Google Maps vs Google Places API

Overview

Google Maps

Stacks42.5K

Followers29.8K

Votes568

Google Places API

Stacks75

Followers104

Votes0

Google Maps vs Google Places API: What are the differences?

Google Maps is a comprehensive mapping platform, while Google Places API allows developers to access detailed information about places, businesses, and points of interest. Let's explore the key differences between them.

Usage: Google Maps API is used to display maps and geographic information on a website, allowing users to interact with the map interface. On the other hand, Google Places API is used to retrieve information about places such as businesses, landmarks, and addresses.
Data: With Google Maps API, you can display maps that contain various types of information such as roads, landmarks, and satellite imagery. In contrast, Google Places API provides detailed data about specific places, including their names, addresses, phone numbers, websites, and user reviews.
Functionality: Google Maps API primarily focuses on visualizing and interacting with maps, offering features like map customization, directions, and street view. Google Places API, on the other hand, focuses on providing place-related information, such as the types of places nearby, the distance to a certain place, and specific details about a place.
Integration: In terms of integration, while Google Maps API can be used to embed maps into a website and allow users to interact with them, Google Places API enables developers to integrate place-related information into their applications, enhancing functionality and user experience.
Pricing: Google Maps API and Google Places API have different pricing models. With Google Maps API, you are billed based on the number of map loads and geocoding requests. On the other hand, Google Places API has its own pricing structure, where you are billed based on the number of places details requests, query autocomplete requests, and place photos requests.
Access restrictions: Another key difference is the access restrictions. Google Maps API requires an API key to be included in the website code to access the maps functionality. In contrast, while Google Places API also requires an API key for authentication, it is used primarily for accessing place-related information rather than displaying maps.

In summary, Google Maps API is focused on providing map visualization and interaction, while Google Places API is geared towards retrieving detailed information about places.

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Advice on Google Maps, Google Places API

StackShare

Apr 4, 2019

Needs advice

From a StackShare Community member: "We're a team of two starting to write a mobile app. The app will heavily rely on maps and this is where my partner and I are not seeing eye-to-eye. I would like to go with an open source solution like OpenStreetMap that is used by Apple & Foursquare. He would like to go with Google Maps since more apps use it and has better support (according to him). Mapbox is also an option but I don’t know much about it."

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Detailed Comparison

Google Maps	Google Places API
Create rich applications and stunning visualisations of your data, leveraging the comprehensiveness, accuracy, and usability of Google Maps and a modern web platform that scales as you grow.	You can provide users data on location names, addresses, ratings, reviews, contact information, and atmosphere. Local guides and users submit tens of millions of updates every day, so you can count on accurate, reliable information.
Maps Image APIs;Places API;Web Services;Google Earth API;Maps API Licensing;Google Maps API for Work	-
Statistics
Stacks 42.5K	Stacks 75
Followers 29.8K	Followers 104
Votes 568	Votes 0
Pros & Cons
Pros 253 Free 136 Address input through maps api 82 Sharable Directions 47 Google Earth 46 Unique Cons 5 Google Attributions and logo 2 Only map allowed alongside google place autocomplete	No community feedback yet

What are some alternatives to Google Maps, Google Places API?

Mapbox

We make it possible to pin travel spots on Pinterest, find restaurants on Foursquare, and visualize data on GitHub.

Leaflet

Leaflet is an open source JavaScript library for mobile-friendly interactive maps. It is developed by Vladimir Agafonkin of MapBox with a team of dedicated contributors. Weighing just about 30 KB of gzipped JS code, it has all the features most developers ever need for online maps.

OpenStreetMap

OpenStreetMap is built by a community of mappers that contribute and maintain data about roads, trails, cafés, railway stations, and much more, all over the world.

OpenLayers

An opensource javascript library to load, display and render maps from multiple sources on web pages.

ArcGIS

It is a geographic information system for working with maps and geographic information. It is used for creating and using maps, compiling geographic data, analyzing mapped information, sharing and much more.

CSV2GEO

It provides live conversion of batch addresses into geographic coordinates (address to lat long) or turn coordinates into well formatted address. It creates and publishes interactive maps.

MapTiler

It is a software for map tile rendering. It has been designed for producing seamless maps and aerial photo layers covering whole countries. The rendering is fast and efficient, and it can fully utilize multiple CPUs to 100%.

MAPS.ME

MAPS.ME is an open source cross-platform offline maps application, built on top of crowd-sourced OpenStreetMap data. It was publicly released for iOS and Android.

LocationIQ

Free and Fast Geocoding Service

Stadia Maps

We enable devs to contextualize their data on a map and build complicated apps involving routing, time zones, and more with our APIs. We hate billing surprises as much as you, and if you send us an email, you'll get a real human reply.

Related Comparisons

Google Maps vs Google Places API: What are the differences?

Usage: Google Maps API is used to display maps and geographic information on a website, allowing users to interact with the map interface. On the other hand, Google Places API is used to retrieve information about places such as businesses, landmarks, and addresses.
Data: With Google Maps API, you can display maps that contain various types of information such as roads, landmarks, and satellite imagery. In contrast, Google Places API provides detailed data about specific places, including their names, addresses, phone numbers, websites, and user reviews.
Functionality: Google Maps API primarily focuses on visualizing and interacting with maps, offering features like map customization, directions, and street view. Google Places API, on the other hand, focuses on providing place-related information, such as the types of places nearby, the distance to a certain place, and specific details about a place.
Integration: In terms of integration, while Google Maps API can be used to embed maps into a website and allow users to interact with them, Google Places API enables developers to integrate place-related information into their applications, enhancing functionality and user experience.
Pricing: Google Maps API and Google Places API have different pricing models. With Google Maps API, you are billed based on the number of map loads and geocoding requests. On the other hand, Google Places API has its own pricing structure, where you are billed based on the number of places details requests, query autocomplete requests, and place photos requests.
Access restrictions: Another key difference is the access restrictions. Google Maps API requires an API key to be included in the website code to access the maps functionality. In contrast, while Google Places API also requires an API key for authentication, it is used primarily for accessing place-related information rather than displaying maps.

In summary, Google Maps API is focused on providing map visualization and interaction, while Google Places API is geared towards retrieving detailed information about places.

Google Maps vs Google Places API

Overview