FourSquare vs. Google Places vs. Yelp API

Question

I am trying to create an app that will help users find restaurants/movie theaters/malls/etc. to hang out based on ratings and distance. Other than just the place itself, I would also like to know more detailed information about the place. For example, if I were to look for parks, I would also like to know if theres a basketball or tennis court there. Ratings and popularity would also be an important aspect to prioritize suggestions.

After looking through all three of the APIs, I could not really find any substantial differences other than their search limits. Could anyone really differentiate each API for me? Maybe even recommend one based on my specific need?

Thanks!

Answer 1

The Foursquare API would fit this use case perfectly because you can supply very specific filters through the API. Also, they have extensive coverage around the world, unlike Google or Yelp.

I would check out the venues/explore endpoint and use a categoryId of Parks. You can use a query parameter of "basketball" or "tennis" to find parks that have courts for these.