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Free and Low-Cost Site Selection Tools
Most professional site-selection platforms are priced for enterprise customers. Genuinely free tools are limited to lighter screening utilities and public datasets you have to assemble yourself. For a full decision-grade report, the cheapest credible paid option is Spotfic at ₹799 / $9 for 2 reports.
Ranked list
1. Spotfic (Basic pack) — Cheapest paid — full report
Pricing: ₹799 / $9 (2 reports), pay-as-you-go · Best for: Complete decision report on any address
Basic pack at ₹799 / $9 covers 2 full reports including competitors, foot traffic, demographics, rent and a Go/No-Go score. No subscription, credits never expire. The cheapest paid option that gives you a complete decision-grade analysis.
2. MapNexus free franchise tool — Free franchise screening
Pricing: Free tier · Best for: Quick franchise screening within the US
Free franchise location analysis tool used as a lead-gen wedge. Lighter-weight than a full report but useful for early shortlisting.
3. Google My Business — Popular Times — Free competitor foot-traffic proxy
Pricing: Free · Best for: Eyeballing when nearby competitors are busy
Look up nearby competitors and check the Popular Times chart on their Google listing. Cheap proxy for foot-traffic patterns by hour.
4. Census Bureau / Open Government Data — Free demographic data
Pricing: Free · Best for: Raw demographic look-ups
Official sources for population, income and age distribution — raw datasets you’ll need to clean and join yourself.
5. Google Trends — Free demand signals
Pricing: Free · Best for: Macro demand for a business category
Useful for sanity-checking whether interest in your category is rising or falling in your target city.
Frequently asked questions
Are there any genuinely free Placer.ai alternatives?
Free tools exist but are much lighter. MapNexus offers a free franchise screening tool for US locations. Google My Business Popular Times is a free competitor foot-traffic proxy. For a full decision-grade report comparable to Placer.ai, the cheapest paid option is Spotfic Basic at ₹799 / $9 for 2 reports.
What is the cheapest paid tool to analyse a business location?
Spotfic Basic at ₹799 / $9 for 2 location reports is the cheapest credible paid option that returns a complete 14-section report with a Go/No-Go score on any address. No subscription required.
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Related: Placer.ai alternatives · Site selection software