Maptera vs MetaLocator
Both publish their full price lists, so this comparison is about fit rather than transparency. The deciding factors are native platform apps, traffic caps, and how far up the location ladder you need to go.
The verdict, up front
Choose Maptera
if you are on Shopify or Wix and want a native app rather than an embed, want a permanent free tier to test on, expect meaningful traffic without paying for a traffic allowance, or want the REST API at $19/month rather than $167.
Choose MetaLocator
if you have more than 5,000 locations, need HIPAA or GDPR compliance commitments, or want scheduled syncing from Salesforce, HubSpot, Airtable, Google Drive, or S3 rather than working from CSV imports.
At a Glance
| Feature | Maptera | MetaLocator |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan (not a trial) | Yes — 10 locations | No |
| Free trial | 14 days on paid plans | 30 days, no card |
| Entry price | $9/month | $17/month (Essential) |
| Price for REST API | $19/month (Scale) | $167/month (Scale) |
| Location ceiling | 5,000 | 100,000 (Scale tier) |
| Traffic cap | No published cap | 5,000 / 25,000 / 50,000 monthly by tier |
| Native Shopify app | Yes (theme block) | No |
| Native Wix app | Yes | No |
| Universal embed | Yes | Yes |
| SEO location pages | Yes (auto-generated) | Yes |
| Data-source integrations | CSV import; REST API on Scale | Google Drive, Airtable, Salesforce, S3, HubSpot, SFTP by tier |
| HIPAA / GDPR compliance | Not offered | Yes |
| Lead capture | No | Growth tier and above |
Maptera tiers from our published pricing; MetaLocator details from its published pricing page as of August 2026 and may change.
The two price ladders
Maptera
- Free — $0, 10 locations
- Starter — $9/mo, 100 locations
- Growth — $15/mo, 2,000 locations
- Scale — $19/mo, 5,000 locations, REST API
MetaLocator
- Essential — $17/mo, 100 locations, 5,000 monthly traffic, basic CSV import
- Growth — $41/mo, 10,000 locations, 25,000 traffic, Drive/Airtable/ Salesforce/S3 import, lead capture
- MetaLocator Scale — $167/mo, 100,000 locations, 50,000 traffic, Yext/GMB/SFTP/ HubSpot integrations, API access
- Enterprise — custom, unlimited locations and traffic
The comparison people get wrong
MetaLocator's location caps look enormous next to Maptera's, and taken alone they are. But MetaLocator's tiers are also capped on monthly traffic, so a 120-location brand with a genuinely busy locator can end up on MetaLocator Scale at $167/month because of visitors rather than because of stores. Maptera publishes no traffic allowance, so a small network with heavy traffic stays on a small plan. Work out which constraint binds for you before comparing headline numbers.
Where each product is genuinely better
MetaLocator wins on
- Location ceiling — 100,000 on its Scale tier against Maptera's 5,000
- HIPAA and GDPR compliance commitments, which matter in healthcare and finance directories
- Native connectors to Salesforce, HubSpot, Airtable, Google Drive, S3 and SFTP with scheduled syncing
- A 30-day trial with no credit card, which is the longest in the category
- Lead capture built into the locator from its Growth tier
Maptera wins on
- A permanent free plan for 10 locations, not just a trial
- Native Shopify and Wix apps rather than an embed on those platforms
- REST API at $19/month rather than $167/month
- No monthly traffic allowance to outgrow
- A simpler setup — fewer configuration options is a feature when you want a locator live this afternoon
Migrating from MetaLocator to Maptera
Export your locations as a CSV, import them into Maptera, and let the geocoder resolve addresses to coordinates. Then install the native Shopify or Wix app, or paste the universal embed. 301-redirect any existing location pages to the new ones.
Want the switching-guide framing instead? Read the MetaLocator alternative guide. Comparing the wider field? See enterprise store locator software, Maptera vs Bullseye, or the full comparison hub.
Sources
MetaLocator tier names, prices, location caps and traffic allowances checked August 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Maptera or MetaLocator cheaper?
It depends entirely on which tier you need. At the entry level they are close — MetaLocator Essential is $17/month for 100 locations, Maptera Starter is $9/month for 100 — and Maptera additionally has a permanent free plan for 10 locations. The gap opens at the top: API access costs $167/month on MetaLocator Scale and $19/month on Maptera Scale. The gap closes again above 5,000 locations, where Maptera stops and MetaLocator keeps going. Prices as of August 2026.
Does MetaLocator cap traffic as well as locations?
Yes, and it is the detail most people miss when comparing the two. MetaLocator's published tiers include monthly traffic allowances — roughly 5,000 on Essential, 25,000 on Growth, and 50,000 on Scale as of August 2026 — so a busy locator can need a higher tier regardless of how few locations it holds. Maptera's plans are capped on locations and publish no traffic allowance.
Which is better for Shopify or Wix?
Maptera, by a clear margin, because it has native apps for both. You install it from inside Shopify admin or the Wix dashboard and place the locator as a theme block or page element. MetaLocator is embed-based on those platforms, which works, but it is a snippet rather than a native install.
When is MetaLocator the better choice?
Three cases. First, above 5,000 locations, where Maptera has no plan and MetaLocator publishes a 100,000-location tier. Second, if you need HIPAA or GDPR compliance commitments, which MetaLocator advertises and Maptera does not offer. Third, if your location data lives in Salesforce, HubSpot, Airtable, Google Drive, or an S3 bucket and you want scheduled syncing from it — MetaLocator has native connectors for those, while Maptera works from CSV import plus its REST API.
Can I move from MetaLocator to Maptera?
Yes. Export your locations as a CSV, import them into Maptera, and let the geocoder resolve the addresses to coordinates. Then install the native Shopify or Wix app or paste the universal embed. If MetaLocator was generating location pages for you, 301-redirect them to the new ones.
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