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Actinia Grass GIS vs GeoNames

If you need a Geocoding API that's easy to integrate, go with GeoNames.

Actinia Grass GIS

Actinia is an open source REST API for geographical data that uses GRASS GIS

GeoNames

Place names and other geographical data

Actinia Grass GIS

  • Simple API key authentication
  • HTTPS supported
  • Currently flagged as inactive

GeoNames

  • No authentication required
  • No HTTPS support
FeatureActinia Grass GISGeoNames
AuthenticationapiKeyNone
HTTPSYesNo
CORSUnknownUnknown

When to use which?

GeoNames is the better choice for quick prototypes and hackathons since it requires no authentication. Actinia Grass GIS supports HTTPS, which is required for production deployments and secure data handling.