Choosing the right tool from the Google Maps Platform family can be a challenge, especially since their names sound so similar. What’s the difference between the “old” and “new” Places API? When should you use Places Insights, and when is the Places UI Kit a better fit? To clear up any confusion, we’ve put together a breakdown of the key map-based location solutions: New Places API, Place Details API, Places Insights API, and Places UI Kit. This guide will help you choose the technology that best aligns with your business needs.
1. New Places API – The foundation of location-based apps
What exactly is the new Places API, and how does it differ from its predecessor (the legacy version)?
The New Places API is a modernized version of the classic Places API (often referred to in the documentation as v1).
The new API consists of several core features:
- Place Details (New) – retrieves detailed information about a specific place.
- Place Search (New) – searches for places based on text (Text Search) or location (Nearby Search).
- Place Photos (New) – fetches photos associated with a specific location.
- Place Autocomplete (New) – suggests addresses and place names as the user types.
With the New Places API, Google didn’t just “refresh” the technology; they fundamentally changed how the API communicates with your application.
The Legacy Places API sent data in fixed packages, without the option to select only the specific information you needed. Even if your app only required a place’s name and address, Google could charge you for the full data set (including reviews and photos), which was far from cost-effective.
Therefore, the New Places API isn’t just a simple update. It introduces a new economic model. It allows companies to build map solutions that are data-rich yet significantly cheaper to maintain, as Google has eliminated the need to pay for unnecessary information.
Example use case for the New Places API
A courier app, for instance, could use two solutions from the Places ecosystem: Autocomplete to ensure customers enter their addresses flawlessly, and Place Details so the courier can see the exact opening hours of a pickup point.
Place Details API – Detailed information about places on the map
Place Details is simply one of the features within the broader Places ecosystem.
It provides in-depth information about a specific point of interest on the map. If you already have a Place ID, this API will deliver details such as opening hours, user ratings, reviews, photos, phone numbers, website addresses, and amenities (e.g., Wi-Fi availability or parking).
The Place Details solution is especially useful for creators of booking platforms who need to display comprehensive profiles for specific locations.
You can read more about the New Google Places API and the differences between the New and Legacy versions in our article: Deliver More Valuable Information to Your Users with the New Google Places API!
2. Places UI Kit – A ready-to-use set of user interface components
The Places UI Kit isn’t just another data-providing API; it’s a complete set of ready-made user interface components. Instead of building a place profile view from scratch, you use pre-built, optimized elements directly from Google.
The Places UI Kit offers ready-to-use interface views (Place Details, Place Search, Photo Gallery) that are responsive, aesthetically pleasing, and fully compliant with the latest UX standards.
Utilizing the UI Kit’s pre-built components cuts down the time needed to develop your app’s visual layer. It’s the perfect solution for developers who want to get their app up and running as quickly as possible (reducing time-to-market) while giving users access to the familiar Google Maps experience right inside their own application.
Example use case for the Google Places UI Kit
A travel company wants to launch the first version of its app within a week. Instead of designing custom hotel cards, they use the Places UI Kit, saving hours of developer work.
You can read more about the Google Places UI Kit in our article: Google Maps Places UI Kit: A Simple Approach to Displaying Location Data in Your App
The new era of Google Places – From data to business decisions
Until now, tools in the Places API family have primarily focused on delivering location data: addresses, reviews, or photos. However, Google’s portfolio also includes solutions designed to effectively analyze this data, making it easier to make decisions based on reliable information.
3. Places Aggregate API – Market analysis and place density
The Places Aggregate API is an extension of the Places API ecosystem that allows you to analyze place data on an aggregate level.
Instead of providing detailed information about a single location, this API answers questions like:
- How many places of a specific type are located within a given area?
- What is their average quality (e.g., rating, price level)?
Rather than asking, “What is this place?”, you ask, “How many of these places are in this neighborhood?”.
This makes it possible to analyze the competition, business density, and the overall potential of a specific location.
The Places Aggregate API serves as a bridge between classic place data retrieval (New Places API) and advanced business analytics (Places Insights).
Example use case for the Places Aggregate API
A restaurant chain analyzes the number of competing eateries within a 3 km radius, along with their average ratings. The result? A market entry decision backed by reliable, rapid data analysis, leading to a higher chance of business success.
4. Places Insights API – Advanced place data analytics
Places Insights takes things a step further than the Aggregate API.
It goes well beyond simply answering, “What is this place?” Instead, Places Insights is an analytics solution that focuses on a location’s potential and the popularity trends within a specific area.
It provides data on foot traffic (peak hours), visitation trends over time, and a location’s popularity profile compared to its surroundings. This allows you to understand how people actually interact with a specific location, rather than just knowing where it is and what it looks like.
It’s an excellent tool for business analysts in the real estate and retail sectors. It’s perfect for evaluating potential sites for a new office building or retail store.
Example use case for Google Places Insights
A coffee shop chain is planning to open new locations in a city. Before signing a lease, the company uses Places Insights to check which days and times specific areas see the most foot traffic. This helps them avoid investing in unprofitable locations.
You can read more about the Google Places Insights API in our article: Find the Best Location for Your Business with Google Places Insights API
Which Google solution is right for you? A comparison
| Feature | New Places API | Places UI Kit | Places Aggregate API | Places Insights API |
| Main goal | Retrieving raw data | Rapid UI development | Aggregated data on multiple places and regional trends | Traffic and trend analysis |
| Pricing model | Per selected fields (Field Masking) | Depends on the underlying APIs used | Depends on the underlying APIs used | Per analytics query |
| Who is it for? | Developers building custom solutions | Developers looking for rapid deployment | Companies planning expansion and market analysis | Analysts in e.g., retail and real estate sectors |
| Use cases | Logistics apps, booking platforms, mobile and web apps with place search | App prototypes or quick implementation of a map with search functionality on a website | Location popularity analysis, reporting, planning new outlets | Analyzing location potential for stores, restaurants, offices, or service points |
| Business benefits | Full control over data and costs, ability to build custom user experiences and app integrations | Reduced time-to-market and saved development hours for the first version of an app | Rapid market analysis, trend identification, better strategic decisions | Better investment decisions driven by customer traffic and location popularity analysis |
What should you choose? A quick cheat sheet: New Places API, Places Aggregate API, Places Insights API, or Places UI Kit?
If you’re still unsure which option to choose, use this quick summary:
If you need precise data about a specific business (e.g., whether a restaurant has Wi-Fi and what its reviews are) and you already have your own app design – choose Place Details (as part of the New Places API).
Business benefit: Users find the information they need faster, which boosts conversion rates and customer satisfaction.
If you want to know whether a specific location is profitable for a new business and when it gets the most foot traffic – choose Places Insights.
Business benefit: You make location decisions based on real customer traffic data, significantly reducing investment risk.
If you want to analyze large groups of places or entire areas and need aggregated statistics – choose the Places Aggregate API.
Business benefit: A quick overview of the market and competition in a given region, trend identification without checking each business individually, and support for data-driven expansion and marketing planning.
If you want to instantly add a map with a search engine to your website without worrying about designing and coding the views – choose the Places UI Kit.
Business benefit: You shorten your app’s development time and bring your product to market faster.
If you want to lower your Google Maps bills by precisely selecting only the place information you actually need – switch to the New Places API.
Business benefit: You only pay for the data you need, allowing for better control over your project’s budget.
Want to learn more about the capabilities of these APIs? Contact us—an official Google Maps Partner.