Organic Maps
Estonian open-source offline maps and GPS navigation (Organic Maps OÜ): OpenStreetMap-based hiking, cycling, and driving guidance with no ads or tracking.
Shortlist Organic Maps when you need free, Apache-licensed, offline-first OpenStreetMap navigation with strong privacy defaults and an Estonian operator—especially for hiking, cycling, and no-signal travel. Skip when you need live traffic, mature multi-modal public transport, enterprise certifications/DPA, or white-label map CDN rights; consider HERE WeGo or Mapy.com for commercial stacks, Magic Earth for freemium offline navigation, or komoot for sport-tour communities.
Key capabilities
Download country/region map packages once, then search, plan, and navigate without a live connection. Supports walking, cycling, and car guidance with voice prompts. Ideal for remote travel and roaming control; map updates and first-time downloads still need network access to project servers.
OpenStreetMap-based hiking and cycling routes, walking paths, contour lines, elevation profiles, peaks, and slopes—useful where commercial basemaps under-represent trail detail. Quality depends on local OSM completeness; missing paths need community edits, not a paid editorial team.
In-car display support via CarPlay and Android Auto is listed on the official product page. Apps ship on App Store, Google Play, Huawei AppGallery, F-Droid, Accrescent, and GitHub releases—important for MDM or store-policy constraints.
Import and export bookmarks and tracks in KML/KMZ, GPX, and GeoJSON so field teams can move routes between Organic Maps and other GIS or outdoor tools without proprietary lock-in.
After signing into an OSM account in settings, users can add places or fix POI details (name, hours, website) from the device. Limited to POIs—not roads or complex geometry—so advanced mapping still needs iD/JOSM or other OSM editors.
Official privacy policy claims no tracking, ads, or data collection. Exodus Privacy’s public static analysis of the Google Play build reported zero known tracker signatures (latest report sampled in research). This is not a substitute for a formal security audit or organisational threat model.
Best fit when
- Hikers, cyclists, and travellers who must navigate without mobile data after pre-downloading regions
- Privacy-conscious users who want a tracker-free client verified by Exodus/TrackerControl-style scans
- Teams recommending a Google Maps alternative for BYOD travel with an EU legal entity (Organic Maps OÜ)
- OSM contributors who want simple on-device POI editing that uploads to OpenStreetMap
- Organisations that prefer F-Droid or sideload channels alongside major app stores
Poor fit when
- Requirements for live traffic, dense commercial POI graphs, or full multi-modal public-transport planning
- Procurement that mandates public ISO 27001/SOC 2, a signed B2B DPA, or a complete subprocessor register before shortlist
- White-label or OEM embedding of official .mwm packages without a written license from Organic Maps
- Fleet/commercial navigation needing SLA, telematics integration, or paid enterprise support contracts
Consider instead when
When: You need commercial map stack offline multi-modal navigation under a Dutch controller with published cloud subprocessors
Consider: HERE WeGo
HERE WeGo is freemium consumer on HERE data; different ownership and AWS/Azure exposure
When: You want Czech-operated outdoor layers, freemium offline packs, and a map REST API
Consider: Mapy.com
Mapy (Seznam) is not OSS; stronger CZ editorial cartography and API product
When: You want a commercial freemium offline navigator from a Dutch map-engine company
Consider: Magic Earth
Magic Earth / Magic Lane; compare store data-safety disclosures and licensing
When: You primarily need sport-specific tour planning and outdoor community features
Consider: komoot
komoot is outdoor-community first, not a general offline OSM navigator
When: You need maximum global POI density, live traffic, and default OS integration
Consider: Google Maps
US Big Tech default; opposite privacy and offline posture
- Independent security / no-logs audit·Partial
- ISO 27001·Not found
- SOC 2 / SOC 3·Not found
- GDPR / EU data protection·Partial
- +3
Considerations & known limitations
- MediumDonation-funded sustainability
Free forever depends on donations and grants; project materials have historically stressed that voluntary funding may not fully cover long-term development. Plan for possible slower feature velocity or community forks.
- MediumIncomplete public hosting inventory
Sponsors (Mythic Beasts, 44+) are named, but there is no enterprise subprocessor register. Cloudflare and Firebase appear in the distribution path. High-assurance buyers must ask legal@organicmaps.app for a current infrastructure list.
- MediumOSM completeness varies by region
Routing and POI quality track OpenStreetMap coverage. Rural or poorly mapped areas may lack roads, turn restrictions, or businesses that commercial maps show.
- MediumLimited live traffic and public transport
Not a substitute for Google/HERE live traffic or mature door-to-door PT. Bus-stop details improved in 2025; full multi-modal PT remains a common request.
- LowMap package redistribution constraints
Apache covers source; .mwm binaries require attribution and restrict white-label use without permission—relevant for embedders, not typical end users.
- LowCommunity governance and forks
A small founder board governs the project. 2025 community discussions and the CoMaps fork illustrate OSS governance risk; verify active maintainership before long-term standardisation.
Open questions for due diligence
- Will Organic Maps OÜ sign a B2B DPA and provide a current subprocessor/hosting inventory for organisational recommendations?
- What is the full list of map CDN endpoints, backup hosts, and analytics/CDN providers beyond Mythic Beasts, 44+, Cloudflare, and Firebase beta?
- Is there any roadmap for independent security audit publication or formal certifications?
- What contractual path exists for white-label or high-volume redistribution of .mwm packages?
- How should organisations treat CoMaps vs Organic Maps when both appear in app stores for the same use case?
Häufig gestellte Fragen
Yes for core map view, offline search on downloaded regions, and turn-by-turn navigation: the product is designed so 100% of those features work without an active internet connection once the relevant map files are installed. You still need network access to download or update map packages, contribute OSM edits, or use optional online channels (stores, beta distribution). The privacy policy states the app does not phone home for tracking.
Application source code is under Apache License 2.0. Compiled binary map files (.mwm and related data) are under the separate Organic Maps Binary Data License: they incorporate OSM and other open datasets as produced works, require visible attribution to Organic Maps and OpenStreetMap, and prohibit white-label redistribution without written permission. Embedding official map packages in another commercial product needs a legal review and contact with legal@organicmaps.app.
The legal entity is Organic Maps OÜ (Estonia, registry code 16225385, Tallinn address on the e-Business Register). Map download capacity is publicly sponsored in part by Mythic Beasts (UK) with VPS capacity described across London and Amsterdam, plus a Southeast Asia dedicated server from 44+ Technologies. The public website has been observed behind Cloudflare. There is no full enterprise-style public subprocessor register—confirm infrastructure for high-assurance procurement.
Many organisations can recommend it for personal/BYOD offline travel because it is free, open source, and privacy-oriented. It is not packaged as enterprise SaaS: no public ISO/SOC certificate set, no self-serve DPA, donation-funded support, and commercial white-label use of map binaries requires permission. For fleets, SLA navigation, or embeddable SDKs, evaluate commercial map platforms (or request a custom arrangement via legal@organicmaps.app) instead of assuming consumer-app terms cover corporate deployment.
Organic Maps is offline OSM-centric. It does not compete with Google Maps-class live traffic congestion products. Public transport support is partial (e.g. metro maps and stop-level details such as bus numbers highlighted in 2025 updates); full multi-modal PT journey planning is a frequently requested gap, not a completed core feature. Choose HERE WeGo, Mapy.com, or Google Maps when live traffic/PT maturity is mandatory.
The controller is an Estonian OÜ with no known US parent. Typical offline navigation keeps location processing on the device. Residual exposure comes from map download infrastructure, Cloudflare on the website, optional Firebase Android beta distribution, and app-store channels—not from an ads SDK inside the client. EuropeanStack rates indicative CLOUD Act exposure as medium given US-group CDN/beta tooling and incomplete public hosting inventory—not as “zero risk.” Not legal advice.