Google Places API removed its free tier in February 2025. The new pricing starts at ~$275/month for 100K calls.
If you need basic business/POI data and don't need Google's reviews or photos, here's a free alternative.
BizData API
A REST API wrapping OpenStreetMap's Overpass API. Free, no API key, no signup.
curl "https://bizdata-web.vercel.app/api/businesses?location=Paris&category=cafe&limit=3"
Returns structured JSON with name, address, phone, website, email, coordinates, and opening hours.
Google Places vs BizData
| Feature | Google Places | BizData |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $275+/mo | Free |
| API key | Required | Not needed |
| Categories | 100+ | 37 |
| Reviews/photos | Yes | No |
| Coverage (EU) | Excellent | Excellent |
| Coverage (US) | Excellent | Good |
| Rate limits | Strict | Fair use |
When to use this
- Lead generation (bulk business listings)
- Market research (how many cafes in a neighborhood?)
- Location-based apps needing basic POI data
- Prototyping before committing to Google's pricing
- MCP tool calls from AI assistants
Endpoints
-
GET /api/businesses?location=X&category=Y- Find businesses -
GET /api/count?location=X&category=Y- Count businesses -
GET /api/categories- List all categories
Optional: radius_km (default 5), limit (max 500).
MCP Server
Also works as an MCP server for Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:
{
"mcpServers": {
"bizdata": {
"type": "streamable-http",
"url": "https://bizdata-web.vercel.app/api/mcp"
}
}
}
Try it
Data from OpenStreetMap. Built with TypeScript, hosted on Vercel.