Yes, it is just too high. I use a v3 styled map that logs about 15K map loads per day (there is a map on just about every page). That means my total cost per day would be $52, just for maps. I would have to make about $3.5 CPM via adsense to break even on map payments (that doesn't even include my hosting costs and other business expenses).
This change is going to force me to revert back to un-styled maps and just hope my traffic doesn't grow above 25K. If that happens, I'd definitely switch to another map provider.
I think the key thing here is that the google map is a backdrop for my website/app, it is not the main feature. I am happy to pay a reasonable price for my usage, but I am not going to be forced to pay an unreasonably high price for it.
It's been mentioned elsewhere in this thread but if you are using the client side maps js without an api key how do they track usage? Maybe there is something we are missing?
Yes it is, at least for us. We run a 15 mio pageview/month website, completely reliant on advertising, and we have a google map on probably 4 mio of those pageviews.
So our bill is going from free to 16.000$ pr month
$4 cpm is interestingly enough the same as we charge our own advertisers leaving zero profit margin for us. We are now in the process of converting our website to another map provider.
This change is going to force me to revert back to un-styled maps and just hope my traffic doesn't grow above 25K. If that happens, I'd definitely switch to another map provider.
I think the key thing here is that the google map is a backdrop for my website/app, it is not the main feature. I am happy to pay a reasonable price for my usage, but I am not going to be forced to pay an unreasonably high price for it.