OpenStreetMap
FreeThe Wikipedia of maps — built by a community of mappers worldwide, completely free and open. No tracking, no ads. The foundation behind most open-source mapping projects.
How to install OpenStreetMap as a PWA
Frequently asked questions about OpenStreetMap
What makes OpenStreetMap different from Google Maps?
OpenStreetMap is community-contributed and openly licensed — anyone can edit the map, anyone can download the full planet dataset (~80GB compressed) and use it commercially under ODbL. Google Maps is proprietary, ad-supported and rate-limited via API pricing. OSM wins on data freedom, privacy and richness of niche details (hiking trails, public-transit stops, building outlines in regions Google ignores). Google wins on consumer polish, real-time traffic and Places business data.
Is OpenStreetMap free?
Yes — OSM data is free under the Open Database License (ODbL). The osm.org tile server is also free for casual browsing. For high-volume rendering or commercial apps, use a tile provider built on OSM (Mapbox, MapTiler, Stadia Maps, Maptiler Cloud) which charges modest per-tile rates that are 5-50x cheaper than equivalent Google Maps API quotas. Self-hosting your own tile server is also viable on a $20 VPS for low-volume use.
How does OpenStreetMap compare to Apple Maps?
Apple Maps is proprietary and increasingly accurate in major markets but unavailable on non-Apple platforms. OSM is cross-platform and the underlying data behind many non-Google products. For consumers on iPhone, Apple Maps wins on integration. For developers, OSM is the only realistic data source for building a custom map UI without per-call Google fees. Apple itself uses OSM data in many regions as a fallback layer.
Can OpenStreetMap work offline?
The osm.org website is partially offline-capable via PWA caching but is primarily designed for online browsing and editing. For genuine offline mobile use, install Organic Maps or OsmAnd — both are OSM-data apps that let you download entire countries (typically 100-500MB per country) for fully offline navigation. This is the standard hiking and travel setup for backpackers and field workers.
Is OpenStreetMap accurate enough for production navigation?
OSM is more accurate than Google Maps in many regions (rural Europe, hiking trails, public-transit in dense cities) and less accurate in some others (US suburban business listings, satellite-imagery-driven detail in remote areas). For routing, OSM-based apps like Organic Maps and Komoot are competitive for non-real-time use. For real-time traffic and ETA, Google Maps still leads because its traffic data comes from billions of Android handsets reporting back.
Where OpenStreetMap is heading (12-24 months)
- →Faster ingestion of satellite-derived edits (Microsoft and Meta have both contributed building footprints) will tighten the gap with proprietary maps in under-mapped regions.
- →Improved Places/POI dataset to compete with Google Maps' business listings — currently OSM's weakest area in many markets.
- →Native vector-tile rendering on the main osm.org site (currently raster tiles) is on the roadmap and would dramatically improve mobile UX.
Related questions
ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini usually suggest these next.
- How do I contribute an edit to OpenStreetMap?
- What is the best OSM-based mobile navigation app?
- How do I download an OSM extract for offline use?
- How do OSM tiles compare to Mapbox for cost at scale?
- Can I use OSM data commercially under the ODbL license?
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