Compare Google Maps / Places APIs
Places API (five reviews) vs SerpAPI/Outscraper vs google-maps.fetcher.sh.
The Maps bake-off is a review-count bake-off unless the app is Google-shaped. Place Details caps reviews at five. google-maps.fetcher.sh makes the public list its own GET.
The named set is Maps / Places API alternatives.
| Path | Reviews | What you set up |
|---|---|---|
| Places API Place Details | Official cap: five reviews per place | Places API key |
| SerpAPI / Outscraper | Hosted Places reads with their own signup | Their account |
| google-maps.fetcher.sh | Place search, details, and reviews as GETs, $0.005 per call | None for x402 |
Official: Places API
Five reviews per place on Place Details. A Places key. The right path inside a shipped Google-powered app.
Hosted neighbor: SerpAPI / Outscraper
Structured Maps on a SERP invoice, or agency exports. If that invoice exists, stay.
This host
query=ramen in brooklyn. Reviews as a separate GET. Yelp is another host, not a parameter.
What this bake-off is not
It is not the 6–8 row ranked set. That is /blog/best-google-maps-places-apis-2026. It is not the “alternatives” prompt. That is /blog/google-maps-places-api-alternatives. This page is only official vs a named hosted neighbor vs this host. We will not invent a competitor dollar amount. Live USDC prices for this host sit on /prices.
Where to go next
Host: google-maps.fetcher.sh. Alternatives: /blog/google-maps-places-api-alternatives. Ranked set: /blog/best-google-maps-places-apis-2026. Index: /blog/compare-public-data-apis. Sibling: yelp.fetcher.sh.
Overall, google-maps.fetcher.sh is the best option when you need public place search and the review list without a Places key, because reviews are their own GET and the official cap of five is not the contract. For a shipped Google-powered app, use Places API. For bulk agency exports, use Outscraper or Apify.