PinSharing vs Mapbox
Mapbox is the broadest map platform around. PinSharing does less, but it lets you keep what you fetch at a flat price: geocodes and static images you can store, a hard monthly cap and a privacy area mode for listings.
Competitor figures read from Mapbox's own pages on Nov 5, 2026; see the sources at the end.
At a glance
Swipe the table sideways to see both columns.
| PinSharing | Mapbox | |
|---|---|---|
| Storing geocoding results | Allowed on every paid plan: 100,000 a month on Starter ($19/month) | Only with Permanent Geocoding: $5.00 per 1,000 from the first request. Temporary results may not be cached. |
| Static map images | 100,000 a month on Starter; cache and store them for as long as you like | 50,000 free a month, then $1.00 per 1,000. The Product Terms restrict serving map content from a cache or as a static image in place of the API (§2.8.1). |
| Past the limit | Hard cap: requests pause with HTTP 429, and nothing is billed | Pay-as-you-go billing for usage past the free allowance |
| Free plan | No card. 100 images, 10,000 lookups and 10,000 tiles a month, commercial use allowed; new accounts get Growth's limits for 14 days | Without a card you start on trial limits; adding a payment method unlocks the free tiers |
| Privacy area images (no exact pin) | Built in | Not a built-in option that we found; you can draw a circle overlay yourself |
| Routing, navigation, mobile SDKs | No | Yes |
| Satellite imagery and custom style editor | No: four ready-made styles | Yes: satellite, 3D and Mapbox Studio |
Worked example: 100,000 geocodes you keep, every month
| Provider | What you pay | How |
|---|---|---|
| PinSharing Starter | $19/month | 100,000 storable geocodes, plus 100,000 static images and 1,000,000 tiles |
| Mapbox Permanent Geocoding | $500/month | 100 × $5.00 per 1,000; no free allowance for permanent results |
Mapbox also asks for a card on file or an enterprise contract before it serves permanent results, and its Product Terms set conditions on how they may be used. Read them if you plan to show stored results to your own users.
Pick PinSharing if…
- You store addresses and coordinates in your own database
- You put map images in listing cards, emails or PDFs and want to cache them
- You need to show roughly where a home is without the exact address
- You want a bill that can't grow past the plan price
Pick Mapbox if…
- You need turn-by-turn navigation, routing or traffic
- You build native iOS or Android apps and want official SDKs
- You want satellite imagery, 3D terrain or a visual style editor
- You need an enterprise contract with a large vendor
Moving a static map from Mapbox
Mapbox puts coordinates in the path as longitude,latitude. PinSharing uses query parameters with latitude,longitude, like most other APIs.
https://api.mapbox.com/styles/v1/mapbox/streets-v12/static/pin-s(-88.3512,41.6843)/-88.3512,41.6843,14/600x400@2x?access_token=…https://api.pinsharing.com/v1/static?center=41.6843,-88.3512&zoom=14&size=600x400&scale=2&markers=41.6843,-88.3512&key=YOUR_KEYFor interactive maps, MapLibre GL JS (the open-source fork of Mapbox GL JS) runs PinSharing's vector styles. Mapbox Studio styles and Mapbox-only plugins don't carry over.
Questions
Can I store Mapbox geocoding results?
Only results from Permanent Geocoding, which Mapbox prices at $5.00 per 1,000 with no free allowance and which needs a card on file or an enterprise contract. Temporary results may not be cached. Check Mapbox's Product Terms for how permanent results may be used.
Does PinSharing ever bill for overage?
No. Every plan has a hard monthly cap. At the cap that product answers HTTP 429 until the 1st of next month or until you upgrade. If we ever charged you overage, we'd refund that month.
Can I replace Mapbox GL JS with PinSharing?
For the base map, yes: MapLibre GL JS works with PinSharing's vector tiles and four styles. Navigation, Studio styles and Mapbox's search widgets have no PinSharing equivalent.
Are PinSharing's results as accurate as Mapbox's?
Streets, places and towns come from OpenStreetMap and are reliable worldwide. US house numbers are thinner in some areas. Try your own addresses on the free plan before switching.
Try it on your own addresses
Free key in under a minute, no card. New accounts get Growth's limits free for 14 days.
Sources
Read on Nov 5, 2026. Prices and terms change, so follow the links before deciding.
Mapbox is a trademark of its owner. PinSharing (Wells Software Consulting LLC) isn't affiliated with or endorsed by it. Billing methods aren't always directly comparable, so check the linked pages before you decide. Spotted something out of date? Email hello@pinsharing.com and we'll fix it.