what3words API review
A focused API for converting three-word addresses and coordinates, with AutoSuggest and grid data.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
what3words API adds three-word addressing to applications and services. It converts what3words addresses to coordinates and latitude and longitude coordinates to what3words addresses, while AutoSuggest helps validate and correct partial or mistyped input. Developers can constrain suggestions by country, bounding box, circle, or polygon, and rank them by proximity to a focus location. It also retrieves sections of the three-metre-square grid, including as GeoJSON, and returns supported-language information. This is a fit for teams that want a distinct, human-readable way to exchange locations; it is not a general-purpose mapping or routing suite.
The plan ladder starts with Free at £0 per month, which includes AutoSuggest. Basic costs £7.99 per month and adds address conversion, the map grid, and coordinate conversion. Standard is £35 per month, Plus £99, and Premium £235; each lists the same conversion, AutoSuggest, and grid functions as Basic, plus priority and developer support. Paid monthly amounts are shown in GBP and are exclusive of VAT. Published plan information describes quotas in convert-to-coordinates requests per billing period, rather than map loads, so buyers should assess expected conversion demand against the applicable quota before choosing a tier.
Integration options span web, iOS, Android, and API use, with libraries or SDKs listed for Java, JavaScript, Swift, Python, Node.js, PHP, .NET, Android, Dart, Flutter, Go, Objective-C, Ruby, and Rust. AutoSuggest can also post-process voice-recognition output, making the API relevant to interfaces where users speak or enter a three-word address. The trade-off is its narrow remit: routing is not part of the feature set, and Free does not include the conversion and grid functions. Choose it when three-word lookup and conversion are central to the experience; look elsewhere if the core need is routing or a broader location platform.
what3words API pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Converts in both directions between three-word addresses and coordinates.
- AutoSuggest can validate, correct, and geographically constrain suggestions.
- Libraries and components support web, mobile, and other applications.
- Where it doesn't
- Its focus is three-word addressing rather than a broad location platform.
- Routing is not included.
- The Free plan is limited to AutoSuggest and available-language functions.
what3words API fact sheet, pricing and score →
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