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ZIP Code API VS MAPS.ME

Compare ZIP Code API VS MAPS.ME and see what are their differences

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ZIP Code API logo ZIP Code API

REST API for US ZIP, ZIP+4, and Canadian postal codes. Single unified endpoint covers address validation and standardization, radius search (centroid haversine and true spatial polygon intersection), point-to-point distance, autocomplete/typeah

MAPS.ME logo MAPS.ME

Fast, detailed and completely offline maps for mobile devices
  • ZIP Code API Landing page
    Landing page //
    2026-05-21

API for US ZIP, ZIP+4, and Canadian postal code data. One unified endpoint set covers North America โ€” no separate APIs by country or data type.

What it does

  • Address validation and standardization โ€” production-grade parser with ZIP+4 append, refreshed monthly
  • Radius search โ€” centroid haversine and true spatial polygon intersection. Returns ZIPs/FSAs within range, with per-result pct_inside overlap percentage for spatial queries
  • Unified lookup endpoint โ€” accepts US ZIP, ZIP+4, Canadian FSA, full Canadian postal codes, or latitude/longitude inputs
  • Autocomplete/typeahead โ€” cities, counties, metros, states, FSAs, ZIPs
  • Point-to-point distance โ€” between any two postal points
  • Census ACS demographics โ€” 2011โ€“2024, 542 fields per ZIP across income, education, housing, social, and economic profiles
  • Boundary lookups โ€” Census tracts, congressional districts, state legislative areas, school districts โ€” with computed intersection percentages per ZIP

What makes it different

  • Licensed commercial data โ€” not commodity or scraped sources
  • Canadian postal coverage โ€” most peers in this space are US-only
  • True spatial radius โ€” not just centroid haversine
  • 14 years of historical ACS depth via API โ€” unusual outside of raw Census downloads
  • One endpoint for all of North America โ€” no country-detection or input-routing logic to maintain on the client side

Pricing

  • Free โ€” 2,500 lookups/day, no credit card required, no expiry
  • Developer โ€” $49/mo, 100K credits, 300/min
  • Professional โ€” $149/mo, 350K credits, 300/min
  • Business โ€” $499/mo, 1.5M credits, 600/min
  • Credit packs โ€” one-time, from 25K ($19) up to 2M ($799)

Resources

  • MAPS.ME Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-12-13

ZIP Code API features and specs

  • Comprehensive ZIP Code Data
    The ZIP Code API from zip-codes.com provides extensive data including ZIP code details, city information, state data, and geographic coordinates, making it a thorough resource for location-based lookups.
  • Multiple Lookup Options
    The API supports various types of lookups including ZIP code to city/state, city/state to ZIP code, distance calculations between ZIP codes, and radius searches, offering flexible querying capabilities.
  • Easy Integration
    The API uses standard REST-based HTTP requests and returns data in commonly used formats like JSON and XML, making it straightforward to integrate into most applications and programming languages.
  • Distance and Radius Calculations
    The API includes built-in functionality for calculating distances between ZIP codes and finding ZIP codes within a specified radius, which is valuable for store locators, shipping estimates, and proximity-based features.
  • Well-Documented Endpoints
    The API provides clear documentation for its various endpoints and parameters, helping developers understand available features and implement them correctly without extensive trial and error.

MAPS.ME features and specs

  • Offline Functionality
    MAPS.ME allows users to download maps and access them offline, making it highly useful in areas with poor or no internet connection.
  • Detailed Maps
    The app uses data from OpenStreetMap, which is known for its detailed and frequently updated mapping information.
  • Free to Use
    MAPS.ME is free to download and use, which makes it accessible to a broad audience without a financial barrier.
  • Routing and Navigation
    Provides turn-by-turn navigation for driving, walking, and cycling, complete with voice guidance.
  • Points of Interest
    Includes various points of interest such as restaurants, tourist attractions, and hotels, enhancing the travel experience.
  • Editable Maps
    Users can contribute to the maps through editing features, ensuring the most up-to-date information.

Possible disadvantages of MAPS.ME

  • Heavy Data Usage for Downloads
    Downloading maps for large areas can consume a significant amount of data, which may be an issue for users with limited data plans.
  • Battery Consumption
    Continuous use of GPS and navigation can lead to substantial battery drain, which can be problematic during long trips.
  • Limited Transit Information
    The app does not provide comprehensive public transportation data in all areas, limiting its usefulness for commuters relying on public transit.
  • Occasional Inaccuracies
    Despite frequent updates, the app can occasionally have outdated or incorrect information due to its reliance on community-driven data.
  • Advertisement Presence
    The presence of ads within the app can be intrusive and detract from the user experience.

Analysis of ZIP Code API

Overall verdict

  • ZIP Code API from zip-codes.com is a solid, reliable choice for developers and businesses needing accurate US and Canadian postal code data, offering a straightforward RESTful interface with regularly updated databases.

Why this product is good

  • Provides accurate and frequently updated ZIP code, city, state, and geographic data
  • Offers a simple RESTful API that is easy to integrate into web and mobile applications
  • Supports features like ZIP code lookup, radius search, and distance calculations
  • Includes both US ZIP codes and Canadian postal codes for broader coverage
  • Backed by an established data provider with a long track record in postal data

Recommended for

  • Developers building address validation or autofill features
  • E-commerce platforms needing shipping and location-based calculations
  • Businesses performing geographic or radius-based store locators
  • Applications requiring reliable US and Canadian postal data
  • Marketing and logistics teams that need regional or demographic targeting

Analysis of MAPS.ME

Overall verdict

  • Overall, MAPS.ME is considered a good choice for those who need reliable offline maps and detailed travel guides. However, users who rely heavily on live traffic updates or advanced navigation features might find other apps like Google Maps or Waze more suitable.

Why this product is good

  • MAPS.ME is appreciated for its offline capabilities, allowing users to download maps and use them without an internet connection. It's known for its detailed and up-to-date mapping data, ease of use, and the ability to search for places, routes, and points of interest offline. The app is also free, which makes it accessible to a wide audience.

Recommended for

    MAPS.ME is recommended for travelers, backpackers, and users in areas with limited internet connectivity who need offline access to detailed maps and routing. It's also a great option for those who enjoy hiking and outdoor activities since it includes trails and paths that aren't always found on other mapping services.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to ZIP Code API and MAPS.ME)
Zip Lookup
100 100%
0% 0
Maps
0 0%
100% 100
APIs
100 100%
0% 0
Web Mapping
0 0%
100% 100

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare ZIP Code API and MAPS.ME

ZIP Code API Reviews

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MAPS.ME Reviews

Going Beyond: The Best Alternatives to Google Maps in 2024
Maps.Me is an excellent choice for travelers and wanderers who often find themselves in unfamiliar places. The app provides information on all the famous places in a city, such as tourist attractions, places to visit, and restaurants where you should try regional flavors. In addition, Maps.Me includes a comprehensive database of all tourist routes worldwide, regularly...
Source: stratoflow.com
Top 15 Google Maps Alternatives (2024 Edition)
Maps.me is an open-source mobile-only service and an excellent alternative to Google Maps. It uses the OpenStreetMap database and helps you download maps to use them offline. Therefore, you can save a lot on your mobile data if you use this service.
9 Google Maps Alternatives to Use in 2022
Available both; as an app and a website, Maps.Me offers all the important features you want in a decent mapping service; traffic info, public transport, cycling navigation, anything you can think of. Just like Google, it allows you to download the maps for later use if you are in a poor network area. This is a nice perk to have, especially when you are exploring a new city...
Source: geekflare.com
The Best 5 Google Maps Alternatives With Offline Maps Support
MAPS.ME is available free of charge on both iPhone and Android.OsmAnd MapsJust like MAPS.ME, OsmAnd was built with offline maps in mind, but as an extra, it also comes with support for CarPlay, so it can work on your carโ€™s display as well.
Google maps is a paid service. What are the alternatives?
Maps.me is one of the leading mappings in writing services available for mobile applications. The greatest USP for this location-based services is its ability to render information while the device is out of network or off-line due to some reason. It is kind of public initiative that is based on the crowd-created database of streets and other features of the mapping data....

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, MAPS.ME seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 187 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

ZIP Code API mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of ZIP Code API yet. Tracking of ZIP Code API recommendations started around May 2026.

MAPS.ME mentions (187)

  • ha giang loop 3 days
    Bring your ID card or Passport Bring any type of medicine for preventing insects and common diseases; bring your toothbrush, toothpaste and towel Bring enough clothes Trainers or boots, an offline Google/http://Maps.Me app or a paper map Sufficient cash are suggested. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Install maps.me on ios 12
    I am trying to install the application maps.me to have better navigation on my iphone 6 running ios 12. I tried to use checkmate store + adowngrader without any luck. I was thinking about sideloading a older version of that app. Can anyone help me? Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Maps.me/offline map apps?
    I've downloaded maps.me to try. I don't have to have offline navigation but the marking and categorization of those marks is an absolute must. However, I noticed that I can't sync across devices with this one either. I've created a login through my Apple ID but haven't paid for any of the tiers. Does this app not support syncing across devices or do I have to pay for that feature? Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Solar Storm
    GPS and cell outages: Buy a Road Atlas for your State, and practice using it to plan a trip. Also download an offline map app for your phone, i.e. maps.me or Osmand. Most will let you download a certain number of maps to your phone for free. Source: about 3 years ago
  • What do you guys think about the new Sony Walkman?
    I was reluctant to go the Android route with an audio player because it felt a bit pointless and just like having a smartphone, but I read that the screen is quite small, the system's performance is severely restrained and oriented towards audio processing, and you can remove practically every thing that comes with Android. I don't intend to use its other apps because I'd hate anything calling my attention when... Source: about 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing ZIP Code API and MAPS.ME, you can also consider the following products

Smarty - Smarty provides address validation, autocomplete, geocoding and reverse geocoding services covering addresses in over 240+ countries.

Google Maps - Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

Zipcodestack - Free Zip Code API - Free Postal Code Validation | Zipcodestack

OsmAnd - Global mobile map viewing and navigation for online and offline OSM maps

PostalDataPI - The most affordable postal code API. 240+ countries, sub-5 ms responses. Simple, elegant, transparent.

Waze - Waze is the world's largest community-based traffic and navigation app. Join other drivers in your area who share real-time traffic and road info, saving everyone time and gas money on their daily commute.