Clockwork Micro offers elevation, basemap, and terrain mapping APIs for developers. See 2026 pricing, features, pros, cons, and FAQs.
Despite a name that might suggest semiconductor or wireless chip hardware, Clockwork Micro is a geospatial technology company that builds web-mapping and cartography APIs. Founded in 2021 by Brendan Farrell and based in Seattle, Washington, the company focuses on abstracting away the time-consuming infrastructure work involved in serving custom maps, so developers can focus on how their data should look rather than how tile servers and elevation datasets work under the hood.
Its product line includes an Elevation API for terrain height data, Basemap and Terrain Tile services, USGS Topo Maps (including 7.5-minute topographic quadrangles), a low-code tool called Map Maker for building interactive maps, a Simple Styler interface for adjusting map layer appearance, and DB2Vector, which converts SQL query results directly into vector tile endpoints.
Clockwork Micro targets software developers, GIS professionals, and organizations that need to embed custom, styled maps into applications without operating their own map-tile infrastructure. Its pricing follows a tiered, usage-based API model: a free Personal tier includes 50000 requests per service, a Standard tier at 25 USD per month raises that to 100000 requests, a Commercial tier at 195 USD per month includes 1000000 requests at a lower per-unit overage rate, and a custom Enterprise tier is available for larger-scale or contractually negotiated needs.
Because the company is a small, relatively young startup rather than an established mapping incumbent like Mapbox or Esri, prospective users should verify current API stability, uptime track record, and long-term roadmap directly with Clockwork Micro before committing to it for mission-critical production mapping needs.
Clockwork Micro makes web-mapping and cartography APIs, including an Elevation API, Basemap and Terrain Tiles, USGS Topo Maps, and low-code map-building tools; it is not a semiconductor or wireless chip company despite its name.
Clockwork Micro was founded in 2021 by Brendan Farrell.
Clockwork Micro is based in Seattle, Washington, United States.
Yes, its Personal tier is free and includes 50000 API and tile requests per service.
The Standard plan starts at 25 USD per month for 100000 requests per service, and the Commercial plan is 195 USD per month for 1000000 requests per service with lower overage rates.
Map Maker is Clockwork Micro's low-code interface for building interactive, modular maps from custom data without needing to build map-tile infrastructure from scratch.
DB2Vector is a Clockwork Micro tool that converts SQL query results directly into vector tile endpoints for mapping applications.
Clockwork Micro primarily targets software developers, GIS professionals, and organizations that want to embed custom maps into applications without operating their own map infrastructure.