--- title: "Google Maps Platform vs Mapbox: Which is searched more?" description: "Is Google Maps Platform or Mapbox more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Geolocation APIs set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/geolocation-apis/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-mapbox" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Google Maps Platform vs Mapbox: Which is searched more? Is Google Maps Platform or Mapbox more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Geolocation APIs set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Compared**: Google Maps Platform and Mapbox - **Competitive set**: Geolocation APIs - **Market**: Global - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **Google Maps Platform Share of Search**: 13% - **Mapbox Share of Search**: 28.5% ## Is Google Maps Platform or Mapbox more popular in search? - In September 2026, Mapbox had more branded searches than Google Maps Platform among geolocation APIs worldwide. Mapbox had about 135,000 branded searches, while Google Maps Platform had 61,600. Mapbox made up 28.5% of all geolocation API searches we track, and Google Maps Platform accounted for 13%. - Mapbox was ahead of Google Maps Platform in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Google Maps Platform’s share of searches among geolocation APIs worldwide moved from 20.6% to 13%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 128K to 61.6K. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Mapbox’s share of searches among geolocation APIs worldwide moved from 26.5% to 28.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 165K to 135K. ## Top geolocation APIs in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Google Maps Platform was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Mapbox was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Google Maps Platform was listed before Mapbox in every answer. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Google Maps Platform | 1st | 2 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 3 of 5 | | Mapbox | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 3 of 5 | | HERE Technologies | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | Geoapify | 4th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | TomTom | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | App Radar | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | ## Every AI answer about geolocation APIs - Asked ChatGPT "Which geolocation API should I use?": 1. Mapbox - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best geolocation APIs?": 1. Google Maps Platform, 2. Mapbox, 3. HERE Technologies, 4. Geoapify - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best geolocation API for maps and location?": 1. Google Maps Platform, 2. Mapbox, 3. HERE Technologies - Searched Google, AI Overview "geolocation api": named none of the brands we track - Searched Google, AI Overview "address lookup api": 1. Google Maps Platform, 2. Geoapify Not named in any answer: TomTom and App Radar. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in the United States on October 21, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for geolocation APIs worldwide in September 2026? - In September 2026, Mapbox gained share of searches among geolocation APIs worldwide, from 25.3% to 28.5%. - Estimated monthly branded searches for Google Maps Platform worldwide fell 51.9% over 12 measured months, from 128K to 61.6K in September 2026. ## Month by month | Month | Google Maps Platform estimated searches | Google Maps Platform Share of Search | Google Maps Platform rank | Mapbox estimated searches | Mapbox Share of Search | Mapbox rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 128K | 20.6% | 3 | 165K | 26.5% | 2 | | Nov 2025 | 105K | 19.3% | 3 | 165K | 30.3% | 2 | | Dec 2025 | 88.8K | 18% | 3 | 135K | 27.3% | 2 | | Jan 2026 | 105K | 19.3% | 3 | 165K | 30.3% | 2 | | Feb 2026 | 75.3K | 14.7% | 3 | 165K | 32.1% | 2 | | Mar 2026 | 78.6K | 15.1% | 3 | 165K | 31.7% | 2 | | Apr 2026 | 78.6K | 13.7% | 3 | 165K | 28.8% | 2 | | May 2026 | 75.3K | 13.2% | 3 | 165K | 29% | 2 | | Jun 2026 | 75.3K | 15.6% | 3 | 135K | 27.9% | 2 | | Jul 2026 | 82.7K | 7.7% | 3 | 135K | 12.6% | 2 | | Aug 2026 | 71.7K | 13.4% | 3 | 135K | 25.3% | 2 | | Sep 2026 | 61.6K | 13% | 3 | 135K | 28.5% | 2 | ## How each brand is measured Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Google Maps Platform’s and Mapbox’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading. - **Google Maps Platform**: Measured on the search terms “google maps api” and “google maps platform”, summed into one figure. - **Mapbox**: Measured on the search term “mapbox”. - [Google Maps Platform profile](/demand/global-en/brands/google-maps-platform) - [Mapbox profile](/demand/global-en/brands/mapbox) - [All geolocation APIs worldwide](/demand/global-en/categories/geolocation-apis): The set both shares are measured inside, 6 brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Google Maps Platform or Mapbox more popular in search? In September 2026, Mapbox had more branded searches than Google Maps Platform among geolocation APIs worldwide. Mapbox had about 135,000 branded searches, while Google Maps Platform had 61,600. Mapbox made up 28.5% of all geolocation API searches we track, and Google Maps Platform accounted for 13%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Google Maps Platform vs Mapbox: Which is searched more?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/geolocation-apis/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-mapbox This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/geolocation-apis/compare/google-maps-platform-vs-mapbox. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.