repeated media reports of Google’s disregard for the privacy of the general public led to a push for open source, community driven alternatives to Google Maps. The biggest contender, now used by Google’s direct competitors and open source projects alike is OpenStreetMap.
- OsmAnd
OsmAnd is a fantastic choice when searching for an alternative to Google Maps. It is available on both Android and iOS devices with both free and paid subscription options. Free accounts have full access to maps and navigation features, but choosing a paid subscription will allow you unlimited map downloads and increases the frequency of updates.
All subscriptions can take advantage of turn-by-turn navigation, route planning, map markers, and all the favorite features you expect from a map and navigation app in 2024. By making the jump to a paid subscription you get some extra features like topo maps, nautical depths, and even point-of-interest data imported from Wikipedia.
- Organic Maps
Organic Maps is a great choice primarily because they offer support for all features of their iOS and Android apps completely offline. This means if you have an old phone laying around, you can install the app, download the maps you need and presto! You now have an indepth digital map in the palm of your hand without needing to worry about losing or damaging your primary mobile device when exploring the outdoors.
Organic Maps tugs our heartstrings by their commitment to privacy. The app can run entirely without a network connection and comes with no ads, tracking, data collection, and best of all no registration.
- Locus Maps
Our third, and last recommendation today is Locus Maps. Locus Maps is built by outdoor enthusiasts for the same community. Hiking, biking, and geocaching are all mainstays of the Locus App, alongside standard street map navigation as well.
Locus is available in its complete version for Android, and an early version is available for iOS which is continuing to be worked on. Locus Maps offers navigation, tracking and routes, and also information on points-of-interest you might visit or stumble upon during your adventures.
Without active traffic data, none of these is an adequate substitute for Google Maps navigation.
That's the price of privacy. Google has that traffic data because there are so many drivers with thier app installed. If you are OK with a giant corporation monitoring your every move, then of course that convenience is a good reason to use thier services.
Data is the new oil.
I'm not sure if traffic is "convenience" at this point. At least where I live, it's a nearly essential piece of functionality.
In fact, for local driving it's often the only reason to use a map app. I already know how to get to most of the places I want to go, I just need to know the best route to avoid traffic now.
For me it is, apparently for you it is not. We have different use cases. That's cool.
Just to be clear, I'm not here to judge. Everyone has thier own life with it's multitude of little and big decisions. It would be presumptuous and ignorant of me to assume what applies to me also applies to you.
The focus should be on helping each other to make informed decisions.
https://www.magicearth.com/ has traffic.
It has traffic so it must have infrastructure to maintain, yet it also claims to be completely free.
How does this project make money?
Best info i could get is that they do a lot of bussiness to bussiness data stuff, and this nav app is like a showcase. That doesn't feel great for long term, but you could use it as a secondary app?
That doesn't sound too bad in the near term.
To be fair I feel like my lazy ass should've read their website further to get the same info, but then again, this exchange might save someone else a minute of scrolling the FAQ.
It says "crowdsourced traffic" so maybe they want lots of users to gather traffic data from.
https://www.magicearth.com/faq-en/
Magic Earth kicks serious ass, it's legitimately performed better than both Google and Apple maps in my area. Searching for businesses is still a little janky, but if you're patient enough to just use Google maps to find a place and then copy the address it's exquisite, seriously.
I've been using Magic Earth for a while and it is quite good. Better interface than OsmAnd and Organic, but I keep all three installed.
If your primary goal is finding out how to get from A to B and not caring about the very fastest way to get from A to B right now, then you don't need traffic data.
I've been using Organic and OsmAnd for a couple of years now after using Google maps for a long time. What I've noticed is that all three seem to prioritise different things when planning routes. Google seems to prioritise speed, Organic seems to prioritise shortest distance and OsmAnd seems to prioritise quieter roads but is very similar to Organic.
What a bizarre comment. Of course I need traffic data in a navigation app. Why would I want to sit in an hour queue on a closed motorway due to an incident when I could be using the alternative route that's still moving?
It may just be a difference in use case. I don't use navigation apps for my daily and local trips. I use navigation when I'm going to be driving hundreds of miles to a new location and don't already know how to get there.
I use it both daily and for long trips. I use it daily because as I've said when I don't use it, I get stuck in a queue on the motorway that was easily avoided with traffic info. And also for long trips because again, there are multiple routes and there could be hours difference between them depending on traffic. I frequently travel from North England to London and depending on the day I'll use a route either on the western side or eastern side of the country based on the traffic.
Maybe for you, but there are use cases where traffic data isn't vital, like driving in small or medium sized towns where traffic doesn't ever get too bad. Or road trips where there is only one feasible route, and any other way would take hours longer.
But yeah, traffic data IS awesome, I'm not arguing with that 😄
For me live traffic is more vital than ever on long road trips, if some traffic pops up hours after I've been on the road and my GPS finds a way around it it can tell me what's up and adjust the route for me on the fly. When my road trips usually consist of north -> south on i95 down the East Coast of the US, it seriously comes in clutch.
~~The northern Virginia/DC metro area has traumatized me one too many times~~
Also when riding a bicycle and to a slightly lesser extent a motorcycle.
For using osm as a map, it's great and very detailed. For cycling navigation it's ideal. And beats Google maps that fails to find a route without a data connection. Like when roaming. And in many poorer countries, where humanitarian agencies desperately need maps, Google doesn't bother to map any details, because there is no money in it for them. Fail again.
And, as with railways, companies love to build new, as you get a monopoly. But maintenance? No financial benefit to doing that.
Being able to use OsmAnd to navigate in airplane mode massively reduces battery drain as well.