Organic Maps vs OsmAnd
Organic Maps and OsmAnd are both open-source, offline map apps built on OpenStreetMap, and both keep everything on the device. They differ in temperament. Organic Maps, from Berlin, is fast, light and simple, and entirely free. OsmAnd, from Amsterdam, is the power-user tool with GPX, plugins and configurable rendering. Casual walkers pick Organic Maps; serious outdoor planners pick OsmAnd.
Choose Organic Maps if
you want an offline map that opens instantly, runs well on an older phone, needs no configuration, costs nothing and shows no advertising.
Read the Organic Maps reviewChoose OsmAnd if
you plan and record routes with GPX files, want contour lines, surface types or other rendering styles per activity, and are willing to learn a denser interface.
Read the OsmAnd reviewOrganic Maps and OsmAnd side by side
| Organic Maps | OsmAnd | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Organic Maps | OsmAnd B.V. |
| Headquarters | Berlin, Germany | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Jurisdiction | EU (Germany) | EU (Netherlands) |
| Where the data sits | On your device — no servers involved | On your device |
| Pricing | Free | Free / OsmAnd+ from €8.99 |
| Free tier or trial | Free | Free version |
| Certifications and checks | GDPR | GDPR |
| Source code | Open source (Apache 2.0) | Open source |
| Usually replaces | Google Maps | Google Maps |
| Position in our Maps & Navigation guide | #3 of 12 | #4 of 12 |
Both are listed in our European Maps & Navigation guide. The table is built from the same directory data as those entries; how we check it is described in the editorial process.
Where Organic Maps and OsmAnd differ
Across the four points below, Organic Maps has the edge on 2 points, OsmAnd on 1 point and one is a tie. A count like that is a summary, not a verdict: the point that matters to you may be the one the other product wins.
Depth and configurability
OsmAnd offers GPX import and export, an extensive plugin system, configurable rendering styles for terrain and contours, routing profiles per activity and detailed POI search. Organic Maps supports hiking and cycling routes properly but optimises for simplicity. For a hiker who wants contour lines or a cyclist who wants surface types, OsmAnd does more.
Edge: OsmAnd
Speed and ease of use
Organic Maps is fast and lightweight, with no spinner and no waiting for tiles, and works on older phones. OsmAnd's interface is denser and takes learning, and its initial configuration is more involved than an app you simply open. For someone who wants directions without reading a manual, Organic Maps is the easier of the two.
Edge: Organic Maps
What it costs
Organic Maps is free with no paid tier and no advertising. OsmAnd is free in its base version, with OsmAnd+ from €8.99 unlocking unlimited map downloads and additional features. If you need many regions offline, that distinction in OsmAnd matters, whereas Organic Maps costs nothing at any point and has nothing to unlock.
Edge: Organic Maps
Privacy and jurisdiction
There is nothing to choose here. Both run search, routing and navigation on the device, so no location history is transmitted or stored anywhere. Both are open source, Organic Maps under Apache 2.0, and both are developed inside the EU: Organic Maps from Berlin and OsmAnd B.V. from Amsterdam. Neither offers real-time traffic, for the same reason.
No clear winner on this point.
When neither Organic Maps nor OsmAnd fits
Both leave out live traffic and rich public transport data. Drivers who want premium navigation can look at Sygic, from €13.99 a year, and city commuters comparing bus, train, cycling and walking in real time are better served by Citymapper.
Organic Maps vs OsmAnd: questions
Both draw on OpenStreetMap's detailed footpath data and work fully offline. OsmAnd goes deeper, with GPX import and export, plugins and rendering styles for terrain and contours. Organic Maps is lighter and faster, with hiking and cycling routes included. Planners tend towards OsmAnd, people who just want to walk towards Organic Maps.
Organic Maps is completely free, with no paid tier and no advertising. OsmAnd has a free base version; OsmAnd+ costs from €8.99 and unlocks unlimited map downloads and additional features. Both are open source, and with both the offline maps take up storage on the device.
No. Both run entirely on the device, so searching, routing and navigation happen locally and no query leaves the phone. That means no location history exists anywhere to be sold, subpoenaed or breached. It is privacy by architecture, which is stronger than a policy promise not to profile you.