Yes, GTFS is completely free. It's an open standard with no licensing fees. Transit agencies can create GTFS feeds at no cost, and developers can build applications that use GTFS data without paying royalties.

Back to Guides

Is GTFS Free to Use?

Yes, GTFS is a completely free, open standard. You don't have to pay any licensing fees to create, share, or use GTFS data.

The GTFS Standard is Open

GTFS (General Transit Feed Specification) is "open," which means:

• Zero licensing fees: You can use it as much as you want without paying anyone.

• No proprietary locks: You're not stuck with one vendor; the rules are public.

• Community-driven: The standard is improved by the people who actually use it.

The specification is maintained by MobilityData, a nonprofit organization. You can read the complete GTFS documentation for free on their website.

Free for Transit Agencies

Agencies can build and publish feeds for free. You don't have to pay to:

• Use the GTFS format for your system.

• Appear on Google Maps or Apple Maps.

• Host your data for the public to see.

The only real "costs" are the time you spend putting the data together and any hosting or custom software you choose to buy.

Free for Developers

Developers can build applications that consume GTFS data without licensing concerns:

• Parse and display any publicly available GTFS feed

• Build trip planners, arrival displays, or analysis tools

• Use open-source GTFS libraries in any project

Most GTFS feeds are published as open data, meaning you can use them in your applications. However, always check the specific license terms for each feed – some agencies may have usage restrictions.

What Might Cost Money?

While GTFS itself is free, some related things may have costs:

Software tools: Some GTFS creation and management tools are commercial products. However, free alternatives exist, including spreadsheet software for simple feeds.

GTFS-Realtime infrastructure: Providing live vehicle tracking requires GPS hardware and backend systems, which have costs. The data format itself is still free.

Professional services: Some agencies hire consultants to create their GTFS feeds. This is optional – you can create feeds yourself.

Hosting: You need somewhere to host your GTFS file. Many agencies use their existing web hosting. Cloud storage costs are typically minimal for GTFS files (usually under $1/month).

Why Is GTFS Free?

Google created the format back in 2005 and made it open because it helps everyone:

• Google gets better data for their maps.

• Agencies get free exposure and more riders.

• Riders get the info they need in the apps they already love.

It's a "win–win–win" that has made GTFS the global standard for transit data.

This virtuous cycle has made GTFS the global standard, used by over 10,000 transit agencies worldwide.