• Big Tech’s Maps
• Free as in Freedom
• Wait, Who Actually Uses OpenStreetMap?
• Data Google Would Never Collect
• More Than Streets
• Apps for Niches (That Aren’t Really Niches)
• Ready to Try? Here’s How to Start
• Where OpenStreetMap (Still) Falls Short
• Conclusion

Or: Why I Stopped Trusting Google Maps

Recently, I wanted to find a café in an unfamiliar city. Google Maps showed me several options - all marked “Sponsored.” Only after scrolling did the other 47 cafés in the area appear. That’s when it hit me: This map doesn’t show me the world. It shows me what someone wants me to see.

§Big Tech’s Maps

Commercial map services prioritize consumption. Hotels and restaurants that pay for better placement appear higher up. The small “Sponsored” label is easy to overlook.

Even more subtle is the filtering by zoom level: At an overview, only selected places are shown. Only when zooming in do all locations appear. No indication that the view is incomplete. You simply don’t notice.

Big tech companies focus on regions that are profitable. Areas with less purchasing power get less attention. Understandable from a business perspective - but good for us users?

§Free as in Freedom

OpenStreetMap (OSM for short) offers a way out, an alternative. OpenStreetMap is not just free of charge, but free as in freedom. The data belongs to no one and everyone. Anyone can use it, modify it, redistribute it - as long as the results remain free (Copyleft) and the source is credited.

Users can add places themselves and correct errors. Sounds chaotic? It is sometimes. Still works remarkably well - like Wikipedia, but for maps.

This helps especially in areas that are uninteresting to big companies. In some parts of Africa or Asia, OpenStreetMap is more accurate and up-to-date than any commercial service. Because local people maintain the data. Not for money. Simply because they think it’s the right thing to do.

§Wait, Who Actually Uses OpenStreetMap?

Before you think “Sounds like a nerd project” - here are some names:

Apple Maps uses OSM data in many countries. The ride-hailing service Grab in Southeast Asia has completely switched to OSM (saving millions in Google fees). Strava, Komoot, Geocaching - all OSM under the hood.

So no, not a niche project. More like: The “Wikipedia of Maps.”

§Data Google Would Never Collect

In OSM, you can record almost anything. A restaurant? Sure - but also whether it has vegan options, air conditioning, outdoor seating, a baby changing table, accepts Bitcoin, or is wheelchair accessible. Individual park benches and their nearby trash cans? Those too.

This sounds overly detailed until you’re out with a stroller and need a changing table. Or you’re 80 years old looking for a bench to rest. Or you’re in a wheelchair facing stairs without a ramp. Suddenly these “unimportant” details become very important.

Many different organizations and groups use various details for analysis, planning, maintenance, and mapping. The map becomes a living representation of the world. And shows you what many others don’t. Free of charge and free to use.

§More Than Streets

Specialized maps emerge from the open data for almost every area:

• Winter Sports: Ski slopes, cross-country trails, and ski touring routes with difficulty ratings.
• Hiking: Marked trails, mountain huts, drinking water sources, and viewpoints - in many regions more detailed than Google.
• Boaters: Buoys, lighthouses, anchorages, and harbor info for trip planning.
• Cyclists & Co: Road surface, elevation, and bike path quality - ideal for road bikes, gravel bikes, or inline skaters.

Many popular outdoor apps like Komoot or Locus Map are based on OpenStreetMap - often without users knowing.

§Apps for Niches (That Aren’t Really Niches)

The open data enables apps that commercial providers would never build. Too small an audience, too little money to be made. But for the people who need them, they’re indispensable.

Wheelmap: Shows via traffic light system whether places are wheelchair accessible. Wheelchair friednly places rated worldwide. Anyone can participate - just a glance at the entrance is enough.

BlindSquare: Describes the surroundings via voice output for the visually impaired. Uses OSM data for streets and intersections - one of the few apps that makes navigation practical for blind people.

Touch Mapper: Creates 3D-printable tactile maps from OSM data. Streets become touchable grooves, buildings become raised surfaces.

Veggiekarte: Filters restaurants by dietary options - vegan, vegetarian.

BTC Map: Shows places where Bitcoin is accepted as payment.

OpenFireMap: Hydrants, fire stations, firefighting ponds - all at a glance.

The beauty of all these apps: They all benefit simultaneously from every change. When a restaurant closes, someone enters it in OpenStreetMap - and it automatically disappears from Wheelmap, Veggiekarte, BTC Map, and all the others. No duplicate maintenance, no “it’s still listed in App X.” One change - effective everywhere.

§Ready to Try? Here’s How to Start

Three apps, download today, let’s go:

CoMaps - The entry point. No ads, no tracking, just a good offline map. Ideal for everyone who wants things to “just work.”

OsmAnd - The classic for advanced users. Can do everything: cycling, hiking, ski slopes, nautical charts. Not necessarily the most intuitive app, but lots of possibilities.

Magic Earth - For drivers. Free navigation with traffic info. Feels almost like Google Maps, just without Google.

§Where OpenStreetMap (Still) Falls Short

Unfortunately, some OpenStreetMap apps look outdated compared to Google Maps. There’s no corporation with thousands of developers behind OSM polishing until the interface shines. It’s people like you and me investing their free time to create OSM apps.

But this is also the big advantage. Everyone can participate, everyone can implement their ideas and help create a better map. Google’s data is neither as detailed nor freely usable. You can’t download it, can’t reuse it, can’t improve it - they’re not your maps - they belong to Google.

§Conclusion

OSM belongs to no one. Charges no money. Shows no ads. Sells no data. And if something’s missing, you can add it yourself.

Try one of the apps. Maybe you’ll notice that the small park in your area is missing. Or the new bakery. Then you add it. And next time, someone else finds it.

And if you want to know exactly how you can help, stay tuned for my next post.

#osm #openstreetmap #opensource