Change one URL. Pay a quarter of your maps bill.
We built a Google-compatible Directions endpoint: your existing code, SDK calls and response parsing keep working, the answer just arrives faster, with live-traffic re-routing 302x quicker online or off, at a fraction of the cost. Their route is guessed, ours is solved. Tested in 1 500 cities, from the southernmost tip to the North Pole.
The one-URL swap
The one-URL swap
Live on production today. Same parameters, same JSON shape, status · routes · legs · steps · overview_polyline, including duration_in_traffic, which maps to our live-traffic ETA.
Before. Google
https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/directions/json?origin=-26.2041, 28.0473 &destination=-26.1076, 28.0567 &mode=driving&key=YOUR_GOOGLE_KEY
After. Elara (try it now)
https://route.elara-cortex.com/v1/compat/google/directions/json ?origin=-26.2041, 28.0473 &destination=-26.1076, 28.0567 &mode=driving
{ "status": "OK",
"routes": [{ "summary": "…", "overview_polyline": { "points": "…" },
"legs": [{ "distance": { "value": 13160, "text": "13.2 km" },
"duration": { "value": 792, "text": "13 mins" },
"duration_in_traffic": { "value": 792, "text": "13 mins" }, // live traffic, our headline strength
"steps": [ … ] }] }] }
Addresses work too, ?origin=Sandton&destination=Mall of Africa resolves through our geocoder.
Endpoint map
Endpoint map, every major provider
Like-for-like. Your integration points and where they land on Elara.
| You use today | Their endpoint | On Elara | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Directions (legacy) | maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/directions/json | /v1/compat/google/directions/json | Drop-in: same params & response shape |
| Google Routes API v2 | routes.googleapis.com …computeRoutes | /v1/route (POST) | Simpler body: {from:[lat, lng], to:[lat, lng]}, no field masks needed |
| Google Distance Matrix | …/distancematrix/json | /v1/matrix (POST) | Many-to-many distances & times |
| Google Geocoding | …/geocode/json | /v1/geocode?q= | Forward geocoding + landmark resolution |
| Google Route Optimisation | routeoptimization.googleapis.com | /v1/optimise (POST) | Multi-stop order optimisation |
| Mapbox Directions | api.mapbox.com/directions/v5/mapbox/driving | /v1/route | Profile driving-traffic ≙ our default (live traffic built in) |
| HERE Routing v8 | router.hereapi.com/v8/routes | /v1/route | origin/destination lat, lng pairs map 1:1 |
| TomTom Routing | api.tomtom.com/routing/1/calculateRoute | /v1/route | computeTravelTimeFor=all ≙ our eta_min + free_flow_min |
| Drone / sea / AV routing | - (not offered) | /v1/drone/route · /v1/maritime/route · /v1/av/route | One engine, every modality |
Provider formats per their public docs: Mapbox · HERE v8 · TomTom
Asset tracking, included
The backend fleets actually need, asset tracking, included
Routing answers "which way". Operations need "where is everything, right now, against plan". That backend is built in, not a separate product, not per-vehicle hardware pricing.
Register & push
POST /v1/assets · POST /v1/assets/{id}/position
Register vehicles, drones or vessels; stream live GPS from any device, no proprietary hardware required.
Compare against plan
POST /v1/assets/{id}/route · GET /v1/assets/{id}/live
Assign the planned route, then watch live position vs plan, drift, ETA and re-route in one call.
See it
ELARA FLEET IN A BOX →
The same API drives our live map, embed it or build your own.
| Tracking stack | Typical cost, 100 vehicles | Hardware lock-in |
|---|---|---|
| Samsara | ~$2, 700–3, 300 / month (+$99–148 hardware per vehicle, 3-year contract) | Yes |
| Geotab (bundled) | ~$3, 000–4, 000 / month | Yes |
| Elara. Asset Tracking API | Included from Starter ($19/mo) · scale on Pro ($99/mo) | None, any GPS source |
Tracking-market prices per public 2026 comparisons: Spytec fleet-pricing comparison · Airpinpoint Samsara breakdown. Telematics platforms bundle cameras, compliance and hardware we do not, the comparison is the tracking backend itself.
The migration offer
Your last maps invoice × 0.25
Bring your most recent Google Maps (or Mapbox / HERE / TomTom) invoice. Your first-year Elara price is a quarter of it, not a race to free, a fair quarter, with an SLA, dedicated regional capacity and migration engineering included. If Google charges you R40 000 a month, you pay R10 000. sales@elara-cortex.com →
Four steps
Migration in four steps
/v1/compat/google/directions/json; matrix and geocoding move to /v1/matrix and /v1/geocode.Change one URL. Pay a quarter.
Engine tested in 1 500 cities · live-traffic re-routing 302x faster online or off · solved, not guessed · in-region deployment available.