Google Maps Platform vs Stadia Maps
Default scenario: At 500K map loads / month, 100K geocoding requests / month, estimated bills are $1,440/yr for Stadia Maps and $36,180/yr for Google Maps Platform. That’s a $34,740 difference before accounting for different features or operating costs.
The services may differ in features, performance, support and the work you need to do yourself. Read the notes and test what matters to your setup.
Your selected usage
500K map loads / month, 100K geocoding requests / month
- Google Maps Platform: $36,180/yr estimated
- Stadia Maps: $1,440/yr estimated
Estimated costs at different usage levels
| Usage | Google Maps Platform | Stadia Maps |
|---|---|---|
| Default scenario500K map loads / month, 100K geocoding requests / month | $36,180/yrEssentials subscription · $2,240 map loads + $500 geocoding | $1,440/yrStandard · $0 map loads + $40 geocoding |
| Store locator30K map loads / month, 5K geocoding requests / month | $1,500/yrStarter subscription · $0 map loads + $25 geocoding | $276/yrStarter · $0 map loads + $3.00 geocoding |
| Delivery app500K map loads / month, 1M geocoding requests / month | $77,040/yrPay-as-you-go · $0 map loads + $0 geocoding | $5,760/yrStandard · $0 map loads + $400 geocoding |
| Map-heavy product5M map loads / month, 500K geocoding requests / month | $185,040/yrPay-as-you-go · $0 map loads + $0 geocoding | $13,800/yrProfessional · $750 map loads + $150 geocoding |
Web map loads (dynamic/vector). Many vendors restrict storing geocoding results, so check terms before comparing. Try your own numbers against all maps & geocoding providers.
Side by side
| Google Maps Platform | Stadia Maps | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Google's maps, geocoding, places and routes APIs, billed per call per SKU with volume tiers, plus optional monthly subscription bundles. | OpenStreetMap-based map tiles, geocoding and routing billed in shared credits, with EU-only endpoints on all plans. |
| Headquarters | 🇺🇸 United States | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Parent jurisdiction | 🇺🇸 United States (Alphabet) | 🇺🇸 United States |
| EU self-serve plan | No / not documented | Available; check eligible plans and regions |
| GDPR DPA | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | payg | subscription |
| Free tier | 10,000 free calls per month per Essentials SKU (Dynamic Maps, Geocoding); $300 trial credit for new customers. | 200k credits/month, non-commercial use only; 14-day Professional trial. |
| Open source | No | No |
| Source last checked | 2026-10-06 | 2026-10-06 |
| Pricing evidence | Published rates | Modeled rates |
Which should you choose?
Stadia Maps has the lower estimated bill at every usage level we tested, from 50K map loads / month, 10K geocoding requests / month to 50M map loads / month, 10M geocoding requests / month.
Choose Google Maps Platform if…
Our data shows no advantage on price, residency, jurisdiction or licensing. Compare features in the notes below.
Choose Stadia Maps if…
- it has the lower estimated bill at Store locator, Delivery app and Map-heavy product usage
- you need EU data residency on a self-serve plan
Based on estimated list-price bills and the facts above. Features, performance and support aren’t scored.
Google Maps Platform pricing
Calculated from the listed vendor rates; exclusions still apply.
| Plan | Base fee / month | 1k additional map loads | 1k additional geocodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay-as-you-go | $0 | $7 | $5 |
| Pay-as-you-go | $450 | $7 | $4 |
| Pay-as-you-go | $2,050 | $7 | $3 |
| Pay-as-you-go | $3,550 | $7 | $1.5 |
| Pay-as-you-go | $9,550 | $7 | $0.38 |
| Pay-as-you-go | $630 | $5.6 | $5 |
| Pay-as-you-go | $1,080 | $5.6 | $4 |
| Pay-as-you-go | $2,680 | $5.6 | $3 |
| Pay-as-you-go | $4,180 | $5.6 | $1.5 |
| Pay-as-you-go | $10,180 | $5.6 | $0.38 |
| Pay-as-you-go | $2,870 | $4.2 | $5 |
| Pay-as-you-go | $3,320 | $4.2 | $4 |
| Pay-as-you-go | $4,920 | $4.2 | $3 |
| Pay-as-you-go | $6,420 | $4.2 | $1.5 |
| Pay-as-you-go | $12,420 | $4.2 | $0.38 |
| Pay-as-you-go | $4,970 | $2.1 | $5 |
| Pay-as-you-go | $5,420 | $2.1 | $4 |
| Pay-as-you-go | $7,020 | $2.1 | $3 |
| Pay-as-you-go | $8,520 | $2.1 | $1.5 |
| Pay-as-you-go | $14,520 | $2.1 | $0.38 |
| Pay-as-you-go | $13,370 | $0.53 | $5 |
| Pay-as-you-go | $13,820 | $0.53 | $4 |
| Pay-as-you-go | $15,420 | $0.53 | $3 |
| Pay-as-you-go | $16,920 | $0.53 | $1.5 |
| Pay-as-you-go | $22,920 | $0.53 | $0.38 |
| Starter subscription | $100 | $7 | $5 |
| Essentials subscription | $275 | $5.6 | $5 |
Pay-as-you-go, per 1,000 calls after 10,000 free per SKU per month. Dynamic Maps (JS map load): $7.00 (10K-100K), $5.60 (100K-500K), $4.20 (500K-1M), $2.10 (1M-5M), $0.53 (5M+). Geocoding: $5.00, $4.00, $3.00, $1.50, $0.38 in the same bands. The volume tiers are graduated, so the plans above are the affine pieces of that tiered curve (the calculator's cheapest-fitting pick reproduces the graduated total exactly). Subscriptions (monthly, cancel anytime, bought in Cloud Console): Starter $100/month for 50,000 calls and Essentials $275/month for 100,000 calls, pooled across included SKUs (Dynamic Maps and Geocoding are both included); usage above the cap is not blocked and is billed at pay-as-you-go rates. Pooling can't be modelled exactly, so the subscription rows apply the included calls to map loads and charge geocodes at list rates (conservative). Pro is $1,200/month for 250,000 calls. Terms: Geocoding results may not be stored or cached except latitude/longitude for up to 30 consecutive days (place IDs may be kept indefinitely), and Google content must be shown on a Google map. Billing accounts with an EEA address have used separate terms without the Google-map-only rule since 8 July 2025. Google Maps Platform data protection terms are controller-to-controller; no EU-only processing option. History: until 2018 web maps were free up to 25,000 loads per day; from July 2018 they cost $7 per 1,000 after a $200 monthly credit, and in March 2025 the credit was replaced by 10,000 free calls per SKU per month (see the migration guide).
Google Maps Platform plan limits, full rates and cheaper alternatives · official pricing page
Stadia Maps pricing
Published rates converted using workload assumptions. Read the notes. Assumes 15 vector tiles per map load. Panning and zooming increase the credit count.
| Plan | Base fee / month | 1k additional map loads | 1k additional geocodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $20 | $0.45 | $0.6 |
| Standard | $80 | $0.3 | $0.4 |
| Professional | $250 | $0.225 | $0.3 |
Credits: vector or raster basemap tile 1 credit, forward geocoding 20 credits per request (autocomplete v2 1 credit). Plans: Starter $20/month with 1M credits then $0.03/1k credits; Standard $80 with 7.5M then $0.02/1k; Professional $250 with 25M then $0.015/1k. Assumes ~15 vector tiles per map load (initial viewport; panning loads more), so 1k map loads = 15k credits and 1k geocodes = 20k credits. The credit pool is shared, but is modelled here as covering map loads first, so mixed usage is slightly overstated. Free plan excluded because it forbids commercial use. Geocoding results may only be stored permanently on paid Standard and Professional plans ("temp storage" on Free/Starter); no server-side caching. EU-only endpoints (api-eu / tiles-eu, Frankfurt and Paris) on all plans; DPA published. Stadia Maps, Inc. is a Delaware corporation (East Lansing, MI) with founders based in Estonia.
Stadia Maps plan limits, full rates and cheaper alternatives · official pricing page
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Maps Platform cheaper than Stadia Maps?
Stadia Maps has the lower estimated bill at every usage level we tested, from 50K map loads / month, 10K geocoding requests / month to 50M map loads / month, 10M geocoding requests / month. At 500K map loads / month, 100K geocoding requests / month, the estimates are $36,180/yr for Google Maps Platform and $1,440/yr for Stadia Maps. Estimates use list prices and leave out features, support and operating costs.
Do Google Maps Platform and Stadia Maps offer EU data residency?
Stadia Maps offers EU data residency on a self-serve plan. Google Maps Platform doesn’t document it on a self-serve plan.
Do Google Maps Platform and Stadia Maps have a free tier or trial?
Google Maps Platform: 10,000 free calls per month per Essentials SKU (Dynamic Maps, Geocoding); $300 trial credit for new customers. Stadia Maps: 200k credits/month, non-commercial use only; 14-day Professional trial.
Where are Google Maps Platform and Stadia Maps based?
Google Maps Platform is headquartered in the United States and owned by Alphabet (the United States). Stadia Maps is headquartered in the United States.