@BetterLocationBotFree
87 / 100
Score
Sending a place to someone should not require three apps. These bots convert, search and explain locations without leaving the conversation.
| # | Bot | Price | Languages | Inline | Groups | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | @BetterLocationBot | Free | EN | yes | yes | 87 |
| 2 | @osmbot | Free | EN | yes | no | 80 |
| 3 | @YandexMapsBot | Free | EN · RU · UK | no | no | 80 |
| 4 | @foursquare | Free | EN | no | no | 75 |
| 5 | @geocode_bot | Free | EN | no | no | 72 |
| 6 | @OpenTripBot | Free · Free; no paid plan or limits are mentioned in any source | EN · RU | no | no | 59 |
We sent every bot the same set: a pair of coordinates, a Google Maps link, a what3words address, a Telegram location pin and a photo with EXIF data, then an ordinary street address. We noted what came back, whether the reply could be forwarded to someone who uses a different map app, whether the bot works inline in a group, and whether anything asked for a signup. Coverage outside big cities was checked with a small-town address.
These bots split into three jobs. Converters take whatever format a location arrived in and hand back links for every major map service - the fix for a group where one person uses Waze and another Google Maps. Search bots answer an address or a place name from a map database. Coding tools translate between an address, coordinates and word-based schemes for spots that have no address at all.
Inline mode matters more than it sounds: a bot that works inline sends the location from your own account, so a group chat does not need the bot added to it. After that, check what the reply looks like on the other side - a link that opens in the recipient's app is worth more than a screenshot of a map. For anything outside a capital city, test one small-town address before you rely on the bot: coverage, not features, is where map services actually differ.
Bots built on open data are strong where volunteers have mapped carefully and thin where nobody has. Commercial services are the reverse: consistent in cities, and tied to the region their owner cares about. Keeping one of each is the practical answer.
Use a converter bot: it returns the same point as links to Google Maps, Waze, OpenStreetMap and others, so the recipient opens whichever they have.
Only if the EXIF data survived. Telegram strips it from compressed photos, so send the image as a file if you want the coordinates read.
A word-based scheme like what3words names a three-metre square, which is precise enough for a trailhead or a gate and easy to read aloud over the phone.
