Discussion summary
Organic Maps emphasizes an offline-first approach, making it suitable for global users without reliable connectivity. Users appreciate its offline capabilities and privacy focus, though some critique its routing accuracy.
What the discussion says
- Supports offline use without account or tracking.
- Valued for privacy and offline navigation.
- Criticized for occasional routing issues.
“Organic Maps treating offline as a priority is the right call.”
“Downloaded a whole region before a trip and it just worked.”
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- Hacker News
- In the old times, I bought a Nokia smartphone (5230) because it shipped with offline maps – Nokia had the license for satellite data before Google Maps existed. I also drive a VW with built-in GPS and map loaded from SD card.
Offline maps are an obligatory "survival" tool. Most people trust too much they'll have connectivity, but it'll be the first thing to go down when it's most needed (extreme weather, blackouts, conflicts, etc).
Thank you for the tip on the app!
by manoDev - Using CoMaps gave me the "Oh shit!" moment for the first time that the convergence of enough high quality open map data and a reasonably designed maps app to consume it was finally happening. It's crazy to think about how much thankless work it took to the point where we have something that is in many ways at parity and even exceeding in some dimensions the user-hating map software.
There is still a super long way to go until it suits everyone's needs, but the end + even further is starting to come into sight.
by mistercheph - I used comaps on a hike. It really is good at not draining your battery.
I've wanted to run it on my wear OS watch, but while you can sideload the APK, wearOS does not have a file browser, so it's not possible to import a planned route or similar. Has anyone here any idea for how to solve this?
by efrecon - Send it in an attachment over Telegram or something and open that on your watch?by gitaarik
- There is also https://gitlab.com/tilelessmap/tilelessmap with some of the same focus areas.
> TilelessMap is an open, offline-first mapping engine designed for critical field use, such as forestry, emergency services, and humanitarian work. Built with C and optimized for mobile performance, TilelessMap enables full local map rendering without relying on cloud infrastructure — even in areas with poor or no internet connectivity.
They have an Android app with maps of Yellowstone, Sweden and Norway.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.tileless.m...
by mamaar - I am curious: is it called "tileless" because it uses tiles, but offline? Or does it somehow not use tiles?by palata
- Organic Maps and its fork Comaps still lack a Web client.
We're this on https://cartes.app, trying to push the Web further (even on mobile devices) so that you don't even need an app for most use cases.
by maelito - Desktop could some attention as well because both Organic and CoMaps have a rather basic custom interface that feels imo offby pndy
- Wasn't aware of that one, neat! I'll leave another web app: https://osmapp.orgby Tmpod
- Would you consider using cache storage for enabling offline capabilities? Maybe I am in the minority but I usually go to organic maps for offline usage.by scanny
- Cool; but this is one of those instances where I wish the wonderful and benevolent FOSS developers of the world would consolidate efforts behind existing projects to make fewer better things instead of many never-finished forks. Especially since there is not yet a single open source map ui that is polished enough to compete with enterprise maps.by CircuitSeuss
- https://www.openstreetmap.org/ has a good web client :)by elAhmo
- StreetComplete is one of my favorite apps. It's like Pokemon Go mixed with Wikipedia because it gamifies contributing to OpenStreetMap, which powers (all?) mainstream opensource maps.
Looking forward to iOS support so more people can use it.
by Cider9986 - Anything like this in iOS?by therealdrag0
- iOS has Every Door[1] and there’s also MapComplete[2] which works as a PWA.by mbirth
- This is a good way to get outside and do challenges like jogging every single street in your town. I figured that OSM was basically complete, but info was severely lacking for my area. It’s really easy to make local maps MUCH better.
- For the more experience OSM contributors, there is also a fork called SCEE[1] that adds some extra "quests" and a ton of UI customisability!by Tmpod
- Organic mentions Open Source, but I just saw that FDroid mentions the following: "This app contains non open source components - compiled binary data files (including but not limited to .mwm map files) under a non FLOSS license"
Anyone has context on the following not hidden over Git-* issues (I was left thoroughly confused trying to understand it)?
by lexlambda - OrganicMaps rolled their own 'data license' for the actual map files: https://github.com/organicmaps/organicmaps/blob/master/DATA_...
Plus the code that's necessary to generate the map files that OM relies on is no longer openly published. So while true that the actual app code is open source, you can't use it without relying on their proprietary map files.
- To the best of my knowledge, Organic Maps is a dying project.
CoMaps was forked from Organic Maps because of shift in how things were being done and ignored. I mean, those in IT know very well how that is ending.
CoMaps is highly active and receiving new features release by release.
If you wanna use a 5 stars app based on OpenStreet Maps: https://www.comaps.app/download/
The fact that OP just posted Organic Maps URL here with no context, and not mentioning that it is a dying project with its user base massively shifting to CoMaps, that is a red flag on its own.
by h4kunamata - Does this amazing new fork of a fork have colored hiking trails as this "dying" Organic Maps?
I know the answer, tried both, I will let myself out...
by Markoff - comment doesn't seem very objective, OM receives monthly updates the same way it did for years, also getting new features each time. so define what you mean here by repeating "dying project" two times?by ponkipo
- The quality of the maps is getting better, much more useful and detailed than Google Maps. I find it much easier to locate myself on Organic Maps than Google Maps. For example parks are only a green blob on Google Maps, while benches, walking paths, drinking water points, toilets and other landmarks and buildings are visible on Organic Maps. I find that adding transit lines or cycling routes as an overlay is also a great feature. Even the search feature is getting broken on Google Maps, when making a search, it would show up advertised results (in red squares instead of red circles) and when browsing the map there are more advertised useless places surrounded by an almost empty map. The only advantage of Google Map is to find the best way from point A to point B and places reviews.by y04nn
- When you realize that Google Maps is a business directory that also happens to do mapping, things make sense.
- One is an ad medium, the other isn't.
But it really depends not only on the presentation theme but also on the data set itself and that varies by region. I'm sure that there are still places where the sources Google is buying are better than whatever is on OSM, just like there are regions where OSM is just so much more detailed than everybody else. And yet others, where OSM is generously fed by an entity that also supplies Google and all the others because they are not doing it for the map, they are doing it for the place.
by usrusr - In some places it always was better (it's OpenStreetMap data) e.g. in the Puna de Atacama desert in Argentina/Chile, Google Maps is years behind in therms of map precision. Lots of roads are missing from Google Maps. Plus, OrganicMaps working totally offline, it's perfect for such a place where the only Internet would be by satellite.by ale42
- I often reference this comparison in this context: https://i.xkqr.org/gmapsvsosm.pngby kqr
- I would recommend people use comaps instead which is the actual FOSS fork. OM has a long history of malicious behaviour like quietly adding ads, turning a part of its previously open sourced code proprietary and misappropriating donations. OM has lost most of its community a year ago to comaps and are now rushing vibe coded features to compensate.by lone-cloud
- Thanks for the heads up, I wasn't not aware of that. I never got a single ad in OM thoughby TheRoque
- > OM has lost most of its community a year ago to comaps > rushing to compensate
I understand that you, being a contributor to CoMaps which people can see on your page, want to promote it, but it’s just spreading false info. Just one Russian community of OrganicMaps in Telegram has 4000+ members, CoMaps RU is not even at 200. Global group of OM is at 1650, CoMaps is at 840 of it.
It’s not OM who is compensating all over the place in this thread.
by ponkipo