Apple Business vs Bing Places for Business (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 23, 2026, Bing Places for Business grades higher than Apple Business: 3.0 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 by ToolGPA
Bing Places for Business grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Apple Business
Free Apple portal for a business's place card on Apple Maps
Free
Bing Places for Business
Free Microsoft listing for a business on Bing search and Bing Maps
Free
Which one is for you
Pick Apple Business if
- Fits if you want your Apple Maps place card correct and complete
- Works for brands that want their name and logo in Apple Mail, Wallet and Tap to Pay
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need Google, Bing or Yelp too, as it covers Apple's apps only
- Watch out: Actions need Apple's approval, up to three working days, and show only on iOS or iPadOS 17.4 or later
- Watch out: features vary by country, and ads on Apple Maps are open only in the US and Canada
Pick Bing Places for Business if
- Fits if you want correct details on Bing and Bing Maps at no cost
- Works for owners who already keep a Google profile and want to copy it to Bing
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: changes take 7 to 12 days to go live in North America and up to 2 weeks elsewhere
- Tight if you sync from Google, as synced listings can't be edited in the dashboard
- Not for you if you manage listings from a phone, as the mobile site is still being built
- Too light for posting often, at 5 announcements a month with one active at a time
- Watch out: the API is open only to trusted partners managing more than 10,000 listings
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAApple BusinessGood | 3.0GPABing Places for BusinessVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree to start, with place cards, showcases, Actions, insights and brand tools at no cost. The paid extras, iCloud storage and AppleCare+ for Business, are for the device side and not needed for Maps. | AFree outright: claiming, verifying, editing, announcements, analytics and bulk upload of up to 10,000 locations cost nothing. |
| Free plan and trial | AEverything a business needs for its Apple Maps place card is free, with nothing to pay unless you want more iCloud storage or AppleCare+ for devices. | AAll of it is free with a Microsoft, Google or Facebook sign-in, with no paid tier to run into. |
| Features | CPlace cards with holiday hours and details, showcases, Actions such as Reserve or Order, insights against competitors and brand logos in Mail and Wallet. The gap: it covers Apple's apps only, with Google, Bing and Yelp claimed separately. | CUp to 10 categories, 100 photos and 20 service areas, Google profile sync, announcements and analytics. The gaps are in the listing: Bing only, 5 announcements a month with one active, and synced listings must be edited in Google. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. You claim each location and fill in its place card, and Actions need Apple's approval, which can take up to three working days. | CNo rating on record. Verification is by PIN, and changes go live only after a publish cycle of 7 to 12 days in North America and up to 2 weeks elsewhere. |
| Platforms and integrations | CA web portal that publishes only to Apple's own apps: Maps, Siri, Wallet and Mail. Actions show only on iOS or iPadOS 17.4 or later. | BWeb only, on desktop or tablet; Microsoft says the mobile site is still being built. It syncs with Google Business Profile and links to Bing Webmaster Tools and Microsoft Advertising. |
| Best for | your place card on Apple Maps | a free listing on Bing and Bing Maps |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Apple Business and Bing Places for Business. How we grade
Price against what you get
Apple Business has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Bing Places for Business has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
Bing Places for Business scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other local SEO tools on the chart, none scores higher than Apple Business for less, and none scores higher than Bing Places for Business for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
In commonFree planWebReportsLocal listings
At a glance
| Apple Business | Bing Places for Business | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free to start: place card customization on Apple Maps, showcases, Actions, insights and brand tools, with device management and 5GB of iCloud storage per user. | Free with a Microsoft, Google or Facebook sign-in: claim or add listings, verify them, edit details and photos, post announcements, view analytics and bulk upload. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Apple | Microsoft |
| Price read from | business.apple.com | bing.com |
| Checked | Oct 23, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Apple Business
- It covers Apple Maps and other Apple apps only; Google, Bing and Yelp listings are claimed separately.
- Actions need Apple's approval, which can take up to three working days, and show only on iOS or iPadOS 17.4 or later.
- Feature availability varies by country, and ads on Apple Maps are open only to businesses in the US and Canada.
- The paid extras, iCloud storage from $0.99 per user a month and AppleCare+ for Business from $6.99 a month, are for the device side and not needed for Maps.
Bing Places for Business
- Changes go live only after verification and a publish cycle, which Microsoft puts at 7 to 12 days in North America and up to 2 weeks elsewhere.
- Listings synced from Google cannot be edited directly in the dashboard; changes are made in Google and synced again.
- Listing management works on desktop or tablet; Microsoft says the mobile site is still being built.
- The Bing Places API is open only to agencies in its trusted partner program, which is for those managing more than 10,000 listings.
Key features
Apple Business
- Place cards
- Set the name, category, hours including holiday hours, phone, website, photos, logo and details such as payment types, Wi-Fi and parking for each physical location.
- Showcases
- Publish seasonal items, offers or events on a location's place card, with a call-to-action button that links to the business's app or website.
- Actions
- Add buttons such as Menu, Reserve, Order or Tickets to a place card, created in the portal or through the brands API and approved by Apple first.
- Insights
- See how customers search for the business, how they interact with its place card, showcases and Actions, and how it compares with competitors.
- Brand identity across Apple apps
- Register a brand, including online-only businesses, and show its name and logo in Maps, Wallet, Siri, Branded Mail and Tap to Pay on iPhone.
- Ads on Apple Maps
- Paid ads that place a business in Apple Maps search results, with buttons to call or get directions, sold separately in the US and Canada only.
Bing Places for Business
- Claim or add a listing
- Search Bing for the business and claim it, or create a new listing, then verify it with a PIN sent by phone, text, email or postcard.
- Google Business Profile sync
- Import listings from a Google Business Profile, with listings already verified on Google verified on Bing automatically, and re-sync weekly, every two weeks or monthly.
- Listing details
- Up to 10 categories, hours, up to 100 photos, services offered, amenities and up to 20 service areas, with the option to hide the address for service-area businesses.
- Announcements
- Post offers, events and updates on the listing: up to 5 a month, one active at a time and each running for at most 30 days, with views and clicks counted.
- Analytics
- A dashboard of listing performance, including clicks on the listing and a comparison against businesses in the same category.
- Chains and agencies
- Bulk upload of up to 10,000 locations from a spreadsheet, chain verification in one request, and agency accounts for managing clients' listings.
Plans
Apple Business
Apple Business$0
Locations and place cards on Apple Maps, showcases, Actions, insights and brand identity, plus built-in device management and 5GB of storage per user.
Bing Places for Business
Free$0
Listing management on Bing and Bing Maps, Google Business Profile sync, announcements, analytics and bulk upload of up to 10,000 locations.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Apple Business or Bing Places for Business?
As of Oct 23, 2026, both Apple Business and Bing Places for Business are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Apple Business or Bing Places for Business?
As of Oct 23, 2026, both Apple Business and Bing Places for Business have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.