OpenCage Geocoder
Berlin-based geocoding API provider, founded in 2013, that aggregates multiple open geocoders behind a single unified endpoint and serves developers and enterprises worldwide with forward and reverse geocoding, autosuggest, and LLM-agent integration via MCP.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersHanover, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What OpenCage Geocoder does
OpenCage Geocoder is a Berlin-based geocoding API provider, founded in 2013, that aggregates multiple open geocoders behind a single unified endpoint. The service delivers forward and reverse geocoding together with geosearch and autosuggest, and is distributed via SDKs covering 40+ programming languages. Underlying data sources include OpenStreetMap, Nominatim, and other open geocoders, with the platform handling request routing, result normalization, and reliability tuning. Volume is described as tens of millions of API requests per day across thousands of customers worldwide, including named enterprise accounts such as SIXT, Sara Assicurazioni, Schibsted, Nexxiot, Telit Cinterion, Phillips Connect, Vismo, and GPS Chile.
The commercial model is product-led growth built on a freemium foundation. A free tier provides 2,500 requests per day at $0; paid subscriptions begin at approximately $50/month and scale through capped tiers to about $1,000/month; above those thresholds the company negotiates custom enterprise contracts. OpenCage markets itself as 80-90% cheaper than Google Maps, emphasizes GDPR-compliant EU infrastructure, and stewards the Geomob community event series. The company has also launched an Agent Skill exposing its geocoding as a callable tool inside Anthropic's Claude MCP ecosystem, and offers spreadsheet-based upload for non-technical users, indicating an explicit expansion into AI-developer and analyst-adjacent personas.
The operating profile is small, founder-led, and bootstrapped — there is no external venture funding and headcount is in the 1-10 range. Strategic priorities evident from recent activity are (i) upmarket motion via enterprise contracting, (ii) channel expansion through LLM tool ecosystems, and (iii) buyer expansion beyond developers through non-API interfaces. The combination of low fixed-cost base, multi-year operating history, and absence of disclosure suggests a profitable, cash-generative niche business rather than a venture-stage growth company.
OpenCage Geocoder firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- OpenCage Geocoder
- Legal name
- OpenCage GmbH
- Website
- https://opencagedata.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Berlin-based geocoding API provider, founded in 2013, that aggregates multiple open geocoders behind a single unified endpoint and serves developers and enterprises worldwide with forward and reverse geocoding, autosuggest, and LLM-agent integration via MCP.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
OpenCage Geocoder industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Geocoding Services / Location APIs
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518210), Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (54137)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Geocoding, Search & Place Data Platforms (BPAMANAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- GIS & Spatial Data Management Platforms (BPAMANAK)
Keywords
Where OpenCage Geocoder is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hanover
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
OpenCage Geocoder business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Geocoding API subscription plans: Monthly or annual subscription plans with a set number of daily API requests, targeting regular enterprise and developer users. Subscriptions can be cancelled anytime with no long-term commitment.
- One-time geocoding plans: Prepaid one-time plans for customers who need a limited number of geocoding requests without recurring commitment. Spreadsheet batch geocoding uses request credits from either subscription or one-time plans.
- Enterprise custom pricing: For high-volume enterprise customers (e.g., 300,000+ daily requests), pricing is handled via direct sales contact. Enterprise solutions include dedicated support and SLA guarantees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free trial: 2,500 requests/day |
| Subscription | Monthly | Subscription plans from $50/month |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | One-time prepaid plans |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Enterprise high-volume plans |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
OpenCage Geocoder product offering
Product offeringCore offering
OpenCage Geocoder provides a geocoding API service that converts latitude/longitude coordinates to and from place names and addresses, aggregating multiple open data sources into a single endpoint. The platform serves developers and businesses that need reliable, transparent, and privacy-focused location data for their applications, with supporting tools such as batch spreadsheet geocoding, a JavaScript search component, and SDKs for major programming languages.
Product overview
OpenCage Geocoder provides a unified geocoding and geosearch platform built on open data. At its core is the OpenCage Geocoding API, a single API endpoint that handles both forward and reverse geocoding by aggregating multiple open geocoders (including Nominatim). This core API is supplemented by the Geosearch (Location Autosuggest) product for form/map autocomplete. Additional modules include the Spreadsheet Upload feature for batch processing CSV/Excel files, official SDKs/client libraries for 40+ programming languages, and an Agent Skill (MCP) enabling AI agents to query the service via natural language. A library of tutorials and guides covers integration with GIS platforms, serverless frameworks, and third-party tools.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Geocoding API A REST API that performs forward geocoding (converting place names/addresses into latitude/longitude coordinates) and reverse geocoding (converting coordinates into place names and addresses), built on aggregated open data sources. Targeted at developers and organizations building location-aware applications.
- Geosearch JavaScript Component A drop-in JavaScript search-as-you-type component powered by the OpenCage Geocoding API, designed for web developers who want to add location search to their applications without building the UI from scratch.
- Spreadsheet Upload Geocoder A bulk geocoding tool that lets non-developer users upload spreadsheets of addresses or coordinates and receive geocoded results, designed for analysts and teams that need ad hoc batch geocoding without writing code.
- OpenCage SDKs Client libraries/software development kits for integrating the OpenCage Geocoding API in popular programming languages, provided to streamline developer adoption of the core API.
- OpenCage Agent Skill (MCP) A Model Context Protocol (MCP) skill that lets AI agents call the OpenCage geocoding service, enabling AI-driven applications to perform geocoding tasks through the agent interface.
Quantifiable outcome
- Customers typically cut their geocoding costs by 80-90% compared to Google Maps
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use OpenCage Geocoder
Customer profileNamed customers21 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
OpenCage Geocoder technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
AI capability2 records
Feature9 records
OpenCage Geocoder partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- OpenStreetMap FoundationcoreOpenCage is a proud corporate member of the OpenStreetMap Foundation. The company funds the development of Nominatim (its CTO is one of the top two Nominatim contributors of all time) and contributes its own patches. The partnership involves financial sponsorship of OSM events, funding Nominatim development, and active code contributions. OpenCage uses OpenStreetMap data as its primary geocoding data source.
- OpenStreetMap communitycoreOpenCage relies on the OpenStreetMap community for the underlying open data. Over four million edits are made to OSM daily, continuously improving data quality. OpenCage contributes back by funding development, sponsoring events, and encouraging users to contribute to OSM.
- Association for Geoinformatics, GeoIT and Navigation e.V.minorOpenCage is a proud corporate member of this association, contributing to the broader geo-innovation ecosystem.
- FOSSGIS e.V.minorOpenCage is a proud corporate member of FOSSGIS e.V., supporting free and open source GIS software and the broader open geospatial community.
- The OpenStreetMap UK CICminorOpenCage is a proud corporate member of The OpenStreetMap UK CIC, supporting open mapping initiatives in the UK.
- GeomobminorOpenCage organizes and sponsors the Geomob event series (thegeomob.com), including meetups and a podcast covering open geospatial topics. This community-building initiative positions the company as a thought leader in the geo-tech space.
- Hetzner Online GmbHcoreOpenCage's API and geosearch services are hosted at multiple redundant locations within the EU on Hetzner servers. Hetzner is ISO 27001 certified. OpenCage team does not have physical access to servers.
- StripecoreStripe handles all payment and billing processing. OpenCage never stores customer payment credentials (card numbers, etc.). All payment security and PCI compliance is managed by Stripe.
- NominatimcoreNominatim (the OpenStreetMap geocoder) is one of the main geocoders running behind OpenCage's API. OpenCage's CTO is one of the top two Nominatim contributors globally and contributes significant code back to the project.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
OpenCage Geocoder competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mapbox: Developer-focused maps and geocoding API platform serving similar use cases (location search, address geocoding). Competes on developer experience and integration breadth, though with proprietary data and premium pricing.
- Geoapify: Provides OSM-backed geocoding, reverse geocoding, and location APIs targeting developers and SMBs with freemium pricing. Closely comparable service scope and self-serve GTM motion to OpenCage.
- LocationIQ: OSM-based geocoding and map tile API with similar developer-first, low-cost positioning. Directly comparable product offering and target customer (developers, SMBs) to OpenCage, with overlapping pricing tiers.
Broad incumbents
- TomTom: Long-standing mapping and geocoding API provider, particularly strong in automotive and navigation. Competes with OpenCage in enterprise geocoding but with proprietary first-party data and significantly larger scale.
- AWS Location Service: Amazon's cloud-based geocoding, mapping, and tracking service bundled with AWS. Comparable in functionality and a credible alternative for AWS-committed enterprises, with hyperscaler scale and bundling leverage.
- HERE Technologies: Established location platform offering geocoding, routing, and mapping APIs with enterprise focus. Larger, broader portfolio player with premium positioning and stronger first-party data in automotive/logistics.
- Google Maps Platform (Geocoding API): Google's dominant geocoding API within its broader Maps Platform. OpenCage explicitly competes here with Google Maps pricing-comparison content; this is the primary incumbent OpenCage positions against on cost and licensing terms.
- Azure Maps (Microsoft): Microsoft's cloud-based mapping and geocoding service within the Azure ecosystem. Comparable enterprise positioning with native Azure integration and bundling advantages for Microsoft-shop customers.
Emerging players
- Pelias: Open-source modular geocoder built on OSM data with similar architecture to OpenCage's underlying stack. Relevant as both a potential technology alternative and as part of the same open geo ecosystem OpenCage participates in.
Others
- Nominatim: The open-source OSM geocoder that OpenCage both relies on internally and competes against for self-hosted deployments. OpenCage positions its API as a managed alternative to self-hosting Nominatim—relevant ecosystem player though not a commercial direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
OpenCage Geocoder social profiles
Digital presenceOpenCage Geocoder compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
OpenCage Geocoder financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
OpenCage Geocoder leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
OpenCage Geocoder funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
OpenCage Geocoder M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about OpenCage Geocoder
What does OpenCage Geocoder do?
OpenCage Geocoder provides a geocoding API service that converts latitude/longitude coordinates to and from place names and addresses, aggregating multiple open data sources into a single endpoint. The platform serves developers and businesses that need reliable, transparent, and privacy-focused location data for their applications, with supporting tools such as batch spreadsheet geocoding, a JavaScript search component, and SDKs for major programming languages.
Is OpenCage Geocoder a public or private company?
OpenCage Geocoder is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was OpenCage Geocoder founded?
OpenCage Geocoder was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is OpenCage Geocoder based?
OpenCage Geocoder is headquartered in Hanover, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does OpenCage Geocoder make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Geocoding API subscription plans are the primary driver. The others are one-time geocoding plans and enterprise custom pricing.
Who are OpenCage Geocoder's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mapbox, Geoapify and LocationIQ. Broad incumbents are TomTom, AWS Location Service, HERE Technologies, Google Maps Platform (Geocoding API) and Azure Maps (Microsoft). Pelias is listed as an emerging player. Nominatim is listed as an others.
Does OpenCage Geocoder have an API?
Yes. The OpenCage Geocoding API converts coordinates to places (forward geocoding) and places to coordinates (reverse geocoding) using open data. It uses a single endpoint for both forward and reverse geocoding, requires an API key supplied via the `key=` parameter, supports JSON, XML, and GeoJSON output formats, and returns additional location annotations such as timezones, Wikidata IDs, NUTS codes, FIPS codes, currency, what3words, geohash, and more. It is publicly available with a free tier (2,500 requests/day) and paid subscription plans. Developer documentation is at opencagedata.com/api.
What industry is OpenCage Geocoder in?
OpenCage Geocoder's product category is Geocoding Services / Location APIs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMANAC, Geocoding, Search & Place Data Platforms, with a secondary code of BPAMANAK, GIS & Spatial Data Management Platforms. Its NAICS code is 518210 and its SIC code is 7374.