What about mapbox?
Why Use OpenStreetMap Instead of Google Maps?
21–30 of 215 posts
Re: Why Use OpenStreetMap Instead of Google Maps?
#22" but also made it mandatory to give your credit card number even if you do not go over the free limit !"
Only if you are a new user. Google published a transition document for existing users and it says they don't have to add a card, but then of course your maps stop working for the rest of the month if you go over the $200 free quota.
So current users have it easier, but new users have to add a card.
Re: Why Use OpenStreetMap Instead of Google Maps?
#23I always wondered who actually pays for the bills in OSM? Who pays all the servers, all the traffic, etc...?
With OSM you have to host the map tiles yourself if you add maps to your website, because OSM servers only provide limited traffic hosting via the API.
Re: Why Use OpenStreetMap Instead of Google Maps?
#24Open Street Maps is great as a data source, but the front end client apps for using it are somewhat lacking. On my iPhone, I use Maps.me when I travel to Cuba and Google Maps almost everywhere else. If I was building an app, I'd definitely use OSM and probably Mapbox.
On Android, Osmand works very well.
I've found it rather slow and temperamental, plus their business model of charging for access to map updates basically means that you have to pay them to use corrections you contribute to OSM.
Re: Why Use OpenStreetMap Instead of Google Maps?
#25What about mapbox?
Mapbox consumes OSM.
Re: Why Use OpenStreetMap Instead of Google Maps?
#26And if you can't use OSM, try Here maps. They are easy to download for offline use. Following the suggestion of friends, I have repurposed an old phone as a "travel phone" with maps of the whole world (or at least the parts I can download!) Not perfect, but when I catch a plane, I don't have to worry about local networks. Fun story: recently in Europe, Google Maps stuttered. Now and then, there was a networking issue…
I would say that when it comes to Europe maps, TomTom ones are hands down the best. But thats not weird as majority of their business resolves around Europe.
Re: Why Use OpenStreetMap Instead of Google Maps?
#27And if you can't use OSM, try Here maps. They are easy to download for offline use. Following the suggestion of friends, I have repurposed an old phone as a "travel phone" with maps of the whole world (or at least the parts I can download!) Not perfect, but when I catch a plane, I don't have to worry about local networks. Fun story: recently in Europe, Google Maps stuttered. Now and then, there was a networking issue…
Your anecdote falls into the trap I see often when comparing OSS software vs proprietary. You’ve found a obscure, uncommon use case where OSM works better. However, the opposite needs to be true for adoption. OSM needs to work better for 80% of the use cases, not the other 20.
Re: Why Use OpenStreetMap Instead of Google Maps?
#28I quite like https://maps.openrouteservice.org/ as a UI for OSM that has sensible search and routing. The routing has many different cycling modes, and you can also click the little leaflet icon on the right and switch the view to "OpenCycleMap" to get a more cycling-oriented map view.
Another OSM-based cycle map and routeplanner you might be interested in: https://cycle.travel/map (disclaimer - my site! Western Europe/North America only at present).
Very nice, interestingly it doesn't always come up with quite the same route as openrouteservice does.
Re: Why Use OpenStreetMap Instead of Google Maps?
#29What I would love to see in OpenStreetMaps are translated or transcripted place names. And since place names are extremely political, this should also be mentioned that a place has several names in different languages and cultures.
That exists. This blog post explains how to add Welsh names: http://cardiff.theodi.org/2018/02/23/mapio-eich-milltir-sgwa...
There's quite some resistance to adding translations and transcriptions, as they aren't really names as such.
An example would be small towns in the US. They probably don't have a Welsh name, even if there happens to be a direct translation into Welsh.
Re: Why Use OpenStreetMap Instead of Google Maps?
#30Earlier quoted context omitted.
On Android, Osmand works very well.
I've found it rather slow and temperamental, plus their business model of charging for access to map updates basically means that you have to pay them to use corrections you contribute to OSM.
> plus their business model of charging for access to map updates
Not sure what you are talking about, but I am not prompted to pay for updates. In fact, I'm installing some updates and new maps right now. Even the 'live' feature works. I am using the f-droid version of the app though, so maybe that's the difference?