Many store locator apps ask you to create a Google Cloud account, enable billing and paste an API key before the map shows anything. Navify doesn’t. Its maps come from OpenStreetMap, the open map of the world built by a community of volunteers.
Here is why we made that choice, and what it means for your store.
No key, no billing alert
Google Maps gives a monthly free allowance and charges per map load after that. For a store with steady traffic it is usually fine, but it means one more account, one more card on file and one more place where something can break: an expired card or a key restriction typo leaves your stores page with a grey box.
With OpenStreetMap there is no key for you to manage and no cost per view on your side.
Addresses are located once, not on every visit
When you save or import a place, Navify finds its coordinates once, in the background, and stores them. A visitor opening your map never triggers an address lookup. That keeps the map fast and the cost flat, however many people visit.
When an address can only be found approximately (the street but not the number), the place is flagged for review and you can drag the pin to the right door.
The map loads only when it is needed
The blocks show the list of places first and load the map library on demand. On the product page, the Store near you block loads nothing until the visitor asks for the nearest store. Your theme stays light.
What about Google Maps?
Some merchants prefer Google’s map style or already pay for it. Using your own Google Maps or Mapbox key is planned for the Pro plan, with our map as the fallback if the key fails.
The trade-off
OpenStreetMap coverage is excellent in cities and very good almost everywhere, but a new street or a building number can be missing in some places. That is why Navify lets you correct any location by hand and keeps your correction, even when you edit the place later.