TravelTime Location API
TravelTime vs.
Google APIs
Looking for a Google Maps API alternative? TravelTime is the #1 alternative location API provider — we deliver unlimited API calls and accurate journey time calculations for one fixed cost.
Discover why businesses are switching to TravelTime for search and match, spatial analytics, routing, and location intelligence.
Compare TravelTime vs. Google Maps Platform on pricing, privacy, coverage, and features, to make a more informed decision about your location API.
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TLDR: Our overview
Different APIs. Different Strengths.
- Google Maps Platform API and TravelTime are both powerful location technology platforms — but they serve very different purposes.
- Google is a well-known platform with a huge ecosystem, offering large matrices with live traffic. It is considered the best-in-class for accurate drive time data. However, the usage-based pricing structure gets very expensive at scale.
- TravelTime matches Google’s accuracy and scale, but focuses on delivering cost-effective API use for customers. TravelTime also offers isochrones and public transport data where Google fails.
- It’s built for analysing real-world movement, with accurate, multimodal journey time data across public transport, walking, cycling, and driving. TravelTime is built for use at scale, with no call or licensing restrictions, and one fixed price.
What’s the difference between TravelTime and Google Maps Platform?
TravelTime and Google both operate in the location technology space, yet they serve different purposes. The differences between them can have a major impact on your decision-making, depending on your use case.
USP
Unlimited API usage for one fixed price, public transport data and high-quality support as standard
Massive ecosystem and dev familiarity, real-time traffic and directions
Countries coverage
Global coverage (excl. China, Russia, North Korea)
Full global coverage
Privacy
No data collection or tracking
User data may be stored, analysed, and monetised by Google
Licensing
Freedom to cache data, use in AI modelling, and more
Customers can only use Google products and caching is prohibited
USP
Countries coverage
Privacy
Licensing
Pricing model
TravelTime or Google Maps?
Distance matrix comparison
Usage limits, response details, and more
Usage limits
Commercial model
One fixed custom price for unlimited API requests
Starting from $5 per 1,000 elements
Included in all licences
Monthly fee + % of platform charges
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Response details
Transport mode
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Time settings
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Integrations
From Google
to TravelTime
Join the organisations choosing TravelTime over Google. See what our customers say.
TravelTime and
Google API features
Google Maps Platform APIs offers routing, distance matrices, and geocoding.
TravelTime is the alternative location API that offers routing, distance matrices, and geocoding — plus additional features including H3, Isochrones, and Geohash APIs. All available for one fixed cost.
TravelTime vs. Google:
Transparent pricing that scales
With TravelTime, you pay a flat fee for unlimited usage. No hidden fees, no charging by elements, no surprise bills.
Google Maps Platform charges per request, which can lead to unpredictable and escalating costs, especially as your product scales.
- Fixed cost per year
- Unlimited API calls
- No quotas or throttling
- Pay-per-use pricing
- Steep increases at scale
- Rate limiting and quotas apply
PAYG vs. non-transactional pricing
PAYG or transactional pricing can work in low usage scenarios or short-term projects.
But for growing or large-scale organisations, releasing features frequently, and investing in long-term value, the flat-rate model becomes a strategic advantage.
TravelTime’s suite of location APIs are available for one fixed, custom price. Never worry about adding additional features again.
TravelTime vs. Google coverage
TravelTime supports global transit data, including driving routes, rail networks, cycling routes, metro systems, regional buses, and national carriers.
Google’s coverage is global however it is not always complete or up to date in every region. In some cases, transit support is entirely unavailable.
Comparing TravelTime vs.
Google drive time accuracy
Both TravelTime and Google deliver accurate drive time results. TravelTime’s dedicated data team continuously test and update the algorithms to deliver the most accurate results possible.
Enter two addresses to calculate the drive time.
Drive times calculated using a 12pm midweek departure time (where possible based on each provider). For more details see comparison code.
TravelTime:
Privacy you can trust
With TravelTime, your data is never collected, stored, or sold. We focus purely on delivering precise travel time analytics.
No advertising, no building competitor products.
Google's location APIs are tied into a wider ecosystem that monetises user behaviour and can use your data for internal products.
We don’t think that’s right.
TravelTime or Google?
Real support from day one
TravelTime supports you every step of the way.
Get personalised onboarding, developer documentation tailored to your use case, and access to real humans — not just forums and FAQs.
Switch to TravelTime
Try TravelTime, a Google Maps Platform alternative, built for scale.
TravelTime is a Google competitor with the global transit coverage and a leading data accuracy. Even better, it’s the first location API provider to promote fair, non-transactional pricing, making it a great choice for scale.
Fixed price, unlimited usage
Larger travel time matrices
Best-in-class accuracy
TravelTime and Google
Location API FAQs
Is TravelTime a Google Maps alternative?
Yes! TravelTime offers a developer-friendly, privacy-first alternative to Google Maps Platform, particularly for travel time analysis and location-based applications. TravelTime is perfect for organisations that are scaling location API usage rapidly and face large, unpredictable bills with Google.
Can TravelTime replace the Google Distance Matrix API?
Absolutely. TravelTime’s Distance Matrix API works across all transport modes and is designed for high-volume usage at a fixed cost.
Does TravelTime support isochrones?
Yes. TravelTime natively supports isochrone generation, as well as H3 and Geohash — unlike Google, which does not offer this functionality.
Build without compromise
Get started with the leading location API today