Software Alternatives & Reviews

OpenStreetMap VS Waze

Compare OpenStreetMap VS Waze and see what are their differences

OpenStreetMap logo OpenStreetMap

OpenStreetMap is a map of the world, created by people like you and free to use under an open license.

Waze logo Waze

Waze is the world's largest community-based traffic and navigation app. Join other drivers in your area who share real-time traffic and road info, saving everyone time and gas money on their daily commute.
  • OpenStreetMap Cover Photo
    Cover Photo //
    2024-01-08
  • Waze
    Image date //
    2024-01-08

OpenStreetMap videos

OpenStreetMap: The map that saves lives | CNBC International

More videos:

  • Review - Switching away from Google Maps : Here Maps, Bing Maps, OpenStreetMap...
  • Review - OpenStreetMap Download / Installation On Garmin Edge 520 GPS Device. Bike Computer

Waze videos

5 reasons you'll use Waze over Google Maps

More videos:

  • Review - Waze App Review | 3 Reason why to use Waze
  • Review - Waze App Review(In Depth)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to OpenStreetMap and Waze)
Maps
54 54%
46% 46
Web Mapping
55 55%
45% 45
Driving Navigation
36 36%
64% 64
Mapping And GIS
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare OpenStreetMap and Waze

OpenStreetMap Reviews

7 Alternatives to Google Maps for Navigation
OpenStreetMap (OSM) is a free, open-source, community-driven mapping and navigation app. OSM was created in 2005. It has grown to include a global mapping community with activists and thousands of volunteers.
18 Top Google Places API Alternatives for Points of Interest Data in 2022
OpenStreetMap offers a free, open-source map of the world with which you can access information about businesses, transport and points of interest. Planet OSM is a feature of OpenStreetMap that lets you extract millions of points of interest for free.
Source: traveltime.com
Top 15 Google Maps Alternatives (2024 Edition)
Maps.me is an open-source mobile-only service and an excellent alternative to Google Maps. It uses the OpenStreetMap database and helps you download maps to use them offline. Therefore, you can save a lot on your mobile data if you use this service.
9 Google Maps Alternatives to Use in 2022
OpenStreetMap is a simple web mapping tool stuffed with all the features you would expect with any web mapping service. The vivid maps explain different layers, help in accurate route planning, and provide cycling and walking routes.
Source: geekflare.com
Top 5 Open-Source Google Maps Alternatives in 2022
Last but not least, Qwant Map is one of those Google Maps alternatives that is open source and free. Just like Google Maps, this interactive maps software offers rich search capabilities. In addition, you can search for places such as restaurants, hotels, markets, and more. Moreover, it lets you search for nearby places by tracking your location. Qwant Map is based on...

Waze Reviews

7 Alternatives to Google Maps for Navigation
Actually, Google now owns Waze. But it’s still an alternative! The key to Waze is that it’s a crowdsourcing app. Users can report accidents, traffic jams, speed traps, and other hazards. Then, their reports are shared with other drivers in the area.
Going Beyond: The Best Alternatives to Google Maps in 2024
This allows you to avoid traffic jams and get to your destination faster. In addition, Waze offers features such as speed camera alerts and gas stations with the lowest prices, making it a handy app for drivers. Due to its considerable popularity, Waze was purchased by Google in 2013. However, it is still a standalone app, not part of Google Maps.
Source: stratoflow.com
Top 15 Google Maps Alternatives (2024 Edition)
Waze is another popular free Google Maps alternative. You will get the best directions to work from Waze, as it relies on crowdsourcing to warn you about traffic, police, and hazards.
9 Google Maps Alternatives to Use in 2022
Waze is a crowd-funded map service for desktop, Android, and iOS devices. The intuitive and highly interactive system also allows you to alert your fellow drivers about the traffic changes, speed cams, congestion, and hazards on the road. Due to its immense popularity, Wave was purchased by Google in 2013 and still exists as a stand-alone application and not a part of Google...
Source: geekflare.com
Google maps is a paid service. What are the alternatives?
Google acquired location and map services called Waze is highly resourceful and easy to use. The company has a resourceful pool of all the relevant information for drivers and people in need of other location-based resources like fuel pumps, travel map, police activity, and traffic patterns. Interestingly, Google has performed a clean merger of Waze into the pre-existing...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, OpenStreetMap seems to be a lot more popular than Waze. While we know about 129 links to OpenStreetMap, we've tracked only 12 mentions of Waze. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

OpenStreetMap mentions (129)

  • Waterway Map
    You can go to https://openstreetmap.org/ , zoom in and enable the map data layer. From there history is accessible. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Bike rack capacity
    Hi! I am working on a project mapping bike racks around my city on OpenStreetMap. One of the attributes that I tag is the rack's capacity, but I haven't come to a conclusion about the capacity of these wave-shaped racks:. Source: 6 months ago
  • Get full name of a admin unit in a admin unit hierarchy like Brooklyn, Kings County, New York, United States of America
    I need the bounding boxes of all adminstrative units in a specific region from the largest (e.g. The state) to the smallest (whatever this is called) including the full name of the district. What I mean by that is what is displayed on openstreetmap.org when I search for e.g. Brooklyn: it will be displayed in the search results as "Brooklyn, Kings County, New York, United States of America" – the names joined from... Source: 6 months ago
  • Protomaps – A free and open source map of the world
    It's OpenStreetMap (ODbL) and Natural Earth (public domain) currently * http://openstreetmap.org * http://naturalearthdata.com. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • Coffee Decor Pikmin
    Pikmin Bloom sources Decor locations from OpenStreetMap, it’s not always 100%, but it’s close enough. Source: 6 months ago
View more

Waze mentions (12)

  • Best app, like, ever?
    Waze (Free) - Would have said Google Maps but Waze helps me get places AND tells me where speed cameras are. Source: 5 months ago
  • Is someone using my API key or am I being stupid?
    Had the exact same thing happen to me, including waze.com as referring domain and same billables. Source: 10 months ago
  • Alexandria to Chantilly
    I would suggest using waze.com from wherever you currently are over the next few days. At the time you expect you would actually leave Alexandria for Chantilly, use waze.com's "Live Map" feature to see the route. It will show you a remarkably accurate estimate of the best route and the time it will take. It will also show you a couple of alternatives. Source: about 1 year ago
  • How is the commute from Ashburn to Arlington?
    If you want to get pretty accurate actual times for your commute, after next Tuesday (when traffic is getting back to normal levels after the holidays), use waze.com AT THE TIME you would commute to view their "live map" of the trip. It will show you a pretty accurate estimate of the time it would take right then. Source: over 1 year ago
  • There is a water main break on Belair Rd
    We are updating Waze with live closures and detours. Source: over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing OpenStreetMap and Waze, you can also consider the following products

Google Maps - Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

HERE WeGo - HERE WeGo - Maps - Routes - Directions - All ways from A to B in one

Mapbox - An open source mapping platform for custom designed maps. Our APIs and SDKs are the building blocks to integrate location into any mobile or web app.

MAPS.ME - Fast, detailed and completely offline maps for mobile devices

Apple Maps - Maps features an all-new design with smart features to make finding and getting to your destination easier than ever.

OsmAnd - Global mobile map viewing and navigation for online and offline OSM maps