Geocodio | Smarty (SmartyStreets) | Google Maps | Azure Maps (Bing) | Here | Mapbox | TomTom | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Free Lookups | 2,500/day | Depends | 10,000/month | 5,000/month | 1,000/day | 100,000/month | 2,500/day |
Pay-As-You Go | $0.10-0.50 per 1,000 | Starting at $125/month for 35,000 credits | Depends | $0.75/1,000 | $0.75 per 1,000 requests | €0.50 per 1,000 | |
Unlimited Subscription | $1,000/month | $15,000/year for ZIP+9 level accuracy; not publicly listed for rooftop or international | |||||
Subscription Required | |||||||
Attribution Requirements or Usage Restrictions | None | ||||||
CSV File Upload | |||||||
API | |||||||
Bulk Geocoding | |||||||
Reverse Geocoding | |||||||
Data Enrichment |
Congressional districts State legislative districts Timezones School districts FIPS Codes Census Tract/Block Census CSA/MSA Statistics Canada Federal and Provincial Ridings American Community Survey (ACS) data ZIP+4 |
Congressional districts Timezones Vacancy Status Residential/Commercial Status FIPS Codes ZIP+4 Census Tract/Block |
Places Businesses |
Zip+4 Census |
The information in this table is based on publicly-available information on other providers' websites. We do our best to keep it updated, but if you find any errors, please let us know. Read the other providers' full Terms: SmartyStreets, Google, Bing, HERE, and TomTom.
Quick answer: The best geocoding provider depends on your specific needs. Google Maps offers unmatched global coverage and integration, Geocodio provides cost-effective bulk processing for North America with flexible data storage rights, while other providers focus on specific use cases. Most businesses benefit from evaluating multiple providers based on their geography, volume, and data usage requirements. Many businesses end up using one geocoder as their primary geocoder and another as their secondary geocoder for backup.
Geocoding converts street addresses into geographic coordinates (latitude/longitude). According to research published in the International Journal of Geographical Information Science, the process relies on converting addresses into grid coordinates using specialized databases and algorithms.
The Federal Geographic Data Committee's National Standard for Spatial Data Accuracy (NSSDA) uses root-mean-square error (RMSE) to measure positional accuracy at the 95% confidence level. According to USGS mapping standards, horizontal accuracy standards require that positions of 90 percent of all points tested be accurate within 1/50th of an inch on the map.
Common accuracy levels:
Factor | Why It Matters | Key Questions |
---|---|---|
Coverage | Geographic scope of service | Do you need global or regional coverage? |
Volume | Processing capacity needs | Thousands or millions of lookups? |
Budget | Cost structure preference | Pay-per-use or subscription? |
Data Rights | Usage and storage policies | Can you cache and store results? |
Enrichment | Additional data needs | Need demographics or boundaries? |
Integration | Technical requirements | API, bulk upload, or both? |
Provider | Free Tier | Paid Pricing | Best For | Main Limitation |
---|---|---|---|---|
Geocodio | 2,500/day | $0.50/1,000 | High-volume US/Canada + data enrichment | No global coverage |
Google Maps | $200 credit/month | $4-5/1,000 | Global mapping integration | Storage restrictions |
Smarty | 250/month | Subscription from $104/mo | Address validation | Complex pricing tiers |
HERE | 1,000/day | $0.75/1,000 | Automotive/logistics | Higher cost per lookup |
Mapbox | 100,000/month | $0.75-5/1,000 | Custom visualizations; focused on mapping | Storage costs extra |
Azure Maps | $200 credit | ~$4.50/1,000 | Microsoft ecosystem | Service transitioning |
ESRI | 20,000 total | $0.50-4/1,000 | Full GIS platform | Complexity and cost for simple needs |
Quick answer: Geocodio offers a combination of affordable pricing ($0.50 per 1,000 lookups), unusually permissive data usage rights, and extensive data enrichment for US and Canadian addresses. While competitors like Google and HERE provide global coverage, Geocodio excels for North American bulk geocoding with no usage restrictions on stored data. Geocodio's extensive data enrichment options, such as Census data, political districts, and timezones mean that companies can often eliminate multiple services when switching to Geocodio, further increasing cost savings, internal overhead, and data pipeline complexity.
Google Maps Advantages:
Geocodio Advantages:
Neutral Considerations:
Smarty Advantages:
Geocodio Advantages:
Neutral Considerations:
HERE Advantages:
Geocodio Advantages:
Neutral Considerations:
Mapbox Advantages:
Geocodio Advantages:
Neutral Considerations:
Most Permissive:
Most Restrictive:
According to a study of TIGER-type geocoding accuracy, parcel-based geocoding provides higher accuracy than range-based methods. For US addresses, expect:
Pay-As-You-Go Available:
Subscription Required:
Accuracy varies by region and data source. Google typically leads in global coverage, while specialized regional providers may excel in their focus areas. For US addresses, most major providers achieve similar accuracy levels using common base data from sources like TIGER/Line files.
Yes, but consider:
Yes! Many businesses and organizations use multiple geocoding services for resiliency. Often, a company will choose one geocoder as their primary geocoder and then use another one as a secondary geocoder.
It depends on your application:
According to HIPAA compliance experts, HIPAA requires additional security controls beyond standard certifications. SOC 2 provides a framework for security but doesn't guarantee HIPAA compliance. Verify specific compliance certifications with providers.
If you're geocoding patient data, you need a signed Business Associate Agreement with your geocoding service in order to protect PHI. Geocodio will sign your BAA for Enterprise product subscriptions.
According to GIS professionals on Stack Exchange, six decimal places provides accuracy within 1/9 meter, sufficient for most applications. Seven to eight decimal places are needed for sub-centimeter accuracy.
How accurate you need coordinates to be depends on your use case. If you're delivering parcels directly to someone's door via drone, you likely want coordinates that are accurate to the doorstep. However, for the vast majority of use cases, rooftop, parcel centroid, and even range interpolated results are accurate enough.
TIGER/Line files from the Census Bureau are free but require technical expertise to implement. According to Census documentation, they contain address ranges rather than individual addresses, which limits accuracy compared to commercial services. If you use TIGER/Line data only, the most accurate results you'll be able to get will be at the range interpolated level.
Consider beyond per-lookup pricing:
Most providers offer: