Places API

Places API for server-side search and area listing.

Open Places API returns Overture-backed place results through one authenticated HTTP endpoint. Search by text, list a category in an area, filter by confidence, and keep the JSON in your product.

Start for free Read the docs Compare Google Places

One backend call.

The API is intentionally narrow: one endpoint, bearer authentication, quota headers, and JSON results. Use q for text search, or use category with offset to page through an area list. Each page is one search against your hard monthly cap.

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" \
  --data-urlencode "min_confidence=0.85" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $OPEN_PLACES_API_KEY"

What the API gives you.

Overture-backed places

Search a hosted index built from Overture Places data, currently covering 39 million places across 19 selected countries and territories.

Area listing

List every returned place in a category within a radius, page by page, without a 60-result search cap.

Own the results

Results come from permissive open licenses, so you can cache, store, redistribute, and mix them with your own data.

Useful fields

Results include names, coordinates, distance, categories, addresses, confidence, and available phone, website, and operating status.

Quality controls

Use min_confidence to filter noisy records, and inspect the returned confidence value when you keep everything.

Custom layers

Add account-owned place records, corrections, suppressions, and presets on top of the shared base layer.

When it is the right fit.

Good fit	Probably not a fit
Lead-gen area lists, listing enrichment, entity matching, marketplaces, CRMs, operations tools, and local search workflows.	Turn-by-turn routing, map tiles, mobile SDKs, autocomplete widgets, or global address validation.
Teams that need cacheable open-data results, confidence filtering, and predictable pricing.	Teams that need ratings, reviews, opening hours, photos, or every feature of a full maps platform.

Places API FAQ.

What is a Places API?

A Places API lets software search for real-world places, such as businesses, landmarks, venues, and addresses, and return structured JSON that an application can use.

Is Open Places API a geocoding API?

Open Places API is focused on place search near a latitude and longitude. It is not trying to replace a full geocoding, routing, tiles, or mobile maps SDK.

Can I call it from a browser?

The public API is designed for server-side calls with a bearer API key. Browser frontends should call your backend so the API key stays private.

Does it replace Google Places?

It can replace Google Places for products that only need backend place search and JSON results. It is narrower than Google Maps Platform by design.