Google Maps Platform: Google's maps, places, routes and 3D tiles APIs. Protomaps: Self-host an entire world basemap as a single PMTiles file.
| Google Maps Platform | Protomaps | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Basemaps & Map Tiles | Basemaps & Map Tiles |
| Pricing model | Paid | Open source |
| Starts at | See website | Free |
| Free tier | Monthly free usage per API (see current pricing) | — |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Software licence | — | BSD-3-Clause (code); ODbL (OSM data) |
| API | Yes | — |
| Platforms | Web, JavaScript, iOS, Android, API | Web, JavaScript, Command line |
| Made by | — | |
| Commercial use | Paid plan | Allowed |
| Export / print images | Not allowed | Allowed |
| Offline / caching | Not allowed | Allowed |
| Visits from MapTools | 7 | 9 |
| Visit | Visit |
Google Maps Platform features
- Maps JavaScript API and mobile SDKs
- Places, Geocoding and Routes APIs
- Photorealistic 3D Tiles
- Map styling
- Street View
Paying for the API grants online display rights, not download rights. Content may not be pre-fetched, stored or cached except where the terms allow, and offline use is prohibited. Place IDs may be stored. Google Maps content must not be shown on a non-Google map.
Google Maps Platform alternativesProtomaps features
- PMTiles single-file tile archives
- Daily world basemap builds from OpenStreetMap
- Serve from S3, R2 or any static host
- Open basemap styles for MapLibre
When you host the tiles yourself, only the OpenStreetMap attribution and ODbL terms apply.
Protomaps alternativesSummary based on public information. Check each provider's current pricing and terms.