Radar Places API alternative

Radar is a location platform. Open Places API is cacheable places data.

Radar is the better shortlist item for geofencing and mobile location workflows. Open Places API is the narrower server-side endpoint for Overture-backed place search, category lists, and results your product can keep.

Start for free Compare data rights Radar terms

Choose by the storage requirement.

Need	Open Places API	Radar
Server-side place search	Yes. One authenticated `/v1/places` endpoint.	Yes, as part of Radar's broader platform.
Category area listing	Yes. Use `category`, `limit`, and `offset`.	Review current Radar API and terms for the exact workflow.
Long-lived POI storage	Yes. Results are based on permissive open Overture Places source licenses.	Review Radar's current terms for POI and address storage limits.
Geofencing, trips, device location	No.	Yes. This is Radar's platform lane.
Pricing shape	$0 / $19 / $99 flat monthly quotas with hard caps.	Product and contract dependent; verify current Radar pricing and terms.

One endpoint for the places slice.

If the job is "give me the places around this point" or "list this category in a radius," Open Places API keeps the surface small and the data portable.

curl -G "https://api.openplacesapi.com/v1/places" \
  --data-urlencode "category=cafe" \
  --data-urlencode "lat=40.7128" \
  --data-urlencode "lon=-74.0060" \
  --data-urlencode "radius_mi=25" \
  --data-urlencode "limit=50" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $OPEN_PLACES_API_KEY"

Radar alternative FAQ.

Is Open Places API a Radar replacement?

Only for backend place search and category listing. It does not replace Radar's geofencing, trip tracking, fraud detection, or broader location platform.

Why compare Radar to Open Places API?

Radar markets a cheaper Google alternative, but its terms should be reviewed for storage limits on POI and address data. Open Places API is narrower and built around cacheable open-data results.

When is Radar the better choice?

Use Radar when the product needs geofencing, device location, trips, fraud signals, or a broader mobile location stack. Use Open Places API when the job is server-side places data you can keep.