adresse.data.gouv.fr Pricing: Free Geocoding API (2026)

Pricing overview

The adresse.data.gouv.fr API operates under a completely free model. It is a public service provided by the French government to facilitate access to standardized address data for France. This means users incur no direct costs for using its geocoding, reverse geocoding, or address search capabilities. The absence of a fee structure distinguishes it from commercial geocoding services, which typically employ usage-based or subscription pricing models.

This cost-free approach is consistent with the broader mission of data.gouv.fr, which promotes open data access for public and private use. The API does not require users to register or obtain an API key, simplifying integration and removing common barriers to entry often associated with paid APIs. This structure supports a wide range of applications from individual developers to large-scale public sector initiatives requiring accurate French address data without budget constraints related to API calls.

Plans and tiers

Unlike most API providers, adresse.data.gouv.fr does not offer distinct pricing plans or tiered access levels. All users have access to the same set of functionalities and service levels without differentiation based on usage volume or payment. This singular, free tier encompasses all available API endpoints, including:

• Geocoding API: Converts textual addresses into geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude).
• Reverse Geocoding API: Converts geographic coordinates into human-readable addresses.
• Address Search API: Provides suggestions and validates addresses based on partial input.
• Address Normalization API: Standardizes address formats.

The service is designed for broad accessibility, ensuring that any developer or organization needing to work with French address data can do so without commercial agreements or usage quotas. This eliminates the need for detailed pricing comparisons between different tiers, as the offering is uniform for everyone.

Free tier and limits

The adresse.data.gouv.fr API essentially operates as an unlimited free tier. There are no explicit usage limits mentioned in the official API documentation for adresse.data.gouv.fr regarding the number of requests per second, day, or month. This open access policy means developers can integrate the API into applications without concerns about incurring costs or hitting rate limits that might disrupt service for high-volume use cases.

The absence of an API key requirement further simplifies the use of the free tier. Users can make requests directly to the API endpoints without prior registration or authentication. While this offers maximum accessibility, it also implies that individual usage cannot be tracked or throttled on a per-user basis. Service stability for high-volume requests typically relies on the underlying infrastructure's capacity and efficient use of the API by the community, such as implementing client-side caching where appropriate to reduce redundant calls.

For context, many commercial geocoding services offer a free tier with specific limitations. For instance, the Google Geocoding API provides a monthly free quota before charges apply, while other providers might cap requests or features. adresse.data.gouv.fr's model deviates significantly by removing these common limitations for its target locale.

Real-world cost examples

Given that the adresse.data.gouv.fr API is entirely free, real-world cost examples consistently show a cost of 0 EUR, regardless of the usage volume. This contrasts sharply with commercial APIs where costs accrue based on factors like:

• Number of requests: Often measured in thousands or millions of queries.
• Feature usage: Premium features like batch geocoding or enhanced data might cost more.
• Data volume: The amount of data processed or returned.
• Geographic scope: Global coverage often commands higher prices than localized services.

Consider the following scenarios:

1. Small Business Website Integration: A small French e-commerce business integrates the API to validate customer shipping addresses during checkout. With an average of 500 address validations per day (approximately 15,000 requests per month), the monthly cost would be 0 EUR.

2. Public Sector Data Project: A local French municipality needs to geocode a dataset of 500,000 historical addresses for urban planning. Processing this entire dataset through the API would incur a total cost of 0 EUR.

3. Mobile Application Development: A startup develops a mobile application for French tourists that uses reverse geocoding to display nearby points of interest. If the app generates 100,000 reverse geocoding requests per month, the cost remains 0 EUR.

4. Research and Academic Use: A university researcher performs extensive analysis requiring millions of geocoding requests over several months for a project on demographic patterns in France. The total cost for API usage would be 0 EUR.

These examples illustrate that even high-volume, continuous usage does not lead to any direct financial expenditure for API access, which is a significant advantage for budget-constrained projects or applications requiring extensive address processing within France.

How the pricing compares

The free pricing model of adresse.data.gouv.fr positions it uniquely among geocoding services, particularly when compared to commercial alternatives. Its primary distinction is the complete absence of charges and usage limits for French address data.

When evaluating alternatives, developers typically consider:

• OpenCage Geocoder: Offers a free tier with 2,500 requests per day and paid plans starting at approximately $50/month for higher volumes. Its global coverage is a key differentiator, but it comes with associated costs for significant usage.
• Google Geocoding API: Provides a generous free tier of up to $200 in monthly credits, which covers approximately 40,000 geocoding requests. Beyond this, costs accrue per request (e.g., $5.00 per 1,000 calls). This model is suitable for projects needing global coverage and a range of mapping services but can become expensive at scale.
• Mapbox Geocoding API: Features a free tier that includes 100,000 requests per month for its geocoding and search services. Paid plans are usage-based, with costs varying depending on the specific search endpoint used, generally starting around $5.00 per 1,000 requests after the free limit. Mapbox is known for its mapping and visualization capabilities alongside geocoding.

The table below summarizes the pricing comparison:

For projects exclusively focused on French addresses, adresse.data.gouv.fr provides a compelling advantage by eliminating direct API costs, making it a highly attractive option for both public and private sector applications operating within France. When global coverage or advanced mapping features are required, paid alternatives become necessary, but at the expense of incurring usage-based fees.