ZDNET reviewer switches to CoMaps, an open-source, privacy-first maps app

ZDNET's Elyse Betters Picaro said she has replaced Google Maps with CoMaps, a free, open-source mapping app for Android and iOS that the reviewer described as not tracking users and as using less battery than Google Maps. CoMaps is a fork of Organic Maps, which itself was based on MapsWithMe; the source material notes MapsWithMe was acquired in 2014 by the Maps.ru group and became part of the My.com brand.

The app is community-driven and open source, and the developers say they are not focused on making a profit. Features the reviewer highlighted include offline search and route planning, voice-guided turn-by-turn directions, no identifying data collection or ads, access to offline Wikipedia articles and subway maps, the ability to mark and export locations (KML, KMZ, GPX), and a built-in map editor.

CoMaps requires users to download maps for specific areas, which the article says enables offline use and avoids storing maps for places you don't need; it also includes an outdoor mode for hiking and biking and defaults to kilometers (which can be switched to miles in settings). The app was described as fairly new, arriving on Google Play and the Apple App Store around July 3, and the reviewer said it has become her default map app.

Key Topics

Tech, Comaps, Organic Maps, Mapswithme, Openstreetmap, Google Maps