Best Free Geocoding APIs (June 2026)

Ranked by uptime + speed + free-tier quality. Updated every hour.

Looking for a free geocoding API that works today? The list below is ranked by our composite score — weighted 60% uptime, 30% response speed, and 10% free-tier accessibility, recalculated every hour from live checks. See our methodology for how the score is computed.

Quick answer:

We track 14 free geocoding APIs with live hourly checks. The current top pick is Nominatim (OpenStreetMap) (99.58% 30-day uptime) — and it needs no API key. 6 of the 14 require no API key at all, and 1 hold 99%+ uptime.

#1 Nominatim (OpenStreetMap) — 🟢 Online
Free forward and reverse geocoding from OpenStreetMap data. Rate-limited.

1 req/sec, must set User-Agent, no key
#2 ip-api.com — 🟢 Online
Free IP geolocation API returning country, city, region, ISP, and coordinates for any IP address. No key required.

45 calls/min (HTTP only), no key, no credit card
#3 GeoIP-db — 🟢 Online
Free IP geolocation API with no key required, returning country, city, state, latitude, and longitude for any IP.

Unlimited, no key, no credit card
#4 IPinfo — 🟢 Online
IP address data API providing geolocation, ASN, company, carrier, privacy detection, and abuse contact info.

50,000 calls/month, no key (token extends limits)
#5 OpenCage Geocoding API — 🟢 Online
Forward and reverse geocoding API aggregating multiple open data sources including OpenStreetMap and Geonames.

2,500 calls/day, free key, no credit card
#6 ipapi.co — 🔴 Offline
IP address geolocation and timezone API returning country, city, region, currency, and language for any IP.

1,000 calls/day, no key required
#7 Mapbox Geocoding API — 🔴 Offline
High-quality forward and reverse geocoding powered by OpenStreetMap and proprietary data with autocomplete support.

100,000 calls/month, free key, no credit card
#8 BigDataCloud Reverse Geocoding — 🔴 Offline
Free reverse geocoding API converting coordinates to addresses with locality, city, country, and postcode data.

Unlimited (client-side), no key for basic endpoints
#9 HERE Geocoding & Search API — 🔴 Offline
Enterprise-grade geocoding and places search API using HERE's global map data with high accuracy.

1,000 calls/month, free key (Freemium plan), no CC
#10 Geoapify — 🔴 Offline
Geocoding, reverse geocoding, and places search API built on OpenStreetMap with routing and isochrone support.

3,000 calls/day, free key, no credit card
#11 MapQuest Geocoding API — 🔴 Offline
Geocoding and reverse geocoding API using OpenStreetMap data with batch support and fuzzy matching.

15,000 calls/month, free key, no credit card
#12 Geocodify — 🔴 Offline
Geocoding API with forward and reverse lookup using OpenStreetMap data, supporting batch processing.

25,000 calls/month, free key, no credit card
#13 Positionstack — 🔴 Offline
Forward and reverse geocoding API built on OpenStreetMap with support for 2 billion+ places and 100+ countries.

25,000 calls/month, free key, no credit card
#14 Abstract IP Geolocation — 🔴 Offline
IP geolocation API with city, country, timezone, currency, and threat detection data with 99.99% uptime SLA.

20,000 calls/month, free key, no credit card

Compare Geocoding APIs

Side-by-side comparisons of the top Geocoding APIs — free tier, uptime, and response time:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best free geocoding API in 2026?

Nominatim (powered by OpenStreetMap) is the most permissive free option: no API key, no monthly call cap, and global coverage. The main constraint is 1 request/second and you must set a User-Agent header identifying your application.

Does Google Maps geocoding have a free tier?

Google Maps Platform provides $200 of monthly credit, which covers roughly 40,000 geocoding requests. After that you pay per request. It's not truly free for high-volume use. Nominatim and OpenCage are better options if you need a genuine no-cost tier.

What are the rate limits for free geocoding APIs?

Nominatim limits to 1 request/second with no daily cap. OpenCage's free tier gives 2,500 calls/day. Mapbox has a generous 100,000 requests/month free. Photon (also OpenStreetMap-backed) has no formal rate limit but expects reasonable usage.

Can I use Nominatim in a commercial app?

Yes, but with conditions. The OpenStreetMap data is ODbL-licensed, meaning you must attribute OpenStreetMap contributors and share derivative databases. You also cannot use the public Nominatim instance for heavy traffic — consider hosting your own or using OpenCage for production.

Which free geocoding APIs support reverse geocoding?

Nominatim, OpenCage, Mapbox, and Photon all support reverse geocoding (coordinates to address). Nominatim is the most straightforward for getting started. For accuracy in rural areas, OpenCage often produces better results as it combines multiple data sources.