Google Places API Alternatives: Which POI API Should You Use in 2026?

If your app needs to search for places — cafes, restaurants, shops, or any other points of interest — chances are you’ve looked at the Google Maps Platform first. It’s a powerful solution, but it’s not always the best fit. Pricing, usage limits, licensing restrictions, or simply the need for more flexibility often push developers to look for alternatives. What we’ll explore In this article, we’ll take a practical look at Places APIs — focusing on one common use case: Finding places by category. For example: cafes or restaurants near a location We’ll compare how place search works across several popular providers and when each one makes the most sense to use: Google Maps Platform — Places API Geoapify — Places API Foursquare — Places API HERE Technologies — Geocoding & Search API TomTom — Search API (POI search) What to choose? Use Case: Find Restaurants in Miami Beach To keep this comparison practical, let’s use one specific scenario: Find restaurants near this point in Miami Beach: La