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If you’re leaving Foursquare, first separate the City Guide app from the wider location-data business. A Reddit thread about the shutdown says the December 15 date applied to the City Guide mobile app, not Swarm or the API. The alternatives below suit different jobs: location signals, maps, spatial analysis or address lookup. Foursquare is listed from $25 with a free plan; several alternatives have unpublished starting prices, so compare the actual use case and buying terms before switching.
01Why people leave Foursquare
City Guide is shutting down
A Reddit thread says the December 15 shutdown date applies to the City Guide mobile app, not Swarm or the API.
The app split frustrated users
Some longtime users criticized the split between Foursquare and Swarm and described the old check-in flow as buggy, laggy and crash-prone.
Shutdown messaging caused confusion
Some commenters said a learn-more link was broken and were unsure what the announcement meant for Swarm and Foursquare.
02The alternatives, ranked by fit
- Location signals
RadarRadarRadar is the closest fit if you need location tools beyond venue discovery: its listed use cases include maps, fraud prevention and arrival detection. The listing starts at $0.02. That makes it worth comparing for teams using real-world location signals, but check the commitment terms before treating it as a low-cost trial.
Trade-off: Annual commitments raise the cost of trying it.
7.0/10from
$0.02/mo - Advanced mapping
HERE TechnologiesHERE TechnologiesHERE Technologies is a candidate for teams building location-aware applications or managing fleet and tour routing. Its listing also names automotive and automated-driving projects. A free plan is listed, but the starting paid price is not published, so estimate your usage and confirm costs before moving a location-dependent workflow.
Trade-off: Paid starting price is not published; check projected usage.
7.0/10from
Freefree plan - Spatial analysis
CARTOCARTOCARTO fits teams that want to analyze spatial data in the cloud, use low-code workflows or build spatial apps. It’s a better match for GIS-style analysis than a consumer check-in experience. The listing does not publish a starting price, so get pricing before deciding whether its analysis tools suit your budget.
Trade-off: Pricing is opaque, with no starting price published.
6.2/10from
Custom - Custom maps
MapTiler CloudMapTiler CloudMapTiler Cloud suits developers adding maps to apps, teams styling their own maps and projects that need offline deployment. The listing starts at $30 and includes a free plan. Consider it when maps are the main requirement, rather than treating it as a direct replacement for Foursquare’s location signals or venue data.
Trade-off: The $30/month Flex plan has quotas to watch.
6.5/10from
$30/mofree plan - Address lookup
GeocodioGeocodioGeocodio is a practical alternative if your Foursquare use case is occasional address lookup or processing address spreadsheets without code. It also supports developers needing geocoding in its covered regions. A free tier is listed, but paid prices are not published, so compare your geography and request pricing before scaling up.
Trade-off: Paid prices are not published; check supported regions.
6.8/10from
Freefree plan - Apple map access
MapKit JSMapKit JSMapKit JS is worth considering when your project specifically needs MapKit JS access and your usage fits its listed daily caps. The listing gives a price of $8.25 and notes annual billing, making the cost more defined than alternatives with unpublished starting prices. It is not a broad substitute for venue data or GIS analysis.
Trade-off: Daily caps apply; product detail is limited and billing is annual.
4.5/10from
$8.25/mo
03Side by side
| Tool | Score | From | Free plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Foursquare Foursquare (current) | 6.9 | $25/mo | Yes | Teams using real-world location signals |
| Radar Radar | 7.0 | $0.02/mo | No | Teams combining maps and location tools |
| HERE Technologies HERE Technologies | 7.0 | Free | Yes | Teams building location-aware applications |
| CARTO CARTO | 6.2 | Custom | No | Teams analyzing spatial data in the cloud |
| MapTiler Cloud MapTiler Cloud | 6.5 | $30/mo | Yes | Developers adding maps to apps |
| Geocodio Geocodio | 6.8 | Free | Yes | Occasional address lookup projects |
| MapKit JS MapKit JS | 4.5 | $8.25/mo | No | Developers who need MapKit JS access |
Questions people ask
Is the Swarm app still active?
A Reddit thread clarifying the City Guide shutdown said Swarm would not be affected and that the company planned to modernize it and add features. The same comment said the API would not be affected. That is what the thread reported; it does not establish Swarm’s current status beyond that announcement.
Why did Foursquare fail?
The material here does not establish that Foursquare failed as a company. In one Reddit thread, users criticized the split between the apps and described the old check-in experience as buggy and crash-prone. The thread also clarified that the shutdown concerned City Guide, not Swarm or the API.
Is Foursquare profitable?
Profitability is not published in the material we have, so we can’t say whether Foursquare is profitable. The available information covers its location-data use cases, a listed starting price and the City Guide app shutdown—not revenue, margins or earnings.