Maps · United Kingdom (GB)
OpenStreetMap
The free, open map of the world — community-built, no tracking, ODbL licensed.
The switch
Google Maps→OpenStreetMapalso replaces Mapbox
About
Community-built global map database maintained by the OpenStreetMap Foundation (UK). Free to use under ODbL licence. Powers hundreds of apps and services. No user tracking, no ads. The data layer behind most EU mapping alternatives.
Why we recommend it
- Open Database Licence (ODbL) — free for commercial use
- No tracking, no ads, no US data transfer
- Community maintained by millions of contributors
- Powers Mapbox, HERE, Apple Maps, Meta Maps
- Used by EU governments, NGOs, and disaster response
EU vs USA
OpenStreetMap vs Google Maps
Side-by-side on jurisdiction, data residency, and the rules that decide who can actually read your data.
Criteria
🇪🇺 OpenStreetMap
🇺🇸 Google Maps
Headquarters
London, UK (OpenStreetMap Foundation)
Mountain View, CA, USA
Jurisdiction
UK (UK GDPR)
USA (CLOUD Act, FISA 702)
Data location
UK / distributed mirrors
Global, US-controlled
GDPR-native
Yes
No
CLOUD Act / FISA exposed
No
Yes
Ad tracking
No
Yes
End-to-end encryption
No
No
Open source
Yes
No
Ownership
OpenStreetMap Foundation (non-profit)
Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL)
Founded
2004
2005
Compare head-to-head