If you only need basic PBF or MVT vector map tiles, what is the cheapest practical option?
The honest answer depends on what you are building.
A completely free public service may be perfect for a prototype or hobby project. Self-hosting can provide maximum control. A low-cost paid API can be the simplest choice when you want a production map without maintaining map infrastructure yourself.
These are three different categories, and they should not be compared as though they offer the same thing.
Option 1: Use a Free Public Vector Tile Service
A public service such as OpenFreeMap can provide OpenStreetMap-based vector tiles without registration, API keys, or direct usage fees.
For many projects, this may be all you need.
Choose a free public service when:
- You are building a prototype, demo, student project, or hobby app.
- The map is useful but not business-critical.
- You can replace the tile source later if necessary.
- You do not need API-key restrictions, prepaid credits, or account-level controls.
- Your main priority is paying nothing.
Free does not automatically mean bad or unreliable. A well-run public service can be an excellent choice, especially while validating a new idea.
However, the direct price is not the only consideration.
Possible disadvantages of a free public service
There is no paid service relationship
You are using a shared public resource rather than purchasing a commercial service dedicated to customers.
Policies may change
A free service may later introduce fair-use limits, technical restrictions, or other changes as its traffic and infrastructure costs increase.
There are fewer account-level controls
A service without accounts or API keys cannot provide the same per-key domain restrictions, credit balances, usage limits, or billing controls.
You are responsible for having a fallback
If your map is important to your product, you should know how quickly you could switch to another provider.
If your product can tolerate changing the tile URL later, starting with a free public service is completely reasonable.
Option 2: Self-Host PMTiles
Self-hosting gives you maximum control over your map data and infrastructure.
PMTiles stores an entire tile pyramid in a single archive. The file can be placed on object storage and accessed using HTTP range requests, often without running a traditional dynamic tile server.
This can be a very efficient solution.
Choose self-hosting when:
- You want full control over the map data and hosting environment.
- You are comfortable managing object storage, CDN settings, caching, and CORS.
- You only need a specific country or region.
- You need custom map data or a specialized update process.
- Your traffic is large enough to justify managing your own infrastructure.
Self-hosting can be inexpensive in direct hosting costs, but it is not the same as doing nothing.
Someone still needs to:
- Find, download, or generate the correct map dataset.
- Store and distribute large map archives.
- Configure caching, CORS, and access rules.
- Update OpenStreetMap data when newer maps are required.
- Monitor the setup and fix infrastructure problems.
- Maintain map styles, sprites, fonts, and frontend integration.
For a developer who enjoys infrastructure or needs complete control, this can be the best option.
For a small team that simply needs a working basemap, the engineering time may cost more than the tiles.
Option 3: Use a Paid Hosted PBF API
A paid hosted service sits between a free public instance and self-hosting.
You still use an external provider, but the service is built around account-based usage, predictable billing, access controls, and continued commercial operation.
Choose a paid hosted API when:
- The map is part of a real production product.
- You do not want to maintain tile infrastructure yourself.
- You want API keys and domain or IP restrictions.
- You prefer predictable prepaid costs.
- You only need vector tiles and do not want to pay for a large location-services platform.
- Spending a few dollars is easier than managing a large map dataset.
This is where OGMAP fits.
Where OGMAP Fits
OGMAP is intentionally a basic, tiles-only service.
It provides hosted OpenStreetMap vector tiles through standard .pbf endpoints, MapLibre-ready styles, and global delivery through Cloudflare.
The product is designed for developers who need a basic vector basemap but do not need geocoding, routing, satellite imagery, or a large enterprise mapping platform.
Current OGMAP pricing
- 250,000 free tile requests after signup
- $5 for 500,000 additional tiles
- $10 for 1,000,000 additional tiles
- No required monthly subscription
- Optional Stripe automatic top-ups
- Prepaid credits and account safety limits
In our comparison with major paid map providers, OGMAP was the lowest-cost paid hosted option for basic PBF tile delivery.
Read the full price comparison:
The Cheapest Map Tiles API — OGMAP vs Mapbox, Google Maps & Others
What OGMAP Does Not Provide
OGMAP is not intended to replace a complete location-services platform.
Choose a larger provider if you need:
- Address search or geocoding
- Routing and turn-by-turn directions
- Satellite imagery
- Advanced location analytics
- A complete enterprise location-services suite
The narrow focus is intentional.
If you only need a basic vector basemap, you do not necessarily need to pay for a platform full of features you will never use.
A Simple Decision Guide
Use OpenFreeMap or another free public service if:
You want the lowest possible price, your project can tolerate switching providers later, and you do not need account-level access or billing controls.
Self-host PMTiles if:
You want maximum control, are comfortable managing the infrastructure, and the flexibility or scale justifies the engineering work.
Use OGMAP if:
You want a low-cost paid production service, need only standard hosted PBF tiles, and would rather spend a few dollars than maintain map infrastructure yourself.
Free Is Cheapest. Paid Can Still Be Better Value
A free public tile service wins on direct price.
Self-hosting wins on control.
A paid hosted service wins when operational simplicity, predictable usage controls, and your development time matter more than reducing the tile bill all the way to zero.
OGMAP is designed for that third case: developers who want basic hosted PBF tiles without an expensive subscription, surprise invoices, or the work of hosting a large map dataset themselves.
Try OGMAP free with 250,000 PBF tile requests.
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