Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

ZIP Code API VS Smarty

Compare ZIP Code API VS Smarty and see what are their differences

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

Smarty logo Smarty

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

  • Smarty Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-21

Smarty is simply the best solution for USPS, US and International Address Validation. From our APIs, to our list-processing tools, we have an address validation solution for you.

ZIP Code API

Pricing URL
-
$ Details
-
Platforms
-
Release Date
2026 April
Startup details
Country
United States
State
NY

Smarty

Website
smarty.com
$ Details
freemium
Platforms
REST API ASP.NET API Generic HTTP API Web JavaScript PHP Java Python Ruby Go iOS Android Cloud
Release Date
2011 August

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.

Smarty features and specs

  • Affordability
    Smarty offers competitively priced plans that provide cost-effective mobile and data services without breaking the bank.
  • Flexible Plans
    Smarty provides a variety of flexible plans, including options with unlimited data, which can be tailored to individual needs and usage patterns.
  • No Credit Check
    Smarty does not require a credit check for signing up, making it accessible to a wider range of customers.
  • Unlimited Calls and Texts
    Most plans include unlimited calls and texts, adding significant value for users who frequently communicate via phone.
  • Data Roll-Over
    Unused data is rolled over into the next month, ensuring that you get the full value of what you pay for.
  • Fast 5G Network
    Smarty offers access to a high-speed 5G network, providing fast and reliable internet connectivity.

Possible disadvantages of Smarty

  • Limited Coverage
    Despite operating on a major network, Smarty's coverage can be limited in rural or extremely remote areas.
  • Customer Support
    Customer support options are limited, and some users report slow response times or difficulty in resolving issues.
  • No Handset Bundles
    Smarty does not offer handset bundles, meaning users need to purchase their devices separately.
  • International Roaming
    International roaming options are limited, potentially making it less suitable for frequent travelers.
  • No Priority Network Access
    Smarty customers may not get priority on the network during peak times, potentially leading to slower speeds in congested areas.
  • Limited Value-Added Services
    Smarty focuses primarily on mobile and data services, so it lacks some of the value-added services that competitors may offer, such as bundled streaming subscriptions.

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 Smarty

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Smarty is considered a good choice for businesses looking to improve their address data management. The company consistently receives positive reviews for its accuracy, support, and value for money.

Why this product is good

  • Smarty (smarty.com) is a reputable company known for its address verification and validation services, which are trusted by businesses for improving data quality, reducing undeliverable mail, and enhancing customer communication. Their solutions are easy to integrate, scalable, and supported by robust infrastructure, making them reliable for both small businesses and large enterprises. They also offer international support, ensuring accuracy beyond just local postal systems.

Recommended for

  • E-commerce businesses that require accurate shipping addresses.
  • Enterprises looking to improve customer data quality.
  • Organizations needing international address verification.
  • Developers seeking integration-friendly address validation APIs.
  • Companies aiming to reduce undeliverable mail and related costs.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to ZIP Code API and Smarty)
Zip Lookup
100 100%
0% 0
Shipping
0 0%
100% 100
APIs
100 100%
0% 0
Address Verification API
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Smarty seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 5 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.

Smarty mentions (5)

  • International addy formatting
    There are online formatters like smartystreets.com which can validate and format your international address. Is this what you are looking for? Source: over 4 years ago
  • I've figured out an elegant solution to those sneaker botters
    What I've noticed after watching those sneaker botting videos is that they can make as many emails, proxies and debit cars numbers as they want but.... Not addresses. According to this video they mix up the way their address are written which somehow fools their system into thinking there aren't repeats even though the shoes some how end up at the same address. What these sites really need is a third party service... Source: over 5 years ago
  • AT&T is literally out of their mind.
    At one point they used SmartyStreets to validate your address and if it thinks your duplex and your neighbor is the same house, they'll be treated as one so you cannot get fiber now. Source: over 5 years ago
  • Free/ trial geocoding service for ~500k points?
    You can give smartystreets.com a try however for that many records it might cost you just a bit. Source: over 5 years ago
  • GIS Sources by State
    A good source that is free in small quantities for all states and in the world: smartystreets.com. Source: over 5 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing ZIP Code API and Smarty, you can also consider the following products

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

UltraShipTMS - UltraShipTMS is a feature-rich comprehensive web-based transportation logistics automation software designed to serve high volume shippers.

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

FreightPOP - FreightPOP is a mobile and web application created to fill an underserved market of SMB shippers.

Geoco.io - ridiculously cheap bulk geocoding turn US street addresses into map coordinates and map coordinates into street addresses using our straightforward REST API

GetSwift - Simple software streamlining your whole delivery business