9 ms·

Second best? At least in my experience, OSM data is leaps and bounds better than Google Maps in every way possible, and it has been that way for a couple years

Second best? At least in my experience, OSM data is leaps and bounds better than Google Maps in every way possible, and it has been that way for a couple years now. The reason that I still use Google maps is that it's fast and well-integrated with my phone, and it has a lot of added features on top of the actual mapping that makes it very useful --- things like location sharing when you're on a longer road trip, creating a notification on your phone to route to an address from your browser, live traffic information, road closures, and business reviews. In terms of the actual data, though, the details available on OSM puts Google's data to shame. I've been trying to get Google to fix an incorrect path drawn at a state park that I frequent. I've submitted an alternative route twice now, but it's been denied twice with little explanation. The path is a loop, but Google has it missing half of the loop, off by an eighth of a mile or so, and has it drawn where it cuts through private property. In contrast, OSM's data is completely spot on with what my GPS shows. The park is in a tourist area, and I go to this park often enough that I've actually ran into multiple people visiting who have been standing on the trail with Google Maps open on their phone, thinking they've made a wrong turn. I've experienced the same thing at GNP in Montana, BWCA in Minnesota/Canada, and all along the Richardson Highway in Alaska. If you're in a rural area or on public land, OSM data is the best available --- even better than what a ranger station would sell you.

BrandoElFollito 8y ago
I once reported an issue with a stadium in my city. I bike in front of it twice a day. The issue was that it was licated on the wrong side of the road. They said that they checked and it is ok. I asked them how they did this because, well, I actually see the place twice a day. They said that they have ways to check (or smthg like that). I then sent M their own stree view link and screenshot. Not good enough. So I have up, I do not need the gps to bike there twice a day. Two years later, suddenly it was approved. All my corrections are now approved automatically (within an hour or so) so they may have improved. I also told them to check on OSM where I also updated some information about the surroundings :)
ucaetano 8y ago
> Second best? At least in my experience, OSM data is leaps and bounds better than Google Maps in every way possible, and it has been that way for a couple years now. I'm sure that, for whatever product in the world, you can find a subset of people in the world who will swear that such product is, in they experience, the best in the world.
- nickysielicki 8y ago
  Mapping is not a subjective topic, though. I'm saying that OSM data is objectively better for the rural parts of the world I've been to.
  - lwansbrough 8y ago
    An interesting benefit of Google Maps which (I don’t think?) is available in OSM: different maps for countries with boundary disputes. Google is basically the de facto map, even as far as many governments are concerned, and so showing localized maps of disputed areas may actually be saving lives.
    - maxerickson 8y ago
      Osm tracks disputed borders. A vector tile based view could show differences based on location. The tiles served from osm.org don't.
    - rmc 8y ago
      Yes, OSM.org shows one map for everyone. But you can take the OSM database, and make your own map to show whatever you want. For example, the Indian OSM community have an OSM map, which shows the borders of India as per Indian law (w.r.t. Kashmir) https://openstreetmap.in/#5/22.150/79.081 https://openstreetmap.in/#5/22.150/79.081 vs https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=5/22.167/79.102 https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=5/22.167/79.102
  - ghaff 8y ago
    >for the rural parts of the world I'm sure that's true. Google Maps seems to be better or at least more consistent (and better at routing with real-time information obviously) for the things that Google cares about. Which doesn't include rural areas, hiking trails, etc.
swiley 8y ago
I only use google maps because the goecoding is a lot and I think the routing is done on their computers which makes it a lot faster. Plus finding good OSM apps is hard.
- ethelward 8y ago
  Maps.me, Karta, Osmand.
  - ReverseCold 8y ago
    > Karta Contains ads, in app purchases Hmm...
    - jstandard 8y ago
      What are your objections to those?
    - matthewowen 8y ago
      I have bad news for you about Google products.
  - yoz-y 8y ago
    I really like Maps.me, however the main issue for using OSM is search. It is quite slow and it does not handle all address formats well. I think OSM is a great data source and I always try to contribute at least the business opening hours but it deserves a better application layer on top of it.
skate22 8y ago
Google's business location coverage in suburban areas is far better than OSM from my XP...by a longshot
usuallymatt 8y ago
Mileage varies depending on where you live. I really like the idea of OSM and have tried it on and off for years but it's abysmal for my city. Post code searches come up wrong and my own home address places the map marker the other side of town from my house. Google Maps has been accurate every time I've used it and I've never had any issues. I can't really trust OSM as an accurate source over Google Maps right now but hopefully it improves as time goes on. I really hope it does. I have tried to use open source solutions a lot in my life but I can't with Maps right now.
- Moru 8y ago
  It's open for you to make the changes nessessary. It's only as good as it's editors and there isn't that many that can dedicate a lot of time to mapping. Thank you all that does!
  - femto 8y ago
    This actually does work. I went though a phase of keen mapping and entered detailed information for my local area, especially for things off road. (Triggered by OSM becoming rubbish when the license changed most of the Australian data was removed.) Consequently for the last 6 years OSM is my fist stop for anything to do with my local area. Hopefully others have seen a benefit too. It's always interesting to see where my OSM data pops up, as I mapped a number of obscure cliff lines in in accessible bush, which are quite a distinctive feature. For example, participating in rogaining or orienteering events and realising that I drew the base map 4 years before!
    - voltagex_ 8y ago
      Wait, what happened to Australian data?
      - voltagex_ 8y ago
        For anyone else wondering: https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/WikiProject_Australia#OIder_projects https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/WikiProject_Australia#OI... and https://wiki.osmfoundation.org/wiki/Licence/Historic/We_Are_Changing_The_License https://wiki.osmfoundation.org/wiki/Licence/Historic/We_Are_...
fireattack 8y ago
My problem with OSM, besides the lack of satellite layer, is that it doesn't seem to offer any (detailed) info of landmarks - just the name, sometimes not even that: for example, some churches are just marked with a cross.
- orblivion 8y ago
  If you want to try something really fun, install OSMAnd and download the Wikipedia maps, and then enable them I think in the "layers" option. I don't even think that's OSM data, I think it's geocoded Wikipedia articles. They show up on your map, and you can click on them and read them all offline.
  - orblivion 8y ago
    I was way wrong. It's under "Configure map" and then "POI Overlay...".
- Freak_NL 8y ago
  If a church has its own Wikipedia lemma you can tag it. Most cathedrals have those. An image can be linked to, and of course the church website can be tagged as well. For example: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/4532022 But in areas with fewer mappers tagging will be limited: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/390264609 It all depends on the local mappers adding and validating data.
  - fireattack 8y ago
    How do you even get to this info page? I mean the "way" one. I tried to click/double-click the text "Kölner Dom" (which is how it works on GMaps) on https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=19/50.94132/6.95838 https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=19/50.94132/6.95838 but it doesn't show anything.
    - Freak_NL 8y ago
      On https://www.openstreetmap.org https://www.openstreetmap.org you mean? By using the 'query features' tool on the right (the pointer with the question mark), and then picking the object you want from the list of objects in that area. Other viewers of OSM data (like smartphone apps) can have different (sometimes easier) means of accessing that data. OSM is a database intended for use with many clients; https://www.openstreetmap.org https://www.openstreetmap.org is just one.
agentdrtran 8y ago
Google Maps beats OSM with absolutely no content in regards to POI data and navigation.
- Avamander 8y ago
  Especially navigation. Google can plan my trip from start to end, perfectly. There's not a single OSM-based thing that comes even close.
  - m_eiman 8y ago
    Galileo works pretty well for me, pathfinding and all. https://galileo-app.com/ https://galileo-app.com/
    - TulliusCicero 8y ago
      The alternatives suggested in this thread are all like: oh, X does A, Y does B, Z does C, etc. But people mostly don't want three or four different mapping apps to cover their use cases. Having it in one app is a better user experience.
    - Avamander 8y ago
      Doesn't have a web user interface, I can't plan a trip from my small phone screen.
orblivion 8y ago
I'm a fan of OSM. Where I am now (New Hampshire), Google beats the heck out of OSM if I'm searching for establishments. (It's okay though, I'm happy to work toward changing that.)
toomanybeersies 8y ago
In my limited experience with trying to use OSM for geocoding using Nominatim, it didn't work very well for New Zealand locations at all. It would generally map the GPS coordinates as being in the centre of the block, rather than the actual address.
freddie_mercury 8y ago
Just another reply saying "OSM is completely useless where I live". If I enter my street address into Google Maps, it shows my house. If I enter it into OSM it says "No results found" and can't even figure out what country or city I am in.
- kqr 8y ago
  At least you were given the chance of improving it. You declined to do so, but that's your decision. In a similar situation with Google Maps, you wouldn't even have been given the opportunity.
  - halflings 8y ago
    You can add missing places (including private property) to Google Maps, but I've never had an issue where I needed to do that.
    - Mtntk 8y ago
      Because everyone implicitly forced for improving the maps via a bullsh*t named captcha.
  - baddox 8y ago
    That’s not an extremely compelling argument. I could host a web-based persistent infinite bitmap canvas where anyone can draw anything they want, and that would still be a much worse map than Google Maps despite the fact that the friction to contribute is as low as it could be.
  - TulliusCicero 8y ago
    > You declined to do so, but that's your decision. This kind of patronizing attitude is unnecessary and silly. The vast majority of users of any software product are only interested in being just that: users. And that's totally okay. No need for passive-aggressive shaming.
    - 8y ago
Semaphor 8y ago
As others said, it depends. Here in my city (Lübeck) in Germany, OSM runs circles around GM and then leisurely sprints towards the goal. When I was in South Africa (Pretoria) OSM was so out of date that it was unusable, and that's without information there that's always been wrong.
- ArekDymalski 8y ago
  For anyone interested in improvement of OSM data, I'd like to recommend the StreetComplete android app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.westnordost.streetcomplete https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.westnordost... While contributing you almost feel like playing a game :)
  - Semaphor 8y ago
    Yeah, I used it for a while (lived there for half a year), but the base data was just too wrong for it to be much fun.
collyw 8y ago
What's a good phone app to use it with on Andorid? (As I understand it, Open Steet Map is the data).
- jakecopp 8y ago
  OsmAnd! It can download vector maps for countries at a time so you can navigate offline. It's a bit janky sometimes but hey. CityMapper uses OpenStreetMap data for the cycle and walking route planning (even though the GUI is Google Maps). Best cycling directions you can get, full stop. The algorithm is by CycleStreets, a UK academic start-up out of a university. Maps.me is more user friendly than OsmAnd and feels more like Google Maps, but needs internet and just feels a bit strange to me. Ad supported but you can turn the ads off in the settings.
- stolsvik 8y ago
  And for iPhone?

BrandoElFollito 8y ago

I once reported an issue with a stadium in my city. I bike in front of it twice a day. The issue was that it was licated on the wrong side of the road. They said that they checked and it is ok. I asked them how they did this because, well, I actually see the place twice a day. They said that they have ways to check (or smthg like that). I then sent M their own stree view link and screenshot. Not good enough. So I have up, I do not need the gps to bike there twice a day. Two years later, suddenly it was approved. All my corrections are now approved automatically (within an hour or so) so they may have improved. I also told them to check on OSM where I also updated some information about the surroundings :)

ucaetano 8y ago

> Second best? At least in my experience, OSM data is leaps and bounds better than Google Maps in every way possible, and it has been that way for a couple years now. I'm sure that, for whatever product in the world, you can find a subset of people in the world who will swear that such product is, in they experience, the best in the world.

nickysielicki 8y ago
Mapping is not a subjective topic, though. I'm saying that OSM data is objectively better for the rural parts of the world I've been to.
- lwansbrough 8y ago
  An interesting benefit of Google Maps which (I don’t think?) is available in OSM: different maps for countries with boundary disputes. Google is basically the de facto map, even as far as many governments are concerned, and so showing localized maps of disputed areas may actually be saving lives.
  - maxerickson 8y ago
    Osm tracks disputed borders. A vector tile based view could show differences based on location. The tiles served from osm.org don't.
  - rmc 8y ago
    Yes, OSM.org shows one map for everyone. But you can take the OSM database, and make your own map to show whatever you want. For example, the Indian OSM community have an OSM map, which shows the borders of India as per Indian law (w.r.t. Kashmir) https://openstreetmap.in/#5/22.150/79.081 https://openstreetmap.in/#5/22.150/79.081 vs https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=5/22.167/79.102 https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=5/22.167/79.102
- ghaff 8y ago
  >for the rural parts of the world I'm sure that's true. Google Maps seems to be better or at least more consistent (and better at routing with real-time information obviously) for the things that Google cares about. Which doesn't include rural areas, hiking trails, etc.

swiley 8y ago

I only use google maps because the goecoding is a lot and I think the routing is done on their computers which makes it a lot faster. Plus finding good OSM apps is hard.

ethelward 8y ago
Maps.me, Karta, Osmand.
- ReverseCold 8y ago
  > Karta Contains ads, in app purchases Hmm...
  - jstandard 8y ago
    What are your objections to those?
  - matthewowen 8y ago
    I have bad news for you about Google products.
- yoz-y 8y ago
  I really like Maps.me, however the main issue for using OSM is search. It is quite slow and it does not handle all address formats well. I think OSM is a great data source and I always try to contribute at least the business opening hours but it deserves a better application layer on top of it.

skate22 8y ago

Google's business location coverage in suburban areas is far better than OSM from my XP...by a longshot

usuallymatt 8y ago

Mileage varies depending on where you live. I really like the idea of OSM and have tried it on and off for years but it's abysmal for my city. Post code searches come up wrong and my own home address places the map marker the other side of town from my house. Google Maps has been accurate every time I've used it and I've never had any issues. I can't really trust OSM as an accurate source over Google Maps right now but hopefully it improves as time goes on. I really hope it does. I have tried to use open source solutions a lot in my life but I can't with Maps right now.

Moru 8y ago
It's open for you to make the changes nessessary. It's only as good as it's editors and there isn't that many that can dedicate a lot of time to mapping. Thank you all that does!
- femto 8y ago
  This actually does work. I went though a phase of keen mapping and entered detailed information for my local area, especially for things off road. (Triggered by OSM becoming rubbish when the license changed most of the Australian data was removed.) Consequently for the last 6 years OSM is my fist stop for anything to do with my local area. Hopefully others have seen a benefit too. It's always interesting to see where my OSM data pops up, as I mapped a number of obscure cliff lines in in accessible bush, which are quite a distinctive feature. For example, participating in rogaining or orienteering events and realising that I drew the base map 4 years before!
  - voltagex_ 8y ago
    Wait, what happened to Australian data?
    - voltagex_ 8y ago
      For anyone else wondering: https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/WikiProject_Australia#OIder_projects https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/WikiProject_Australia#OI... and https://wiki.osmfoundation.org/wiki/Licence/Historic/We_Are_Changing_The_License https://wiki.osmfoundation.org/wiki/Licence/Historic/We_Are_...

fireattack 8y ago

My problem with OSM, besides the lack of satellite layer, is that it doesn't seem to offer any (detailed) info of landmarks - just the name, sometimes not even that: for example, some churches are just marked with a cross.

orblivion 8y ago
If you want to try something really fun, install OSMAnd and download the Wikipedia maps, and then enable them I think in the "layers" option. I don't even think that's OSM data, I think it's geocoded Wikipedia articles. They show up on your map, and you can click on them and read them all offline.
- orblivion 8y ago
  I was way wrong. It's under "Configure map" and then "POI Overlay...".
Freak_NL 8y ago
If a church has its own Wikipedia lemma you can tag it. Most cathedrals have those. An image can be linked to, and of course the church website can be tagged as well. For example: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/4532022 But in areas with fewer mappers tagging will be limited: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/390264609 It all depends on the local mappers adding and validating data.
- fireattack 8y ago
  How do you even get to this info page? I mean the "way" one. I tried to click/double-click the text "Kölner Dom" (which is how it works on GMaps) on https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=19/50.94132/6.95838 https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=19/50.94132/6.95838 but it doesn't show anything.
  - Freak_NL 8y ago
    On https://www.openstreetmap.org https://www.openstreetmap.org you mean? By using the 'query features' tool on the right (the pointer with the question mark), and then picking the object you want from the list of objects in that area. Other viewers of OSM data (like smartphone apps) can have different (sometimes easier) means of accessing that data. OSM is a database intended for use with many clients; https://www.openstreetmap.org https://www.openstreetmap.org is just one.

agentdrtran 8y ago

Google Maps beats OSM with absolutely no content in regards to POI data and navigation.

Avamander 8y ago
Especially navigation. Google can plan my trip from start to end, perfectly. There's not a single OSM-based thing that comes even close.
- m_eiman 8y ago
  Galileo works pretty well for me, pathfinding and all. https://galileo-app.com/ https://galileo-app.com/
  - TulliusCicero 8y ago
    The alternatives suggested in this thread are all like: oh, X does A, Y does B, Z does C, etc. But people mostly don't want three or four different mapping apps to cover their use cases. Having it in one app is a better user experience.
  - Avamander 8y ago
    Doesn't have a web user interface, I can't plan a trip from my small phone screen.

orblivion 8y ago

I'm a fan of OSM. Where I am now (New Hampshire), Google beats the heck out of OSM if I'm searching for establishments. (It's okay though, I'm happy to work toward changing that.)

toomanybeersies 8y ago

In my limited experience with trying to use OSM for geocoding using Nominatim, it didn't work very well for New Zealand locations at all. It would generally map the GPS coordinates as being in the centre of the block, rather than the actual address.

freddie_mercury 8y ago

Just another reply saying "OSM is completely useless where I live". If I enter my street address into Google Maps, it shows my house. If I enter it into OSM it says "No results found" and can't even figure out what country or city I am in.

kqr 8y ago
At least you were given the chance of improving it. You declined to do so, but that's your decision. In a similar situation with Google Maps, you wouldn't even have been given the opportunity.
- halflings 8y ago
  You can add missing places (including private property) to Google Maps, but I've never had an issue where I needed to do that.
  - Mtntk 8y ago
    Because everyone implicitly forced for improving the maps via a bullsh*t named captcha.
- baddox 8y ago
  That’s not an extremely compelling argument. I could host a web-based persistent infinite bitmap canvas where anyone can draw anything they want, and that would still be a much worse map than Google Maps despite the fact that the friction to contribute is as low as it could be.
- TulliusCicero 8y ago
  > You declined to do so, but that's your decision. This kind of patronizing attitude is unnecessary and silly. The vast majority of users of any software product are only interested in being just that: users. And that's totally okay. No need for passive-aggressive shaming.
  - 8y ago

Semaphor 8y ago

As others said, it depends. Here in my city (Lübeck) in Germany, OSM runs circles around GM and then leisurely sprints towards the goal. When I was in South Africa (Pretoria) OSM was so out of date that it was unusable, and that's without information there that's always been wrong.

ArekDymalski 8y ago
For anyone interested in improvement of OSM data, I'd like to recommend the StreetComplete android app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.westnordost.streetcomplete https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.westnordost... While contributing you almost feel like playing a game :)
- Semaphor 8y ago
  Yeah, I used it for a while (lived there for half a year), but the base data was just too wrong for it to be much fun.

collyw 8y ago

What's a good phone app to use it with on Andorid? (As I understand it, Open Steet Map is the data).

jakecopp 8y ago
OsmAnd! It can download vector maps for countries at a time so you can navigate offline. It's a bit janky sometimes but hey. CityMapper uses OpenStreetMap data for the cycle and walking route planning (even though the GUI is Google Maps). Best cycling directions you can get, full stop. The algorithm is by CycleStreets, a UK academic start-up out of a university. Maps.me is more user friendly than OsmAnd and feels more like Google Maps, but needs internet and just feels a bit strange to me. Ad supported but you can turn the ads off in the settings.
stolsvik 8y ago
And for iPhone?