HERE Technologies Alternative: Kardinal's Route Optimization API
A factual comparison, based on Kardinal's open benchmark of 149 constraints and both vendors' public pricing. For a pure route optimization API, Kardinal is the stronger choice: far broader coverage (93% vs 59%), a per-stop model where re-optimizations stay free within 24h while HERE re-bills every transaction, plus agent-ready tooling. HERE is a maps-and-traffic powerhouse where Tour Planning is one product among many.
1,000 stops free · no credit card · self-serve sign-up
Kardinal's open benchmark, 149 constraints across 8 sectors. See the methodology
Both offer a route optimization API, but from different centers of gravity. Kardinal is an API-first optimization engine, specialized in routing: it covers far more constraints and bills per stop with re-optimizations free within 24h. HERE is one of the world's mapping and traffic leaders: its Tour Planning API is strong on travel-time, time windows and truck profiles, and it shares lexicographic optimization with Kardinal, but optimization is one product among many, overall coverage is 59%, and it bills per transaction so every re-optimization re-bills all locations.
For a pure API need, Kardinal is the stronger choice: broader coverage, and a cost that stays flat when you re-optimize. HERE can be competitive at one optimization a day, but its per-transaction billing multiplies with re-optimizations and moves to a sales quote at scale.
Feature by feature
The same criteria, side by side. Coverage figures come from Kardinal's open benchmark of 149 real-world constraints.
| Criteria | Kardinal | HERE |
|---|---|---|
| Benchmark coverage (149 constraints) | 93% | 59% |
| Focus | Route optimization specialist | Maps & traffic giant, Tour Planning is one product of many |
| Billing model | Per stop, re-optimizations free within 24h | Per transaction (all locations), re-optimizations re-billed |
| Real-time re-optimization | Yes | Partial |
| Lexicographic optimization | Yes | Yes |
| Predictive traffic | Yes | Yes |
| Self-serve | Any volume, no cap | 200,000 transactions/month, then sales quote |
| Free tier | 1,000 stops, no credit card | 500 transactions/month |
| Built for AI agents | MCP server, agent-ready docs, modeling corpus | Not offered |
Great maps, traffic and truck routing
HERE is a mapping and traffic heavyweight. Its Tour Planning API is excellent on travel times, time windows and truck profiles, backed by HERE's own live traffic data, and like Kardinal it can rank objectives by priority (lexicographic optimization). If you already build on HERE, it is a serious option.
But optimization is just one product in a huge maps catalogue: it covers 59% of the benchmark overall, and it charges per transaction, so every re-optimization is billed again and large volumes move to a sales quote. When your main need is route optimization, Kardinal covers more and keeps re-optimizations free within 24h.
More coverage, and a predictable cost
Kardinal covers 93% of the 149-constraint benchmark against 59% for HERE. Both can rank objectives by priority (lexicographic optimization), but Kardinal handles more of what real operations need, from simple routes to harder cases: cost rules, capacity, multi-depot and tight time windows.
And the price is predictable: you pay per stop, and re-optimizing the same day is free. HERE bills every location on every request, and past 200,000 transactions a month you move to a sales quote. Kardinal stays self-serve at any volume, with public pricing, typed SDKs and an MCP server for agents.
If you also need field execution, our Laskar app takes over on the driver side, from the optimized plan to the completed route.
Pricing: a flat cost when you re-optimize
HERE bills per transaction, and a transaction is the sum of all locations in a request, so every re-optimization re-bills them again, and beyond 200,000 transactions a month it moves to a sales quote. Kardinal bills the unique stop per plan over 24h, so re-optimizing the same day costs nothing more.
| Fleet profile | Kardinal | HERE |
|---|---|---|
| 5 vehicles, 20 stops/day, 1 optimization/day | ~63€/mo | ~51€/mo |
| 5 vehicles, 20 stops/day, 3 optimizations/day | ~63€/mo | ~180€/mo |
| 100 vehicles, 50 stops/day, 1 optimization/day | ~1,260€/mo | ~2,655€/mo |
| 100 vehicles, 50 stops/day, 3 optimizations/day | ~1,260€/mo | Sales quote (beyond 200,000 transactions) |
Kardinal's cost is identical whatever the re-optimization frequency; HERE's multiplies with every run because each request re-bills all its locations. Beyond 200,000 transactions a month, HERE moves to a sales quote. USD/EUR figures follow HERE's public grid.
Re-optimizations free within 24h
Optimize the same stops all day for no extra cost. HERE re-bills every location on every request, so dynamic operations pay each recalculation.
Self-serve at any volume
Kardinal stays self-serve at high volume. HERE moves to a sales quote beyond 200,000 transactions a month.
In our developer survey, an unpredictable bill that could spike was the top pricing frustration. See the survey.
Our verdict
The best test is your own data. Our free tier of 1,000 stops lets you check whether we cover your constraints before you commit.
You already build on the HERE maps and traffic ecosystem, need its truck profiles and own traffic data, and your priority is travel-time accuracy and time windows over full functional coverage.
You need a routing-first API: broadest coverage (93% vs 59%), a cost that stays flat when you re-optimize, self-serve at any volume, and agent-ready tooling. For a pure API need, Kardinal is the superior choice.
1,000 stops free · no credit card
Frequently asked questions
What's the main difference between Kardinal and HERE?
Is Kardinal cheaper than HERE?
Can I test both for free?
Do both support lexicographic optimization?
Which one covers more constraints?
Test Kardinal on your own routes
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