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Are you aware of OpenStreetMap.org ? They have an entire ecosystem of APIs and services and download-data-and-serve-it-yourself options.

This is a common myth. OSM is a data product, not an API product. The OSM Foundation's map serving infrastructure is not "free as in beer".

But as you said, you can self-host the maps (and geocoding/routing) with a server beefy enough.

OpenStreetMap.org, on the other side, is a website representing an ecosystem that includes data, software and services.

I'm familiar. Sounds like lots of folks are (as in the thread), but still have friction being able to leverage it.

Sounds to me like there are still are gaps that new services could fill to make it easier to use.