Short answer: Location in an app is four separate jobs: showing a map, turning addresses into coordinates (geocoding), calculating routes, and reacting to where a device is. Each can come from a different provider: Google Maps Platform, Mapbox or an OpenStreetMap-based service. In Israel the hard parts tend to be matching Hebrew addresses and getting users to allow background location.
Key takeaways
- Google bills per SKU: Since March 1, 2025, a free monthly allowance for each SKU has replaced the $200 monthly credit.
- Mapbox bills per product: Web maps count loads, mobile SDKs count monthly active users, each with its own free tier.
- Public OSM servers are not a backend: The tile service has no SLA, and Nominatim allows at most one request per second.
- Background access is a second consent: iOS and Android request it separately.
Choosing a map provider
| Provider | Pricing model (2026) | Fits when |
|---|---|---|
| Google Maps Platform | Per billable event, free monthly cap per SKU, automatic volume discounts | Address search and place data matter most |
| Mapbox | Per map load, monthly active user or request, with a free tier per product | Custom map styling and branded maps |
| OpenStreetMap-based | Own servers or a hosted provider's contract | High volume, or full control of data and routing rules |
Storage terms differ too. Google lets apps keep place IDs indefinitely, with caching limits on other results; Mapbox sells temporary geocoding, which may not be cached, apart from permanent geocoding. A delivery system that stores coordinates on every order needs the right tier early, and that affects what the app costs to build and run.
Geocoding Hebrew addresses
One Israeli street gets written many ways: with or without ״רח׳״, ״תל אביב״ or ״תל אביב-יפו״, a rabbi's title kept or dropped, or transliterated into English. Moshav and kibbutz addresses often lack a house number. Google's Geocoding API takes language and region, but region only influences results, so the app should confirm each match is in Israel and precise to the building. Mapbox lists Hebrew as limited coverage.
The Population and Immigration Authority publishes the list of streets in Israel on data.gov.il, including a file with synonyms. Normalizing input against it before geocoding catches most spelling variants.
