The short answer
Mapbox is billed per 1k req / mau-based. It has a free tier: 50k web map loads/mo + free geocoding tier. Paid usage is quoted by the vendor rather than listed as a public price.
Plans and prices
| Plan | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Map Loads (GL JS web) | Free up to 50,000/mo, then $5.00 per 1,000 | Pay-as-you-go web map loads with automatic volume discounts at higher tiers. |
| Temporary Geocoding | Free up to 100,000/mo, then $0.75 per 1,000 | Forward/reverse geocoding results that may not be stored permanently. |
| Permanent Geocoding | $5.00 per 1,000 (no free tier) | Geocoding results licensed for permanent storage. |
| Directions API | Free up to 100,000/mo, then $2.00 per 1,000 | Routing requests; drops to $1.60/1K above 500K within the billing period. |
| Static Images | Free up to 50,000/mo, then $1.00 per 1,000 | Server-rendered static map images. |
| Mobile Maps SDK (MAU) | Free up to 25,000 MAU/mo, then $4.00 per 1,000 | Mobile maps billed per monthly active user rather than per request. |
How Mapbox bills you
The pricing model is per 1k req / mau-based. Developer-favorite with best-in-class map design tooling, GL SDKs, and cheap geocoding (~$0.75/1k); self-serve with a generous free tier. Best suited to: customizable maps & nav sdks.
What to watch for on the bill
- No hard spending caps - each API bills independently with unlimited financial exposure, producing documented bill-shock cases
- Cost modeling at scale is complex because web map loads, mobile MAU, geocoding, directions, and search all meter and bill separately
- High-compute products like Matrix routing and Optimization can get expensive quickly
- Reverse geocoding functionality is comparatively limited per user feedback
The pricing page we read
Source: https://www.mapbox.com/pricing. Prices change, so confirm there before you commit.
Compare Mapbox with alternatives
Other maps & geocoding apis: Google Maps Platform, HERE, TomTom, Radar, Foursquare Places.
Looking at quality rather than price? See the Mapbox score on APIbenchmarks. Full entry: Mapbox pricing.