Nominatim
Nominatim is the free, open-source geocoding engine powered by OpenStreetMap data, offering search, reverse geocoding, and lookup APIs with no API key required for lightweight applications.
Overview
| Category | Maps |
| Self-Hostable | Yes |
| On-Prem | No |
| Best For | hobby, startup |
| Last Verified | 2026-02-13 |
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths:- cost
- customization
- security
- rate limited on public API
- accuracy varies by region
- maintenance responsibility if self-hosting
When to Use
Best when:- need completely free geocoding
- want open-source solution
- can self-host
- privacy-focused applications
- community-driven data acceptable