My impression of Organic Maps immediately improved when I started driving. It talks! It knows exit numbers! It can tell you which lanes to use! Sure, it isn’t as polished as Google Maps, but all of the functionality is present. The UI is high-contrast and easy to read, although I wish the text showing exit numbers/street names was a little bigger. When you’re simply on the road and following directions, Organic Maps feels every bit as intuitive as Google Maps.
As my fiancee and I prepared to set off into the boonies, I plugged in the address of our hotel. About 45 seconds later, Organic Maps returned the 300-mile route to our destination. It can take a lot longer to calculate longer routes using your phone’s processor instead of a huge cloud server. It didn’t really bother me though; 45 seconds is nothing compared to the 6-hour trip ahead. If that’s the cost of using a maps app that doesn’t spray your personal data all over the internet, I’ll pay it.
I like Organic Maps because its good at showing me public toilets, water fountains to fill up my water bittle and is really great for hiking
How does it compare to the OSMAnd~ app? I’ve been curious about trying Organic Maps lately.
Also, definitely consider downloading OsmAnd~ anyways and getting the editor plugin to make any edits and adjustments on the fly.
It’s very simple in comparison, but for some that’s a feature. If it could show bike lanes on roads then it would be all I need in 95% of cases, but since it can’t I find myself using OSMAnd with the CyclOSM tile layer a lot.
If you would prefer this offline there’s a “community style” for OsmAnd that goes for a very similar look here:
https://github.com/OsmAnd-Rendering/Cycling/blob/main/README_EN.md
StreetComplete is also a great way to add to OSM in a convenient package. Check it out if you’re interested in contributing:
how is it comparing to Magic Earth?
Yes I’ve had great experience with this one. Good CarPlay support too!
Seems like a good alternative, but last time I used it, it was sending me on routes significantly longer than the routes google maps would find. I’m talking like, adding an extra 30-45 mins to an already 4 hour drive. Is this still an issue?
