Stack guides / Maps

Maps for your app

Map libraries are free; map tiles and geocoding are where the costs and usage rules are.

8 options. Free tiers, catches and prices checked by hand on 2026-10-27; each one links to its sources.

Google Maps PlatformService

Google’s APIs and SDKs for maps, places, geocoding and routes.

Best for: Places data and address autocomplete. Skip it if: Heavy web map traffic on a tight budget.

Official Maps Code Assist MCP (experimental) and Grounding Lite MCP.

Free monthly usage caps per SKU

  • 10,000 calls/month per Essentials SKU (e.g. Dynamic Maps, Geocoding)
  • 5,000 per Pro SKU; 1,000 per Enterprise SKU
  • Maps Embed API and Maps SDK: unlimited

Needs a billing-enabled Cloud project; after 10K, Dynamic Maps costs $7 per 1,000.

Pay-as-you-go after caps; subscriptions from $100/mo

Checked 2026-10-27: developers.google.com, developers.google.com, developers.google.com

LeafletBSD-2-Clause

A lightweight open-source JavaScript library for simple interactive maps.

Best for: Simple maps with markers and popups. Skip it if: You need vector tiles or 3D without plugins.

Open source

  • $0, no usage limits
  • Stable 1.9.4 (May 2023); 2.0.0-alpha.1 (Aug 2025)

No stable release since 2023, and 2.0 is still alpha.

Free; pay your tile provider

Checked 2026-10-27: github.com, npmjs.com

MapboxService

A commercial platform for map SDKs, tiles, geocoding, search and routing.

Best for: Custom-styled maps plus geocoding and directions from one vendor. Skip it if: You want an open stack you can move.

Official Mapbox, DevKit and Docs MCP servers; llms.txt.

Free tier per product

  • 50,000 web map loads/month
  • 25,000 mobile monthly active users
  • 100,000 geocoding and 100,000 directions requests/month

Mapbox GL JS v2+ is not open source; it’s licensed only for use with a Mapbox account.

$5 per 1,000 map loads after 50K

Checked 2026-10-27: mapbox.com, docs.mapbox.com

MapLibre GL JSBSD-3-Clause

An open-source WebGL library for interactive vector-tile maps.

Best for: Vector maps without vendor lock-in. Skip it if: You want maps, search and routing from one vendor.

maplibre.org/llms.txt; repo has AGENTS.md.

Open source

  • $0, no usage limits
  • v6.16.0 released Oct 25, 2026

It only renders; you still need tiles, styles and geocoding.

Free; pay your tile provider

Checked 2026-10-27: github.com, npmjs.com

MapTiler CloudService

A hosted platform for vector map tiles, map styles and geocoding.

Best for: Ready-made vector styles and geocoding for MapLibre apps. Skip it if: Your commercial app needs a $0 plan.

Docs publish llms.txt.

Free

  • Commercial use: not intended (testing, personal, non-commercial)
  • 5,000 map sessions/month
  • 100,000 API requests/month

Service pauses at the limit and the MapTiler logo must stay on the map.

Flex $30/mo (25K sessions, 500K requests)

Checked 2026-10-27: maptiler.com

OpenStreetMap standard tilesODbL-1.0

The OSM Foundation’s volunteer-run raster tile server at tile.openstreetmap.org.

Best for: Low-traffic demos and hobby maps. Skip it if: Your maps must stay up.

Free, best effort

  • No SLA
  • Cache tiles at least 7 days
  • Required: visible attribution, unique User-Agent, valid Referer; no offline or bulk prefetching

Production use isn’t banned, but access can be blocked without notice and commercial users are warned it may be withdrawn.

No paid tier

Checked 2026-10-27: operations.osmfoundation.org, openstreetmap.org

ProtomapsBSD-3-Clause

An open-source basemap and the PMTiles format for serving map tiles from plain file storage.

Best for: Cheap, vendor-free maps with MapLibre. Skip it if: You don’t want to host and update map files.

Free planet download; hosted API free for non-commercial use

  • Whole-planet basemap: $0 download
  • One PMTiles file on S3 or R2, no tile server

Commercial use of the hosted API requires GitHub sponsorship; otherwise host the file yourself.

Your own storage and CDN costs

Checked 2026-10-27: protomaps.com, protomaps.com, github.com

Stadia MapsService

A hosted provider of map tiles, geocoding and routing built on open data.

Best for: Affordable commercial tiles and geocoding for MapLibre or Leaflet. Skip it if: Your commercial app needs a $0 plan.

Official MCP server; llms.txt.

Free

  • Commercial use: not allowed
  • 200,000 credits/month, hard cap
  • 1 credit per map tile

The free plan forbids commercial use.

Starter $20/mo (1M credits, commercial use)

Checked 2026-10-27: stadiamaps.com

Not sure what you need? Describe your app and the Build Kit picks a whole free stack, with starters and a plan.

More guides