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Head-to-head · Maps

Mapbox vs OpenStreetMap

Which one to pick in 2026 — comparing 🇺🇸 Mapbox with the European alternative 🇪🇺 OpenStreetMap on the things that actually decide who can read your data.

🇺🇸 Mapboxvs🇪🇺 OpenStreetMap

Verdict

  • Who has stronger privacy guarantees by law?

    OpenStreetMap — GDPR-native and outside the US CLOUD Act / FISA 702 reach.

  • Which one encrypts your data end-to-end by default?

    Neither ships full E2E by default — check the table for nuance.

  • Which one tracks you for ads?

    Neither monetises through ad tracking.

  • Which one is open source?

    OpenStreetMap is open source. Mapbox is proprietary.

Side-by-side

Mapbox vs OpenStreetMap — full comparison

Criteria
🇪🇺 OpenStreetMap
🇺🇸 Mapbox
Headquarters
London, UK (OpenStreetMap Foundation)
San Francisco, CA, USA
Jurisdiction
UK (UK GDPR)
USA (CLOUD Act, FISA 702)
Data location
UK / distributed mirrors
Global, US-controlled (AWS)
GDPR-native
Yes
No
CLOUD Act / FISA exposed
No
Yes
Ad tracking
No
No
End-to-end encryption
No
No
Open source
Yes
No
Ownership
OpenStreetMap Foundation (non-profit)
Mapbox Inc. (private, SoftBank-backed)
Founded
2004
2010

Make the switch

Try OpenStreetMap instead of Mapbox

The free, open map of the world — community-built, no tracking, ODbL licensed.

Visit OpenStreetMap ↗Full OpenStreetMap profile →

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