Geoapify vs OpenStreetMap
A side-by-side look at the Geoapify and OpenStreetMap MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Geoapify for location services work as a local process; choose OpenStreetMap for location services as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Geoapify when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Location Services domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You want tools like
geocode, reverse_geocode, places.
Choose OpenStreetMap when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Location Services domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You want tools like
geocode, reverse_geocode, route.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Location Services | Location Services |
| Quality signal | 53/100 · Good | 57/100 · Good |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | Not declared | Not declared |
| Pricing | Not declared | Not declared |
| Required env vars | None listed | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 0 | 2 |
| Directory activity | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 4 | 11 |
| Full listing | View Geoapify | View OpenStreetMap |
Tools & capabilities
Geoapify tools 4
geocodeForward geocoding: convert an address, place name, or freeform location text into geographic coordinates (latitude/longitude). Returns matched candidates with formatted address, lat, lon, country, city, and postcode. Example: geocode({ text: "1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA" })reverse_geocodeReverse geocoding: convert latitude/longitude coordinates into the nearest street address. Returns formatted address, country, city, street, house number, and postcode. Example: reverse_geocode({ lat: 48.8584, lon: 2.2945 })placesSearch for places and points of interest (POI) near a location, filtered by Geoapify category. Returns name, formatted address, categories, lat, lon, and distance from the center point. Example: places({ categories: "catering.restaurant", lat: 48.8584, lon: 2.2945, radius: 1000 })routingRouting / directions: compute the distance and travel time between two points for a given travel mode (drive, walk, bicycle, transit). Returns distance in meters and time in seconds. Example: routing({ from_lat: 48.8584, from_lon: 2.2945, to_lat: 48.8606, to_lon: 2.3376, mode: "drive" })
OpenStreetMap tools 11
geocodePlace name/address → coordinates (Nominatim or Photon)reverse_geocodeCoordinates → nearest addressrouteDistance and duration between 2+ waypoints, `foot`/`car`/`bike`; optional turn-by-turn summaryroute_matrixTravel time/distance from every origin to every destination in one calloptimize_routeBest visiting order for a set of stops (traveling-salesman, OSRM trip)isochroneReachable area within a time or distance budget (Valhalla, or ORS with key)find_nearby_poisPOIs around a location by category or raw OSM tag, sorted by distance (Overpass)poi_detailsFull OSM record of one element: opening hours, website, phone, …suggest_meeting_pointFair meeting venue for 2–8 people (balanced travel times)straight_line_distanceGreat-circle distance, computed offlinemap_linkopenstreetmap.org marker / directions links, computed offline
Ready-to-paste client configs
Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.
Geoapify
{
"mcpServers": {
"geoapify": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@pipeworx/mcp-geoapify"
]
}
}
}
OpenStreetMap
{
"mcpServers": {
"openstreetmap": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"osm-mcp"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Geoapify is categorized under Location Services and uses a local stdio subprocess. OpenStreetMap belongs to Location Services and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Geoapify for location services work and OpenStreetMap for location services.
Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client.
Geoapify has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. OpenStreetMap has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.
Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add geoapify and openstreetmap as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Geoapify has a quality signal of 53/100 (Good) with 0 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars. OpenStreetMap has 57/100 (Good) with 0 views, 0 installs and 2 GitHub stars.