Overpass API (OpenStreetMap)
Query the entire OpenStreetMap database for any tagged feature, no key, no signup, fully free and open.
The Overpass API is a read-only query service over the full OpenStreetMap dataset. Using the Overpass QL query language you can pull arbitrary tagged features (every restaurant, bench, hospital, hiking trail, building, boundary, etc.) inside a bounding box, around a point, or matching any tag combination, and get nodes/ways/relations back as JSON or XML. It requires no API key and no registration, and is genuinely free and open (data under ODbL). It is the most flexible free way to extract structured place/POI data, at the cost of learning Overpass QL and respecting the shared public servers' fair-use limits.
Free tier
Free and open, no account. Hosted on community/donation-funded public servers; mirrors (e.g. overpass.private.coffee, overpass.kumi.systems) exist for heavier use.Rate limits
No fixed quota; automatic load shedding throttles heavy users (check /api/status for your IP's quota). Default per-query limits: 180s runtime and 512 MiB memory unless overridden. Requests may queue. Self-host or use a mirror for heavy use.Auth
No keyBase URL
https://overpass-api.de/api/interpreterWhat you'd build with it
- Extract every POI of a given type inside a city/bbox for a mapping automation
- Build a free 'what's around here' tool filtered by arbitrary OSM tags
- Pull boundaries, roads, or amenities for geospatial analysis without licensing fees
- One-off bulk feature exports (within fair use) for datasets
Key endpoints
- POST
/api/interpreterRun an Overpass QL query (preferred via POST body for large queries); returns JSON/XML. - GET
/api/interpreter?data=...Run a URL-encoded Overpass QL query (use --globoff for [] {} chars).
Members get the runnable recipe
Sign in free to copy the example request, see a sample response, and read the gotchas.