OpenStreetMap
Collaborative, openly licensed world map data that anyone can edit and use.
HN commenters value it as free, openly licensed map data for building custom maps and apps,1234 and say fixing the map yourself is quick and approachable.5678 The most common caveat is that points-of-interest data is often incomplete or out of date,91011 and some found its directions and address search unreliable.1213
Why people recommend it
Easy contributing · 3
Commenters say editing is straightforward, with a beginner-friendly web editor and fixes that show up in apps.
“Would highly recommend the web editor”
“the web editor is probably the most beginner-friendly editor.”
Show 1 more
“because it was OSM based, I was able to discover the problem, fix it, and then when the app updated their data, the issue went away.”
Free open data · 3
Openly licensed data lets people build custom maps and projects without paying for proprietary sources.
“There were no other free options that I could find to accomplish this goal.”
“My base layer is OSM, which is licensed for exactly this stuff (and attributed).”
Show 1 more
“we used Protomaps, OpenStreetMap, MapLibre and other free tools to craft a stylized version”
Offline navigation · 3
Offline vector maps help with navigation and long hikes where reception is spotty.
“Openstreetmap with offline vector maps for navigation”
“for long walks/hikes, OSM is excellent.”
Show 1 more
“OpenStreetMap is actually what the offline maps use under the hood already.”
Feature accuracy · 1
One commenter says its feature accuracy is often far ahead of proprietary maps.
“OSM is a truly incredible resource.”
Caveats and dissent
Stale POI data · 3
Points-of-interest data is often incomplete or out of date unless locals maintain it.
“OSM is best used as a background map layer for your own custom applications”
“OSM is a truly incredible resource.”
Show 1 more
“I'll edit OSM in these cases.”
Unreliable routing · 2
Some users hit bad directions, missing traffic data, or wrong address search results.
“the lack of traffic data and the fact that it gave me bad directions made it untenable”
“Sticking to OSM has helped me get lost in new and interesting ways”
Not Google Maps · 1
One commenter says it works best as a background layer for custom apps rather than as a Google Maps replacement.
“OSM is best used as a background map layer for your own custom applications”
Complex edits · 1
Editing relations, ways and nodes can feel intimidating compared with simple attribute fixes.
“I love OSM, consume their data in my small cycling project and regularly contribute smaller fixes.”
Often compared with
Who recommends it in their own words
Threads where it came up
- State of the Map 2026 2 mentions
- Why Book Corners won't sync contributions back to OpenStreetMap 2 mentions
- Cartographers of North Korea (2019) 1 mention
- Make your first edit to OpenStreetMap 1 mention
- How I advertise malicious software on Google Ads 1 mention
- Early 2000s were peak of humanity 1 mention
Data: openstreetmap.json. Quotes are verbatim; the verdict and theme labels are written by a model from these comments, and every clause links to its sources.
All comments 22
“I'm fascinated to read about the motivations of people who do some much great work in places like OpenStreetMap and Wikipedia”
“Would highly recommend the web editor”
“editing OpenStreetMap is very straightforward*, and with that, you're actually contributing to an open data set that everyone is allowed to use”
“Openstreetmap with offline vector maps for navigation”
“I use and participate in openstreetmap.”
“Thank you OSM developers too - big fan and user!”
“There were no other free options that I could find to accomplish this goal.”
“for long walks/hikes, OSM is excellent.”
“Sticking to OSM has helped me get lost in new and interesting ways”
“I'll edit OSM in these cases.”
“OSM is best used as a background map layer for your own custom applications”
“My base layer is OSM, which is licensed for exactly this stuff (and attributed).”
“OSM is a truly incredible resource.”
“I use OSM for my modest project SurpriseDateSpot”
“the web editor is probably the most beginner-friendly editor.”
“because it was OSM based, I was able to discover the problem, fix it, and then when the app updated their data, the issue went away.”
“OpenStreetMap is the obvious source, but you have to fight it.”
“I love OSM, consume their data in my small cycling project and regularly contribute smaller fixes.”
“the lack of traffic data and the fact that it gave me bad directions made it untenable”
“OpenStreetMap is actually what the offline maps use under the hood already.”
“So I use Apple Maps, Mapbox, OpenStreetMap, and Google Maps”
“we used Protomaps, OpenStreetMap, MapLibre and other free tools to craft a stylized version”