I've just experienced a massive spike in our Google Maps API costs, jumping from around $800 in April to over $12,000 in May. This spike followed the expansion of our food delivery tracking system into new cities. I was totally unprepared for how quickly API requests can add up. Our system initially handled about 50,000 geocoding requests a month, but with the launch of three new cities, users started refreshing their tracking pages frequently during peak dinner hours, increasing our monthly API calls to 340,000. The autocomplete feature became a significant expense at $17 per 1,000 requests, and I wasn't aware that geocoding and address autocomplete were billed differently. Looking back, I realize I should have implemented a proper caching system from the start to cut costs significantly, and I definitely should have set up billing alerts. We switched to radar geocoding for cost-effectiveness, saving a ton compared to Google's pricing. My experience has been a painful reminder of the importance of monitoring API costs closely, especially during rapid business growth. I'm curious if anyone else has faced unexpected increases in API expenses and what strategies you implement to keep costs down for location services.
5 Answers
You may want to explore options like Radar or others. Using their platform can drastically reduce costs while maintaining the same level of service.
Radar worked wonders for us! It’s way cheaper than Google.
I feel for you; Google Maps geocoding can get really pricey. Instead of sticking with Google, you should consider building your own solution or checking out alternatives like SmartyStreets for address validation. Autocompleting addresses is doable on your own and can result in massive savings!
How did you go about implementing your own autocomplete feature? I’m interested in alternatives for my SaaS too.
Exactly! Before settling on a costly service, researching cheaper options or even rolling your own is definitely worth it.
What an expensive lesson! Not having caching or cost check systems in place is like driving on empty without a gas gauge; you end up stranded.
Exactly! But remember, aren't there built-in cost monitoring features in these APIs?
I agree, but it would be awesome if they offered a grace period for unexpected spikes. But that could probably be misused.
Big lesson here about scalability and code quality. It only takes one mistake to drain your budget. Despite the pain now, you’ll build better systems moving forward!
For real! It’s good that you’re aware of these now, though. Scaling can get very costly if not monitored.
Absolutely! Those early lessons are the hardest but will save you tons down the line.
It’s smart to keep your API usage lower. If you've got a driver’s location, you can skip unnecessary API calls by only updating when needed instead of every refresh.
Right? They really need to rethink how they trigger those calls. It's puzzling why refreshing a location leads to multiple API calls.
Totally. I've seen teams get crushed under needless API requests.
Have you tried any of these services yourself? What are their costs compared to Google?