Comparisons
/
Routing APIs
/
HERE vs Google Maps
/
updated 2026

HERE Routing API vs Google Maps
— Fleet & Logistics Routing
Comparison 2026

A field-tested, vendor-neutral breakdown for engineering teams evaluating routing APls for trucks, fleets and last-mile delivery - pricing, truck constraints, matrix limits and data control, side by side.

Get API Key - no demo call required
HERE Gold Partner since 2016
10 years of integration experience
API key in 1 business day

40

%

LOWER COST AT SCALE

30

+

TRUCK CONSTRAINTS

1

DAY

API KEY TURNAROUND

10

YR

HERE GOLD PARTNER

TL;DR · The verdict

HERE wins for fleet, logistics and last-mile — Google wins for consumer apps

HERE Routing API is the right choice for any team building on trucks, fleets, or delivery operations. It supports truck-specific routing, 30+ configurable constraints, and offers 40% lower cost at equivalent volume compared to Google Maps Platform.

Google Maps makes it the default for anything moving people — consumer navigation, ride-sharing, or apps where brand recognition matters. But it hits hard limits fast: no true truck profile, basic constraint support, and per-request billing that scales poorly.

If you're building for logistics, fleet management, or ELD platforms — HERE is the professional-grade tool. Google is not.

Best for fleet & logistics
Best for ELD platforms
Best for last-mile delivery
Comparison table

HERE vs Google Maps, line by line

Placematic has been integrating HERE into production logistics systems since 2016. This table reflects real-world implementation experience, not marketing specs.

Feature
HERE
via placematic
Google Maps Platform
Truck / commercial vehicle routing
Full truck profile
Not supported
Vehicle constraints
30+ (weight, height, HazMat, emissions)
Basic only
Route matrix size
Up to 5,000 × 5,000
25 × 25 (standard)
Pricing model
Vehicle or job-based
Per API call
Cost at scale vs Google
20–80% lower
— baseline
On-premise deployment
Available
Not available
Data sovereignty / GDPR
Full control
Limited
Free trial access
API key in 1 business day, no call
Requires credit card
Integration support
Dedicated Placematic team
Self-serve only
ELD / telematics compatibility
Purpose-built
Workarounds required
Real-time traffic (commercial roads)
Commercial-grade
Consumer-grade
Long-term pricing stability
Contractual
Google changed pricing 3× since 2018
Get API Key
Pricing

HERE is up to 40% cheaper at equivalent volume

Google Maps Platform bills per API call with no volume predictability. HERE pricing is based on vehicles or jobs — the way logistics teams actually think about costs.

up to 40% cheaper
HERE Routing API via Placematic
Recommended

$2.92

/ 1,000 requests

Volume tiers · 5k free / month

Vehicle-based pricing available
No credit card to start testing
Volume discounts from day one
Predictable monthly costs
Dedicated integration support included
Get API Key
Google Maps Platform
Competitor

$5.00

/ 1,000 requests

Routes Advanced · billing account required

Per-request billing only
Credit card required to start
Pricing changed 3× since 2018
No integration support
Truck routing not included
See full comparison

Pricing estimates based on publicly available Google Maps Platform rates (April 2026) and HERE Base Plan rates via Placematic. Actual costs depend on usage volume and API mix. Contact us for a custom quote.

Cost calculator

Estimate your cost difference — drag to your monthly API call volume

When HERE wins

Where teams pick HERE every time

Placematic deploys HERE APIs across four core verticals. Each has requirements Google Maps simply cannot meet.

01

Fleet & ELD

Truck routing with weight, height, axle load, and HazMat restrictions. ELD compliance built into route logic — not bolted on.
02

Logistics & last-mile

Route matrices up to 5,000×5,000. Multi-stop optimization with time windows, vehicle capacity, and depot constraints at enterprise scale.
03

SaaS product teams

Adding location to your product? HERE APIs integrate clean, document well, and won't surprise you with a pricing change that breaks your unit economics.
04

Field services

Territory management, technician routing, and service area calculation — with commercial road data that consumer maps don't carry.
Technical specs

The numbers under the hood

Key technical differences that matter when you move from prototype to production.

Truck-aware routing, not just driving directions

HERE ships a dedicated commercial vehicle profile: 30+ constraints for weight, height, length, axle count and hazardous-materials classes, so a 40-tonne HGV never gets routed under a 3.5m bridge.

Google's Routes API computes excellent car directions but has no true truck profile — constraint handling is left to your own application logic.

Metric HERE Google
Truck profile Native None
Vehicle constraints 30+ 0
Avoidances 12 types 6 types
EV range routing Yes Limited
Max waypoints / call 10,000 25

Batch processing and structured data at enterprise scale

HERE Geocoding API returns structured address data with postal-level accuracy across 200+ countries. Batch geocoding is available for bulk address processing — critical for fleet onboarding, territory setup, and data enrichment pipelines.

Google Geocoding API performs well for single consumer address lookups but does not support batch processing in the standard tier. At scale, that means sequential calls, higher latency, and unpredictable cost.

Metric HERE Google
Batch geocoding Native Not available
Countries covered 200+ 200+
Structured address output Full Partial
Reverse geocoding Yes Yes
Postal-level accuracy Yes Partial

5,000 × 5,000 vs 25 × 25 — not the same product

HERE Distance Matrix API computes up to 5,000 × 5,000 origins/destinations in a single request — the scale required for real depot-to-stop optimization across large fleets.

Google Distance Matrix API standard tier caps at 25 × 25. Scaling beyond that requires the Advanced tier at double cost per element — and still doesn't reach HERE's limits.

Metric HERE Google
Max matrix size 5,000 × 5,000 25 × 25
Async processing Yes No
Truck-aware distances Yes No
Cost per element at scale Lower 2× at Adv. tier

Full navigation SDK — including indoor and positioning

HERE SDK supports iOS, Android, and web with full map rendering, turn-by-turn navigation, and live traffic. HERE Positioning API adds Wi-Fi and cell-based indoor positioning — relevant for warehouse operations, indoor fleet tracking, and last-mile handoff scenarios.

Google Maps SDK covers iOS, Android, and web for consumer navigation. Indoor positioning for logistics environments is not available — relevant if your use case extends beyond outdoor routing.

Metric HERE Google
iOS / Android / Web SDK Yes Yes
Turn-by-turn navigation Yes Yes
Indoor positioning Yes No
Offline maps Yes Limited
Custom map styles Yes Yes
Social proof

Trusted by teams building on HERE

Arobs ATT Bianco Logistic Budmat Colmec Control System DHL eLeader Elicab EM Trans Eurocash Formula Frachtero Fulogics Gannet Greenlight Hogs JIT Logistik Legaltrans Logisat Lontext Makotsl MOBA Moobitum Movme Onyx oTanki Petrotrans Resco Rohlig Suus Satis SKK UAB Brunas Vemoco Via Way4Net WidziszWszystko Windsoft Yusen Arobs ATT Bianco Logistic Budmat Colmec Control System DHL eLeader Elicab EM Trans Eurocash Formula Frachtero Fulogics Gannet Greenlight Hogs JIT Logistik Legaltrans Logisat Lontext Makotsl MOBA Moobitum Movme Onyx oTanki Petrotrans Resco Rohlig Suus Satis SKK UAB Brunas Vemoco Via Way4Net WidziszWszystko Windsoft Yusen

“We cut our routing bill by more than half moving from Google Maps to HERE through Placematic — and finally got truck-legal ETAs our dispatchers trust.“

VP Engineering · US logistics platform

Getting started

Live in three steps — starting today

1

Request your API key

No demo call. No credit card. Tell us your use case and we send credentials within 1 business day.
Get API Key
DIFFERENTIATOR
2

Test in sandbox

Run your real routes against HERE APIs. Compare accuracy, latency, and cost against what you're running today.
3

Go live with support

Placematic's integration team is available throughout your build — from first API call to production deployment.
FAQ

Questions developers ask before switching

HERE APIs are REST-based and work with any language or framework. If you’re currently on Google Maps, the endpoint structure is similar — most teams complete a working integration within a few days. Placematic provides migration support at no extra cost.

At low volumes (under 10,000 requests/month) the difference is modest. At production scale — 500,000+ requests/month — HERE is typically 20–80% cheaper depending on the API mix. The biggest factor is truck routing: Google charges enterprise rates for commercial vehicle features that are standard in HERE Base Plan.

Yes. Request your API key at placematic.com/start-trial/ — no demo call required. You’ll receive credentials within 1 business day scoped to your use case.

No contract required for pilot access. We scope credentials to your use case, you test in sandbox, and we discuss commercial terms only when you’re ready to go to production.

Yes — this is one of HERE’s core differentiators. Truck routing in HERE covers vehicle weight, height, width, length, axle load, tunnel categories, HazMat classifications, emission zones, and ferry preferences. Google Maps does not offer a commercial vehicle routing profile.

Placematic is a HERE Gold Partner with 10 years of production integrations. You get faster API access, lower pricing through our partner tier, and a dedicated integration team — none of which are available when purchasing HERE directly at standard rates.

Start with HERE Routing today

No demo call. No credit card. API key within 1 business day.

Get API Key
Book a demo

HERE Gold Partner since 2016 · Full integration support · Placematic USA LLC