PlacesData API vs Apify Actors · Outscraper · Bright Data
25ms–1.8s vs 30s–90s
response time (zero container spin-up or RAM billing).
Running Apify's Google Maps Scraper (compass/crawler-google-places) spins up a heavy headless Chromium container on every run—taking 30 to 90 seconds to boot and charging you for both Pay-Per-Result fees AND Actor Compute Units (RAM/CPU time). PlacesData API is an always-warm, low-latency REST API that returns structured Google Maps places, reviews, and enriched emails in milliseconds to 1.8 seconds.
Instant API key in 5s · No credit card required (+20,000 Sandbox Streak Credits) · Pay via Stripe (Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay) or 0%-fee Crypto (+5% bonus)
Cost per 1,000 Google Maps Business Records (with Phone, Website & Hours)
$1.00 = 10,000 Credits (5 Credits / place). Empty search results (0 matches) cost 0 Credits. Crypto top-ups automatically include +5% Bonus Credits.
Side-by-side comparison.
| Capability | PlacesData API | apify.com | Outscraper | SerpApi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold-start latency | 0ms cold start (25ms cached / 1.8s live REST) | 30s – 90s headless browser container boot | 30s – 180s async queue | 2s – 4s REST |
| Compute Unit / RAM surcharges | $0.00 (pure per-record credit pricing) | Charged for Actor RAM + CPU + Residential Proxy | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Effective cost per 1,000 places | $0.20 – $0.50 / 1,000 places | $2.50 – $5.00+ / 1,000 places (incl. compute) | $1.00 – $2.85 / 1,000 places | $7.50 – $15.00 / 1,000 searches |
| Failed or timed-out browser runs | 0 Credits charged on any error | Compute units still burned on proxy timeouts | 0 charged on failure | 0 charged on failure |
| Native MCP Server & OpenAPI 3.1 | Included (/openapi.json & MCP tool definitions) | Requires async dataset polling wrapper | Async webhook polling | Custom JSON format |
Competitor pricing verified from public pricing pages as of November 2026. Actual costs may vary based on plan tier, concurrency add-ons, and overage rates. All third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners. PlacesData API rates: $0.20 / 1K places (Business), $0.25 / 1K places (Pro), $0.50 / 1K places (Base PAYG).
PlacesData API transparent per-endpoint rate card ($1 = 10,000 Credits).
| Capability | Endpoint | Credit Rate | Effective USD / 1K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Maps Text Search (Places, Ratings, Phone, Website, Hours, Coordinates) | GET /v1/places/search | 5 Credits / place returned (min 10 Credits; 0 if empty) | $0.20 – $0.50 / 1,000 places |
| Bounding-Box & Radius Viewport Search (Polygon / Grid Scanning) | GET /v1/places/nearby | 5 Credits / place returned (min 10 Credits; 0 if empty) | $0.20 – $0.50 / 1,000 places |
| Full Business Profile & Enriched Contacts (Place ID / CID / Google ID) | GET /v1/places/details, GET /v1/places/{place_id} | 20 Credits / business profile | $0.80 – $2.00 / 1,000 profiles |
| Verified Customer Reviews, Owner Replies & Reviewer Metadata | GET /v1/places/reviews, GET /v1/places/{place_id}/reviews | 2 Credits / review returned (min 10 Credits; 0 if empty) | $0.08 – $0.20 / 1,000 reviews |
| High-Res Business & StreetPhotos Metadata | GET /v1/places/photos, GET /v1/places/{place_id}/photos | 2 Credits / photo returned (min 6 Credits; 0 if empty) | $0.08 – $0.20 / 1,000 photos |
| Website Email, Phone & Social Media Lead Enrichment (8 Social Platforms) | GET /v1/leads/enrich, GET /v1/domains/{domain}/contacts | 20 Credits / enriched domain (0 Credits if no emails/socials found) | $0.80 – $2.00 / 1,000 enriched domains |
| Typeahead Place Autocomplete & Reverse Geocoding (Lat/Lng to Address) | GET /v1/places/autocomplete, GET /v1/geocode/reverse | 5 Credits / request | $0.20 – $0.50 / 1,000 calls |
Why engineering teams switch from Apify Google Maps Scraper.
Zero Compute Unit Waste on Headless Chromium
Apify actors boot a full Docker container and headless browser for every job, burning compute units even when your query only needs 10 businesses or 1 place detail lookup. PlacesData API bills strictly for the records returned.
Built for Real-Time User-Facing SaaS & AI Agents
You cannot make a user or an LLM agent wait 60 seconds for an Apify actor run to finish and write to a default dataset. PlacesData API responds synchronously in a single HTTP request.
One Endpoint for Places, Reviews, Photos & Emails
Instead of chaining separate Apify actors for Google Maps Places, Google Maps Reviews, and Contact Info Scraper, query all 8 endpoints under a single API key and unified credit balance.
Replace 3-Step Apify Actor Runs with 1 HTTP Call
Stop creating actor runs, polling run status, and downloading dataset items:
from apify_client import ApifyClient
client = ApifyClient("apify_api_token")
# Spins up Docker container (30-90s) + bills compute & proxy usage
run = client.actor("compass/crawler-google-places").call(
run_input={"searchStringsArray": ["roofers in Dallas TX"], "maxCrawledPlacesPerSearch": 20}
)
items = list(client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items())import requests
res = requests.get(
"https://api.placesdataapi.com/v1/places/search",
headers={"x-api-key": "pd_live_your_api_key"},
params={"q": "roofers in Dallas TX", "limit": 20},
)
items = res.json()["data"]1-Click Remote MCP Connector · Claude Web & ChatGPT
Connect live Google Maps & B2B email tools via OAuth 2.1.
Paste https://mcp.placesdataapi.com/v1/mcp into Claude.ai Settings → Connectors or ChatGPT Developer Mode for 1-click PKCE S256 login (or use https://api.placesdataapi.com/mcp with x-api-key in Cursor, Windsurf, and n8n).
Core Endpoints & Enrichment Docs
- GET /v1/leads/enrich → Website Email & Social Enrichment Docs
- GET /v1/places/search → Real-Time Place Search API Docs
- Forward & Reverse Geocoding Guide → 195-Country Address & Lat/Lng API
- GET /v1/places/reviews → Verified Customer Reviews API Docs
- Outscraper Pricing Breakdown (2026) → Stacked Cost Analysis
- Free Tool → Local Business Email & Phone Finder
- Remote MCP Setup Guide → Claude, ChatGPT & Cursor
Interactive Engineering Workbench · Benchmark vs Apify Google Maps Scraper
Verify real-time latency, credit math & JSON schema
Frequently asked questions
- Can I use PlacesData API inside Clay, n8n, or Make.com instead of Apify?
- Yes. Because PlacesData API is a synchronous REST API, you can call it directly from a standard HTTP Request node in Clay, n8n, or Make.com without setting up webhook callbacks or wait timers.
Test it against Apify Google Maps Scraper for free.
Every new account receives 12,000 free Credits immediately — no card required.