A Better Ideal Postcodes Alternative

How we compare to Ideal Postcodes

When Job Bookers is the right choice

Job Bookers Routing API is the better choice when you need:

• Drive time and distance — Ideal Postcodes doesn't offer routing data at all. If your application needs to know how long a drive takes between two postcodes, you need a separate routing API. Job Bookers includes this.
• Predictable monthly costs — Ideal Postcodes charges per lookup. A spike in traffic means a spike in your bill. Job Bookers charges a flat monthly fee regardless of usage within your tier.
• Coordinates only — if you need lat/lon for map pins or distance calculations and don't need full address data, Job Bookers is significantly cheaper.
• Routing-first applications — field service, logistics, delivery, estate agents. These use cases need drive time more than address validation.

When Ideal Postcodes is the right choice

Be honest: Ideal Postcodes is better if you need:

• Full address lookup with house numbers (PAF data)
• Address autocomplete for checkout forms
• Address validation and cleansing
• Very low call volumes where PAYG is cheaper than a monthly subscription

Use both together

Many applications use Ideal Postcodes for address entry (autocomplete at checkout) and Job Bookers for routing (drive time, distance, coverage areas). They solve different problems and complement each other.