Suggest map APIs for use in application?

Question

I have to make a web based application with map interactivity, such as location pointers. What options do I have besides Google Maps API?

Answer 1

I would have recommended Yahoo over Google because, up until a few weeks ago, Google didn't have a geoCoding service available so you couldn't plot an address without first getting the lat & long coordinates. Now Google has a geoCoding service like Yahoo so you can very easily plot addresses so long as you send the right information.

Both Yahoo and Google offer very good map API's. I would look closely at the terms of use and daily requests. If you're planning on a lot of traffic to your site, this will dictate how much you can utilize the map. You may need to upgrade to a commercial license if your site is intended for commercial purposes.

I really like the Yahoo map API. Their programming framework is very easy to follow and their development site if full of great examples and tips:

http://developer.yahoo.com/maps/