Free store locator options in 2026, honestly compared
You can get a store locator without paying. Whether you should depends on which free you pick, because the options differ a lot in looks, effort and what they quietly leave out.
By Robin, who builds and runs StoreLo · Updated 2026-07-30
Option 1: Google My Maps (free, but generic)
Google My Maps lets you pin locations on a map and embed it in an iframe for nothing. For a hobby page it is fine. For a brand it shows quickly: the map carries Google’s styling, not yours, there is no postcode search that ranks your stores by distance, no opening hours, no filters, and no data on what visitors looked for. It is a map, not a locator.
Option 2: build it on the Maps API (free tier, real cost)
Developers can build a locator directly on the Google Maps JavaScript API. Google’s free monthly usage covers a modest site, so the running cost can genuinely be near zero. The real cost is build and maintenance: geocoding, distance sorting, mobile layout, clustering, an admin flow for editing stores. That is easily a four-figure project the first time and a standing chore afterwards. Worth it if a locator is core product; overkill if it is one page on your site.
Option 3: free trials (free for a week or two)
Most locator tools offer a trial rather than a free plan: 7 days at Storepoint and StoreRocket, for example. Trials are useful for evaluating, but they answer a different question. If your store list is small and stable, you do not want 14 free days, you want a small plan that stays free.
Option 4: a real free plan
StoreLo’s free plan is five locations, no time limit, no credit card. It includes the same widget as the paid plans: postcode search, geolocation, distance sorting, opening hours with open-now status, directions, and your own colours and fonts. Five locations covers many young brands’ whole network, which is the point: start free, upgrade when the network outgrows it, from €19.99 for 250 locations. The full picture is on the comparison page.
The cost nobody mentions: the Maps key
Whichever route you pick, Google Maps usage runs on an API key. StoreLo uses your own key, so Google’s free monthly usage belongs to you instead of being pooled with other customers, and there is no per-view markup. Setting it up takes ten minutes with the API key guide, and a typical locator page stays comfortably inside Google’s free usage.