Is CARTO free to use?

Yes, CARTO is listed as a free public API. Visit the official documentation for current rate limits and usage policies.

Does CARTO require authentication?

Yes, CARTO requires API Key authentication. Check the documentation for setup instructions.

CARTO — Free Public API

Overview

CARTO is a spatial data platform — SQL API over your datasets. Key-based (Auth API / API key).

⚠️ Status (verified 2026-08): the region API host was unreachable from our network (connection failures). Verify from your network before relying on it.

What it provides

curl "https://{region}.api.carto.com/v3/sql?q=SELECT+1&api_key=YOUR_KEY"

Notes

SQL API for spatial analysis (geospatial data).
Auth: API key or OAuth (per the docs).

FAQ

Is CARTO free? Free tier with limits; paid plans scale.

Why can’t I reach it? Our 2026-08 check hit connection failures — verify from your network.

What does it do? Spatial data SQL API.

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