# A Google Maps embed is free and fine for one address. Here is where a store locator starts.

> Instaform vs Google Maps embed

**URL:** https://www.instaform.co/compare/google-maps-embed

The Maps Embed API shows a place, a route or a Google search on a map on your site, at no charge. On Instaform, people search your own list of locations, and every location can offer several of your own forms, like Order and Book a table, right on the map.

## At a glance

- The Maps Embed API is free, with unlimited requests and no rate or daily limits.
- It needs an API key from a Google Cloud project, and the project needs a billing account.
- A place map shows one pin, and no mode takes your own list of locations.
- Instaform lists every location, with search, opening hours and buttons of its own.

## Feature comparison

| Feature | Instaform | Google Maps embed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Search by address, near me, radius | ✅ | Google's own search results, not your list (Search mode shows results for a search across the visible map region) |
| Opening hours and Open now | ✅ | Not published |
| Filters | ✅ | ❌ (No mode takes your own list of locations, so there is nothing of yours to filter) |
| Directions | ✅ | ✅ (Directions mode shows a route between places you set in the code, with up to 20 waypoints) |
| Its own shareable page for the map | ✅ | Partly (Google Maps can share a link to one place or to the map view; it cannot share your saved locations) |
| Several action buttons per location | ✅ | ❌ (A place map shows one pin, and no mode takes a list of your own locations) |
| Buttons open your own built-in forms (order, book, quote, contact) | ✅ | ❌ (Its map modes show a place, a route, Street View or search results; none adds a form) |
| A different form per location | ✅ | ❌ (No built-in form, and no list of your own locations to set one on) |
| Responses saved with the location in a built-in inbox | ✅ | ❌ (No built-in form, so no responses are stored) |
| A page per location | A button can open any Instaform link page you choose; none is generated | ❌ (No mode takes a list of your own locations, so none of them gets a page) |
| Map provider | Your own Google or Mapbox account | Google Maps (An API key from a Google Cloud project with a billing account; embed requests are not charged) |
| Remove the vendor's branding | From Starter | Not published |
| Price of the first paid plan | $19/mo (Starter) | Free, unlimited (Unlimited requests at no charge, per its usage and billing page) |
| Locations on the first paid plan | 100 | A place map shows one pin |

## Pricing tiers

### Maps Embed API

- Instaform: **$19/mo** — Starter plan; 100 locations; No Instaform logo on your map; Plus your own map account's usage
- Google Maps embed: **Free, unlimited** — An API key, and a billing account on the Google Cloud project; No rate or daily limits; One pin on a place map

> Prices in US dollars as published on November 9, 2026. Google does not charge for Maps Embed API requests. On Instaform, the map runs on your own Google or Mapbox account, and the provider prices that usage on your own account.

## Verdict

**A Google Maps embed for one address. Instaform for a list of locations people can search, with buttons to act on each one.**

A Google Maps embed is free: the Maps Embed API has unlimited requests at no charge, with an API key and a billing account on the Google Cloud project, and Google Maps can also give you the HTML for a map to paste into your page. It shows one place, a route with up to 20 waypoints, or Google's own search results. If you have one location and visitors only need to find it, that is enough. With several locations, Instaform lists them all: people search by city or postcode, or near them, and see opening hours with Open now. Every location can offer several of your own forms, like Order and Book a table. Orders and bookings arrive in your inbox with the location they came from.

### When to choose Instaform

- You have several locations and want people to search them by city or postcode, or near them
- Each location should show its opening hours, with Open now worked out for the visitor's time
- Each location should offer your own forms, like Order, Book a table or Get a quote
- You want orders and bookings in one inbox that shows which location each one came from

### When to choose Google Maps embed

- You have one location
- A pin and directions are all you need
- You want nothing to pay and no account to manage beyond Google Cloud

## FAQ

### Is a Google Maps embed enough for one location?

Often, yes. If you have one address and visitors only need to find it, a Google Maps embed shows it for free. In Google Maps, the option to share or embed the map gives you the HTML to paste into your page. The Maps Embed API does the same from your own code: its requests are free and unlimited, and it needs an API key and a billing account on the Google Cloud project.

### What changes when I have several locations?

A place map shows one pin, and no embed mode takes your own list of locations; search mode shows Google's own results for a query. On Instaform, people search your locations by city or postcode, or tap to use their location, and see the nearest first. Every location has its opening hours, with Open now and Closes soon worked out for the visitor's time, and its own buttons, like Order, Book, Get a quote or Contact.

### Can visitors order or book at a location?

On Instaform, yes. Each button opens one of your forms, and orders and bookings arrive like any other response to that form, with your inbox and email alert showing which location it came from. You can point one location at a different form, for example a menu per branch. The Maps Embed API describes no forms: its modes show a place, a route, Street View or search results.

### What does the map cost on Instaform?

The map runs on your own Google or Mapbox account, so you keep control of the cost: the provider prices that usage on your account, apart from your Instaform plan. Your locations work as a list right away, and you connect Google or Mapbox when you are ready for the map.

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Last reviewed: 2026-11-09