Google Places API Alternatives for Address Autocomplete
Address autocomplete is a common feature in web forms — it helps users fill in their address faster, reduces typos, and improves data quality. For years, the Google Places API has been the default choice for developers. However, significant pricing changes in 2025 — including the removal of the $200/month free credit and the introduction of subscription-based plans — have pushed many developers to look for alternatives. On top of cost concerns, GDPR compliance and European data sovereignty are increasingly important factors, especially for applications serving European users.
This article reviews the main alternatives available today, with a focus on European or privacy-friendly options.
What to Look For in an Alternative
Before choosing a provider, consider the following criteria:
- Data quality in your target regions — Coverage varies significantly between providers, especially at street and house number level.
- Pricing model — Some providers charge per session (like Google), others per keystroke. The difference can be significant at scale.
- Data storage rights — Google prohibits caching or storing results on your own servers. Open-data alternatives are much more permissive.
- GDPR compliance — Where are the servers located? Who processes the query data?
- Self-hosting option — Some solutions can be deployed on your own infrastructure, giving you full control.
The Alternatives
1. Geoapify
What it is: A geocoding and mapping platform built on OpenStreetMap (OSM) and other open data sources. Geoapify is hosted in Europe and designed with GDPR compliance in mind.
Key features:
- Address autocomplete API with structured results (street, house number, postcode, city, country)
- NPM packages available for easy integration in JavaScript frameworks
- Permissive data policy — results can be stored and cached
- Additional APIs: routing, places, map tiles, isochrones
Pricing: Free tier includes 3,000 requests/day (~90,000/month). Paid plans start at $59/month.
Best for: Developers looking for a GDPR-friendly, affordable, all-in-one mapping and geocoding platform with European data hosting.
2. HERE Geocoding & Search API
What it is: HERE Technologies is a mapping and location data company majority-owned by a consortium of European automotive companies (Audi, BMW, Daimler). Their Geocoding & Search API covers addresses, POIs, and autocomplete globally.
Key features:
- Autocomplete and autosuggest for addresses and POIs
- Forward and reverse geocoding
- 120+ million points of interest across 100+ countries
- Support for multiple languages and character sets
Pricing: Generous free tier of 250,000 transactions/month. Additional requests billed at $1 per 1,000 calls. Note: charges per API call, not per session — debouncing input is recommended.
Best for: Projects requiring broad global coverage with a large free allowance and European corporate backing.
3. TomTom Search API
What it is: TomTom is a Dutch navigation and mapping company with decades of experience in road and address data. Their Search API provides geocoding, reverse geocoding, and address autocomplete.
Key features:
- Address and POI autocomplete with fuzzy logic
- Coverage across 200+ countries and territories
- Real-time traffic data integration
- Maps JavaScript SDK available
Pricing: One of the most generous free tiers available — 50,000 free daily transactions. Paid plans available for higher volumes. Charges per call, so debouncing is important.
Best for: High-volume applications that benefit from a large daily free allowance, or projects already using TomTom map data.
4. Nominatim (OpenStreetMap)
What it is: Nominatim is the official geocoding engine of the OpenStreetMap project. It is free, open-source, and can be either used via the public OSM instance or self-hosted on your own infrastructure.
Key features:
- Free to use with no API key required on the public instance
- Fully self-hostable — no data leaves your infrastructure
- Address quality depends on OSM community contributions (excellent in Western Europe)
- Returns structured address components
Pricing: Free. The public instance has a rate limit of 1 request per second. Self-hosting removes all limitations.
Best for: Developers who want maximum control, zero cost, and no third-party dependencies. Ideal when self-hosting is an option.
5. Photon (by Komoot)
What it is: Photon is an open-source geocoder built by Komoot (a German outdoor navigation company), specifically designed for autocomplete use cases. It is powered by OpenStreetMap data.
Key features:
- Optimized for real-time autocomplete (fast, lightweight responses)
- Public API available with no authentication required
- Fully open-source and self-hostable
- Supports filtering by country, language, and location bias
Pricing: Free on the public instance (fair use). Free to self-host.
Best for: Developers who want a lightweight, OSM-based autocomplete engine that is easy to self-host and requires no API key.
6. LocationIQ
https://locationiq.com/pricing
What it is: LocationIQ is a geocoding and mapping API platform built on OpenStreetMap data, offering a commercial-grade hosted alternative to self-managed Nominatim instances.
Key features:
- Address autocomplete, forward and reverse geocoding
- Simple REST API compatible with the Nominatim format
- Reliable uptime and fast response times
- Straightforward documentation and easy integration
Pricing: Free tier with 5,000 requests/day. Paid plans start at $49/month for 30,000 requests/day.
Best for: Developers who want the reliability of a managed service with the openness of OSM data, at a lower price point than proprietary alternatives.
Comparison Table
| Provider | Free Tier | Pricing Model | Data Source | Self-Hostable | European / GDPR-friendly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geoapify | 3,000 req/day | From $59/month | OSM + proprietary | No | ✅ Yes |
| HERE | 250,000 req/month | $1 / 1,000 calls | Proprietary | No | ✅ European ownership |
| TomTom | 50,000 req/day | Custom / volume | Proprietary | No | ✅ Dutch company |
| Nominatim | Unlimited (self-hosted) | Free | OSM | ✅ Yes | ✅ Full control |
| Photon | Unlimited (self-hosted) | Free | OSM | ✅ Yes | ✅ Full control |
| LocationIQ | 5,000 req/day | From $49/month | OSM | No | ⚠️ Partial |
How to Choose
The right choice depends on your specific situation:
- If GDPR compliance and European data hosting are a priority, Geoapify or HERE are the strongest options.
- If you want a large free tier without upfront cost, TomTom (50,000/day) or HERE (250,000/month) offer the most generous allowances.
- If you want zero vendor dependency and full infrastructure control, self-hosting Photon or Nominatim is the way to go — both are free and well-supported.
- If you need a managed OSM-based solution at low cost, LocationIQ is a reliable and affordable choice.
In all cases, remember to implement debouncing on your autocomplete input field — most providers charge per API call, so firing a request on every keystroke can inflate costs significantly.
This information is a state of 23/03/2026. As everything is changing a lot and quickly, due diligence is required when choosing a technical partner. Hope this list has brought some light anyway.