Google Maps alternative: This is how you use Openstreetmap

Easy navigation, up-to-date traffic and local transport data: There are good reasons why Google Maps is the most used navigation app in the world. As is so often the case in the digital world, however, we pay for convenience with our data.

However, there is no alternative. Because with Openstreetmap there has been a project for 19 years that collects open geodata with the help of volunteers. They, in turn, turn the right apps into veritable Google Maps alternatives.

The openstreetmapproject is dedicated to the collection and dissemination of freely accessible map data. It’s not a Google Maps alternative per se because it’s not a navigation app. However, Openstreetmap can provide the basis for other apps and services that can guide you to your destination based on this data.

The idea behind Openstreetmap came from Stephen Philip Coast. He launched the project in 2004 and by 2021 had gathered a total of 7.5 million volunteers who had recorded a total of 8.6 million GPS points.

As the name of the project suggests, the focus is on the collection and dissemination of open map data. This means that Openstreetmap maps are completely freely available. In addition to open source projects, commercial providers can also use the map data free of charge.

You can use the official Openstreetmap website to search for places and have the routes between two points displayed. For a real alternative to Google Maps, however, you need an app from a third party.

Depending on the range of functions, they also offer real navigation systems with voice control, a heads-up display and more.

One of the most well-known extensive mobile applications based on Openstreetmap is certainly Osmand. The open source software is available for Android and iOS and offers detailed map views, navigation and an offline mode. However, the Osmand interface is quite complex and only partially suitable for beginners. Map data also takes up a lot of space.

Another open-source alternative is available Organic Maps at. Like Osmand, the software is available for Android and iOS. Again, there is a navigation function, offline maps and basically everything you would expect from a navigation app. However, the interface is much more accessible.

Also recommended, but not open source, is Magic Earth. The app scores particularly well with its navigation features for drivers and has a heads-up mode and integrated traffic jam information. The makers promise that they will not collect any data from you. If you want to be on the safe side, you can still use one of the first two apps mentioned.