Life & fun · February 16, 2024
Host a planet-scale geocoder for $10/mo
For the uninitiated, a geocoder is maps-tech jargon for a search engine for addresses and points of interest. Geocoders are expensive to run. Like, really expensive. Like, $100+/month per instance expensive unless you go for a budget provider. I've been poking at this problem for about a month now and I think I've come up with something kind of cool. I'm calling it Airmail. Airmail's unique feature is that it can query against a remote index, e.g. on object storage or on a static site somewhere. This, along with low memory requirements mean it's about 10x cheaper to run an Airmail…
Host a planet-scale geocoder for $10/mo launched on February 16, 2024 with 127 votes, #394 of 3,962 launches that month and more than 95% of that year's launches. The site was still online in September 2026, 2 years on.
In plain words
Airmail is a geocoder—a search tool for addresses and points of interest—designed to be significantly cheaper than existing solutions. It works by querying remote indexes stored on object storage or static sites, requiring minimal memory and no additional storage beyond the root disk. This architecture allows it to run efficiently on 512MB of RAM, making it accessible for developers and businesses that need geocoding functionality without the typical high infrastructure costs of traditional geocoders.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
About a month ago I began work a new geocoder (demo), or search engine for places and addresses. I wanted to make something very inexpens...
In the maker’s words, at launch
For the uninitiated, a geocoder is maps-tech jargon for a search engine for addresses and points of interest. Geocoders are expensive to run. Like, really expensive. Like, $100+/month per instance expensive unless you go for a budget provider. I've been poking at this problem for about a month now and I think…
Does a similar job
all alternatives →
Ridiculously cheap bulk geocoding2014 · geocod.io · ▲224Geocoding and data enrichment for North America that just works
- BABuilt an email marketing platform after paying $230/month2025 · fertit.com · ▲44
Spent the last month building Fertit - basically a newsletter manager but you bring your own SMTP and skip the DevOps nightmare. All the features (subscriber management, admin dashboard, custom preferences) without the infrastructure markup. The math that broke me: Mailchimp: $230/month for 15k contacts My solution: $10/month infrastructure + $10 SendGrid = unlimited What I learned: The "enterprise" features are mostly database operations with SMTP APIs. But the 3 weeks of Go/PostgreSQL/Redis setup explains why people just pay ConvertKit $300/month. Here's the thing:…
More life & fun this month
the category →
A free city-building game in your browser. You are the mayor. You know what the city needs. Now get it past the zoning board, the neighbors, the appeals court and the next election.
Life & fun · 1d ago · permit.petercai.com
- IV
Life & fun · 13d ago · tanzaniaeducationproject.org
Turn a phone, tablet or TV into a sign. Type a message and it fills the screen: welcome signs, timers, Wi-Fi passwords and more. No app, no account, free.
Life & fun · 14d ago · bigwords.page
Play a free virtual guitar online with your keyboard or by touch. Slow songs down and see every chord, string and strum. Acoustic, classic, electric and bass.
Life & fun · 8d ago · guitoro.com
Carrier settings from iPhone, Pixel and Galaxy firmware, decoded and compared: APNs, VoLTE, 5G and Wi-Fi Calling per carrier, and what each build changed.
Life & fun · 12d ago · carrierexplode.com
Life & fun · 22d ago · space.bl2.net
Source: Show HN post ↗ · launch text quoted in part
Launched alongside, February 2024
the whole month →
MarketingIdeas.com▲1,230Never run out of marketing ideas ever again
Growth · 2024 · marketingideas.com
