Nominatim alternative: when the public API rate limit stops you
Nominatim is the geocoder of OpenStreetMap, and its public server is a generous shared service. It is also governed by a usage policy that rules out heavy use. This guide covers what the policy says, your options, and how to move to Addrova without rewriting your client.
What the public instance allows
According to the OpenStreetMap Foundation usage policy, consulted 2026-10-18: about one request per second at most, a valid identifying user agent, no bulk geocoding and results cacheable as the policy describes. It offers no availability guarantee. Read the current policy before relying on this summary: operations.osmfoundation.org/policies/nominatim. [À VÉRIFIER : relire la politique le jour de la publication.]
Your options
| Option | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Stay on the public instance | A few lookups a day, within the policy | Rate limit, no guarantee |
| Self-host Nominatim | Full control, OpenStreetMap data worldwide | Servers, updates and import time are yours |
| A commercial Nominatim-compatible API | Production traffic without running servers | Price, data source, storage terms: compare |
| Addrova | Europe on official address registers, results you may store | Europe only; pre-launch |
Move to Addrova
Addrova offers /compat/nominatim/search and /compat/nominatim/reverse, with the same query parameters (q, format, limit, countrycodes, addressdetails for search; lat, lon, format, addressdetails for reverse) and the Nominatim response shape.
# before
https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/search?q=10+rue+de+Rivoli+Paris&format=jsonv2
# after
https://api.addrova.eu/compat/nominatim/search?q=10+rue+de+Rivoli+Paris&format=jsonv2&key=ADDROVA_KEY
The key goes in the key query parameter on these routes (never logged) or in the X-API-Key header. Details: compatibility. [À VÉRIFIER : service ouvert, URL de base définitive, comportement identique sur un échantillon de requêtes.]
What changes in the data
Addrova answers from official open address registers (for France, the Base Adresse Nationale) rather than from OpenStreetMap, so results for addresses can differ, usually with more complete house numbers where the register is good. Compare on your own addresses before switching, and keep the attribution. [À VÉRIFIER : mesures du banc d'essai public avant toute affirmation de qualité.]
When not to choose Addrova
- You geocode a handful of addresses a day: the public instance may be enough.
- You need worldwide OpenStreetMap coverage today.
- You want to run the stack yourself.
FAQ
Can I keep Nominatim results? The public policy has its own rules on caching; check them. With Addrova, results may be stored permanently, with attribution.
Is the response format identical? The shape is Nominatim's; the list of supported fields is on the compatibility page.