OpenStreetMap
OpenStreetMap is a map of the world, created by people like you and free to use under an open licence.
Best Google Maps Alternatives in 2026
4 private alternatives, vetted against our public criteria.
Google Maps is a running diary of where you go, when, and how long you stay, tied straight to your account. The maps below navigate just as well without logging where you sleep, work, and spend your weekends.
Organic Maps
Organic Maps is an Android & iOS offline maps app for travelers, tourists, hikers, and cyclists based on top of crowd-sourced OpenStreetMap data and curated with love by…
OsmAnd
Global mobile map viewing and navigation for online and offline OpenStreetMap.
CoMaps
Community-led offline maps and navigation based on OpenStreetMap, forked from Organic Maps with affiliate tracking and Firebase removed.
Why settings won’t fix Google Maps. Pausing location history hides the diary from yourself, not from the platform you are still routing every trip through. The product is built to know where you are, so trimming a setting does not change the dependence. Privacy means an app that does not need an account or a constant connection to get you there.
What actually matters in a maps app. Offline maps you can use with no signal, routing that happens on your device, no account requirement, and open map data so the maps stay free and community-maintained. On-device routing is the core of it: the app guides you without reporting your position to anyone.
How to switch. Download offline maps for the areas you use most, then export your saved places from Google Takeout and import your favourites so you do not lose your pins. Keep Google Maps installed for live traffic or transit on the rare trip that needs it, and let the private app handle everyday navigation where the tracking would otherwise pile up.
Frequently asked
- Do I still get turn-by-turn navigation?
- Yes. These apps offer voice-guided navigation for driving, cycling, and walking, and most calculate the route on your device rather than sending your location to a server with every move.
- Is there live traffic and transit?
- Live traffic and detailed transit are where the open options are thinner, since those rely on mass real-time data. Some apps include them; others trade them away for not tracking you. It is the main thing to weigh up.
- Do offline maps work when I travel?
- Yes, and that is a real strength. Download the regions you need over wifi and navigation keeps working with no signal and no roaming data, which is often better than Google Maps abroad.