Mapbox Geocoding guide (coverage, pricing, rate limits, licensing)

Last updated: 2026-01-09 | Updated by: Coordable | Sources: Mapbox Geocoding API Docs, Temporary vs Permanent Geocoding, Mapbox Pricing (Search), Mapbox Data Sources, Mapbox Terms of Service

Table of contents

Mapbox offers a modern geocoding stack as part of its Search product suite. The Mapbox Geocoding API converts text (addresses, streets, localities, postcodes, administrative areas) into geographic coordinates, and can also reverse geocode coordinates back to place context.

A key Mapbox concept is Temporary vs Permanent geocoding: by default you are not allowed to store/cached coordinates, unless you explicitly request permanent results (and pay the corresponding pricing tier / meet account requirements). Mapbox also provides separate APIs for broader POI search (notably the Search Box API), while the Geocoding v6 API focuses on address/place geometry.

Mapbox Logo

⭐ Very Good Accuracy 🎁 100k Free/Month 💰 $0.75–$5 per 1k ⚠️ Storage Depends on Plan

Key features:

  • Global, OSM-based foundation enhanced by Mapbox processing + conflation with additional commercial/government datasets (quality varies by region)
  • Forward & reverse geocoding with modern v6 endpoints (and legacy v5 still widely used)
  • Autocomplete (enabled by default in v6), plus language, country, proximity and bbox filters
  • Batch geocoding for processing multiple queries efficiently
  • Clear storage model: temporary results cannot be cached; permanent results can be stored indefinitely (when requested properly)

Advantages and disadvantages

Mapbox is a very popular choice for developers who want a flexible mapping stack with strong customization options. But for geocoding specifically, there are important tradeoffs (especially around POIs and licensing/storage). Let’s review them:

✅ Advantages

Strong address geocoding in many regions

  • Very good performance in most countries with rich OpenStreetMap coverage
  • Good results in cities and towns; quality depends on local data completeness
  • Modern filtering tools: country codes, language tags, bounding boxes, proximity bias

Transparent storage tiers (temporary vs permanent)

  • Temporary geocoding is cost-effective for interactive, real-time lookup
  • Permanent geocoding is designed for batch enrichment and long-term datasets
  • Explicit “permanent=true” makes compliance easier to reason about

Developer ecosystem

  • Widely used SDKs and examples
  • Good support for building autocomplete experiences
  • Batch geocoding support for operational workflows

Data pipeline built on multiple sources

  • OpenStreetMap as the base, improved through validation and conflation
  • Additional commercial and government datasets used where available
❌ Disadvantages

Two-tier pricing & product split (addresses vs POIs)

  • Temporary geocoding is cheap, but permanent storage is much more expensive
  • Geocoding v6 focuses on address/place geometry; POI search may require Search Box instead

Licensing constraints can be surprising

  • Temporary results: no caching/storage of coordinate results
  • Docs also include a statement about using geocoding responses “in conjunction with a Mapbox map” — this can impact “geocode with Mapbox, display elsewhere” scenarios

Autocomplete can inflate usage

  • With autocomplete enabled, you can easily generate one request per keystroke
  • You’ll want throttling/debouncing to control cost

Coverage

Mapbox geocoding is designed for global coverage, but quality varies by region because it depends heavily on underlying map/address data completeness. Mapbox’s core map data is built on OpenStreetMap, then processed and conflated with other datasets where possible.

The following interactive map is an estimation of coverage and expected accuracy computed by Coordable (heuristic, not an official Mapbox statement).

Interactive coverage map

Coverage levels:
● Excellent - Dense addressing + strong OSM/official data coverage
● Very Good - Strong city/town coverage, good general reliability
● Good - Usable but more variability (especially rural / incomplete addressing)
● Standard - Basic coverage (all other countries)

Important note: Mapbox does not publish a simple “country coverage list” for geocoding comparable to some providers. Coverage is effectively worldwide, but accuracy depends on underlying data quality.

Mapbox data sources: Mapbox Data Sources

Address types supported

  • Housenumber addresses: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC
  • Street features: Amphitheatre Parkway
  • Neighborhood / locality: Le Marais, Paris
  • City / region / country: Paris, California, France
  • Postal codes: 10001, 75001

Note: POIs now require the Search Box API rather than Geocoding v6.

Mapbox Geocoding API pricing

Mapbox pricing depends on whether you need temporary (no storage) or permanent (storage allowed) geocoding.

Temporary Geocoding API (default)

Monthly volume Price per 1,000
0 – 100,000 🎁 FREE
100,001 – 500,000 $0.75
500,001 – 1,000,000 $0.60
1,000,001+ $0.45
5,000,000+ Contact sales

Permanent Geocoding API (storage allowed)

Monthly volume Price per 1,000
1 – 500,000 $5.00
500,001+ $4.00
1,000,000+ Contact sales

Source: Mapbox Pricing, January 2026

Cost calculator




Enter a volume to see estimated cost

Rate Limits

Mapbox’s default rate limit: 1,000 requests/minute (~16 requests/sec). If exceeded → HTTP 429 response. See Mapbox Geocoding API Docs.

License and Terms of Service

🚫 Restrictions

  • Temporary geocoding: no coordinate storage or caching.
  • Permanent mode: requires permanent=true + valid account (can store indefinitely).
  • Display rule: results must generally be used “in conjunction with a Mapbox map.”
  • Redistribution: storing or reselling data to third parties prohibited.

✅ Allowed use

  • Real-time lookups (temporary mode)
  • Long-term address enrichment (permanent mode)
  • Use without visible maps (supported examples)
  • Combine results in internal analytics (non-redistributive)

References: - Mapbox Terms of Service - Temporary vs Permanent Geocoding - Mapbox Geocoding API Docs

Conclusion

Mapbox Geocoding offers a developer-friendly, globally available API with a generous 100k free requests/month, strong address accuracy, and transparent pricing. Its main caveats are around storage rights (temporary vs permanent) and POI handling (moved to Search Box).

Optimize your geocoding stack: If you balance accuracy, cost, and licensing, Coordable can automatically choose the best provider for each address.

Last updated: 2026-01-09 | Updated by: Coordable | Sources: Mapbox Geocoding API Docs, Temporary vs Permanent Geocoding, Mapbox Pricing (Search), Mapbox Data Sources, Mapbox Terms of Service

Disclaimer: Informational only. Always confirm current Mapbox pricing & licensing.