on. Prices and plan limits come from official vendor pricing pages opened on 12 November 2026, and the TomTom and Google pricing pages were read directly on that date. We left out consumer navigation apps and single purpose geocoding tools with no map. We did not use customer counts, awards or review scores to order the list.
Pick by monthly volume and budget
| Monthly use | Best pick | Why it fits | Cost to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10,000 map loads | TomTom | 200,000 free tile requests per month | $0 |
| Under 50,000 map loads | Mapbox | 50,000 free web map loads a month | $0 |
| Branded map, over 50,000 loads | Mapbox | $5.00 per 1,000 loads, first band | $5.00 per 1,000 loads above 50,000 |
| Fleet routing | HERE | 30,000 free transactions and truck routing | $0 to $449 per month |
| Small business basemap | MapTiler Cloud | Flex adds commercial use | $25 per month |
| AWS or Azure shop | Amazon Location Service or Azure Maps | Same bill as the cloud account | $0.50 or $4.50 per 1,000 requests |
| Low cost all in one | Geoapify | 3,000 free credits per day, commercial use allowed | $0 to $59 per month |
Frequently asked questions
What is the best live maps software for most teams?
Google Maps Platform is the best pick for most teams because it combines familiar maps, places data, geocoding and routing in one platform, with a Starter subscription at $100 per month for 50,000 calls.
How much does live maps software cost?
Costs range from $0 on a free tier to $1,200 per month for the Google Maps Platform Pro subscription. Google Dynamic Maps costs $7.00 per 1,000 loads, Mapbox web map loads cost $5.00 per 1,000, Azure Maps costs $4.50 per 1,000 transactions, and Amazon Location Service geocoding costs $0.50 per 1,000 requests.
Which live maps software has the largest free tier?
TomTom has the largest free tier for map display, with 200,000 free map tile requests per month plus 20,000 free geocoding requests. Mapbox gives 50,000 free web map loads, HERE gives 30,000 free transactions per month, and Geoapify gives 3,000 free credits per day.
Which is best for fleet and logistics mapping?
HERE is the best pick for fleet and logistics mapping because it covers truck routing with vehicle dimensions, EV range routing, traffic data and geofencing on one platform. The Base plan costs $0 with 30,000 free transactions per month, and Pro costs $449 per month with 1 million transactions included.
Which is best for a small business website map?
TomTom is the best pick for a small business website map, because the Freemium plan gives 200,000 free map tile requests per month with no credit card needed. MapTiler Cloud is a good second choice at $25 per month for Flex, which adds commercial use to its custom basemaps.
Do I need a credit card for the free tier?
It depends on the platform. TomTom, Mapbox, MapTiler Cloud and Geoapify start a free tier with no card, while Google and HERE need a billing account or a payment method during onboarding. Azure Maps needs a card for identity verification, and Amazon Location Service runs its free tier for the first three months.
Sources
- https://mapsplatform.google.com/
- https://mapsplatform.google.com/pricing/
- https://www.mapbox.com/
- https://www.mapbox.com/pricing
- https://www.here.com/
- https://www.here.com/get-started/pricing
- https://developer.tomtom.com/
- https://developer.tomtom.com/pricing
- https://www.maptiler.com/
- https://www.maptiler.com/cloud/pricing/
- https://azure.microsoft.com/
- https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/azure-maps/
- https://aws.amazon.com/location/
- https://aws.amazon.com/vi/location/pricing/
- https://www.geoapify.com/
- https://www.geoapify.com/pricing-details/
Prices and features were read on each company’s own website in November 2026. They change often, so confirm the current offer on the official site before you sign up or buy.