NextBillion Alternative: Kardinal's Route Optimization API
A factual comparison, based on Kardinal's open benchmark of 149 constraints and both vendors' public information. For a pure API need, Kardinal is the stronger choice: nearly double the coverage (93% vs 51%), public self-serve pricing where NextBillion requires a sales call, plus lexicographic optimization and agent-ready tooling. NextBillion is a broad maps and geospatial platform (mapping, routing and more); on optimization specifically, Kardinal goes further.
1,000 stops free · no credit card · self-serve sign-up
Kardinal's open benchmark, 149 constraints across 8 sectors. See the methodology
Both handle route optimization, but they are not the same kind of product. Kardinal is an API-first optimization engine: it covers far more constraints, runs from simple routes to complex operations, bills per stop with public pricing, and is built to be called by AI agents. NextBillion is a broad maps and geospatial platform that covers much more than optimization (mapping, routing and more), with international reach, and it publishes no pricing: you go through sales to get access and a quote.
For a pure API need, Kardinal is the stronger choice: broader coverage, and public self-serve access. NextBillion mainly fits teams already using its maps and geospatial stack, who can pair it with Kardinal for the optimization itself.
Feature by feature
The same criteria, side by side. Coverage figures come from Kardinal's open benchmark of 149 real-world constraints.
| Criteria | Kardinal | NextBillion |
|---|---|---|
| Benchmark coverage (149 constraints) | 93% | 51% |
| Public, self-serve pricing | Yes, no sales call | No, contact sales |
| Free tier | 1,000 stops, no credit card | Guided 2 to 3 week evaluation |
| Ease of integration | Typed SDKs, first call in minutes | Maps + optimization platform, sales-assisted onboarding |
| Real-time re-optimization | Yes | Yes |
| Predictive traffic | Yes | Yes |
| Lexicographic optimization | Yes | No |
| Focus | Route optimization specialist, EU-based | Maps & geospatial platform, international |
| Built for AI agents | MCP server, agent-ready docs, modeling corpus | Not offered |
A broad maps and geospatial platform
NextBillion covers much more than optimization: mapping, routing and a broad geospatial stack, with international reach. If you are already in its maps ecosystem, it is worth a look, and you can pair it with Kardinal for the optimization itself.
Just know you will go through sales to get pricing and access. For a pure API need with public, self-serve access and the broadest coverage, the comparison tips to Kardinal.
Broader coverage, and self-serve
Kardinal covers nearly double the benchmark: 93% of 149 constraints against 51% for NextBillion, from simple routes to hard cases (multi-temperature vehicles, skip handling, multi-depot, nested time windows), plus lexicographic optimization that NextBillion doesn't offer.
And it is built for developers and agents: public self-serve pricing, 1,000 free stops with no credit card, typed SDKs, and an MCP server with agent-ready docs. No sales call to get started.
If you also need field execution, our Laskar app takes over on the driver side, from the optimized plan to the completed route.
Pricing: public and self-serve, not a sales call
NextBillion publishes no pricing: you contact sales, and the free trial is a guided 2 to 3 week evaluation. Kardinal's pricing is public and you start on your own in minutes.
| Access & billing | Kardinal | NextBillion |
|---|---|---|
| Public pricing | Yes, on the website | No, contact sales |
| How you start | Self-serve, 1,000 stops free, no credit card | Guided evaluation, 2 to 3 weeks |
| Billing unit | Per stop, prepaid packs, re-optimizations free within 24h | Not published |
| Prepaid pack | Price | Price per stop |
|---|---|---|
| 2,000 stops | 99€ | 0.050€ |
| 10,000 stops | 299€ | 0.030€ |
| 50,000 stops | 999€ | 0.020€ |
| 250,000 stops | 2,999€ | 0.012€ |
Prepaid packs, no expiry and no commitment. NextBillion publishes no equivalent grid, so a like-for-like price comparison is not possible without contacting their sales team.
Public, self-serve access
Read the docs, test a request and start on your own, no sales call. NextBillion requires contacting sales even to see a price.
Prepaid packs, no expiry
Our packs adapt to your real pace, no forced monthly tier you pay even in quiet periods.
In our developer survey, nearly two-thirds of respondents were strongly bothered or refused to even evaluate an API with no public pricing. 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 want a broad maps and geospatial platform (mapping, routing and more), are already in its ecosystem, and are fine going through sales for pricing and access. You can even pair it with Kardinal for the optimization itself.
You need a route optimization API you can adopt on your own: broadest coverage (93% vs 51%), public self-serve pricing, lexicographic optimization, 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 NextBillion?
Is Kardinal cheaper than NextBillion?
Can I test both for free?
Does Kardinal support lexicographic optimization?
Which one covers more constraints?
Test Kardinal on your own routes
Check whether we cover your constraints before you commit. Create an account and make your first call, no sales call required.
1,000 stops free · no credit card · self-serve sign-up