6 Best European Alternatives to Google Maps (2026), Compared

The best European alternative to Google Maps is Mapy.com (Czech Republic): it is free, has a full web map plus apps, covers the whole world, and adds offline maps, public transport and the best hiking and cycling planner of any map app. If you mainly drive or take public transport across many countries, pick HERE WeGo from the Netherlands – free, with offline maps and transit routing in more than 1,900 cities.

I wrote this ranking for people who use Google Maps every day – to find places, plan a route, check public transport or navigate in the car – but no longer want to hand their location to Google LLC, a US company. Google Maps is free because it is part of Google's advertising business: Google's own policy page says ads can be based on your device location, your IP address, your past activity and your saved home and work addresses, and that Timeline data may help advertisers estimate how often ads lead to store visits. The map and navigation apps below come from companies in the EU. Some are funded by subscriptions, some by donations, and two of them by advertising too, so I say plainly what each one does with your data. I compared eight map and navigation apps and kept six. For each one you get who is behind it, what it costs, what users say and what you lose compared with Google Maps.

What are the best European alternatives to Google Maps?

If you only have a minute: these are the European map apps I would switch to from Google Maps, in order. Each one is reviewed in detail below.

1. Mapy.com (Czech Republic) – web map and apps with offline maps, transit and outdoor routes. Best for most people leaving Google Maps.
2. HERE WeGo (Netherlands) – free driving, walking and transit directions with offline maps. Best for travel and public transport.
3. Magic Earth (Netherlands) – car navigation with traffic and no tracking, Premium €14.99 a year. Best privacy-friendly car navigation.
4. TomTom (Netherlands) – a free app with live traffic and speed camera alerts. Best for drivers who want free traffic info.
5. Organic Maps (Estonia) – free, open source, fully offline, no ads and no tracking. Best for privacy.
6. OsmAnd (Netherlands) – the most powerful offline map app for hiking, cycling and tinkering. Best for outdoor power users.

Google Maps alternatives compared

Prices from public pricing pages. Affiliate links and sponsored placements are labelled.

"Data hosted in" shows where each app's main website is served from (DNS and ASN lookup, 25 Oct 2026). Map downloads and routing servers can sit elsewhere.

How I compared the Google Maps alternatives

I looked at eight map and navigation apps from European companies and kept six. The order is driven by how much of Google Maps you keep after switching – a web map, search for places, public transport, live traffic and car navigation – then by privacy, then by price. Concretely, I weighed five things:

• Jurisdiction and ownership – where the company is registered, who owns it and where its website runs.
• Feature match with Google Maps – web version, place search, driving, walking, cycling and transit directions, live traffic, offline maps, CarPlay and Android Auto.
• Privacy – whether you need an account, whether the app shows ads or tracks you, and what the App Store privacy labels say.
• Price – what is free and what the paid tier costs per year.
• What users say – ratings on Trustpilot and the App Store, read together with the number of reviews.

I left out CoMaps, a privacy-friendly fork of Organic Maps started by former contributors in 2025: it is a good app, but it is run by a community of contributors with funds held on Open Collective, and I found no European company behind it. I also left out Qwant Maps: the address qwant.com/maps no longer shows a map service, and Qwant's own pages list search, Junior and its apps, but no maps. TomTom's paid GO app is now sold on the iPhone as a truck navigation app, so I reviewed TomTom's free app instead. All data comes from the companies' own websites, pricing, privacy and help pages, the App Store and Trustpilot, checked on 25 October 2026.

The best European alternatives to Google Maps, reviewed

Every map app below gets the same treatment: who is behind it, what users say, what it replaces from Google Maps and what it does not, its pros and cons, and my opinion on who should switch to it.

1. Mapy.com

The closest European match for Google Maps – a full web map and apps, offline maps, transit and the best outdoor planner

Mapy.com (formerly Mapy.cz) is made by Seznam.cz, a.s., the Prague company behind the Czech search engine Seznam, which has been online since 1996. According to Seznam's own announcement, its founder Ivo Lukačovič is the majority owner through his holding company Helifreak, and Seznam bought back the last stake held by outside investors in 2016. Outside the Czech Republic the map is built on OpenStreetMap, and Seznam says it is an official partner of OpenStreetMap and helps pay its running costs. The website runs on Seznam's own network in the Czech Republic (AS43037).

What users say. On the App Store Mapy.com has 4.8/5 from 1.3K ratings in the US store – the best app rating in this list. On Trustpilot it has 3.3/5, but from only 3 reviews, so that score says very little.

What it replaces from Google Maps – and what it doesn't. Mapy.com is the only app here that gives you what Google Maps does on both the web and the phone: a detailed world map in the browser, place search, car navigation with CarPlay and Android Auto, step-by-step voice navigation in 10 languages, and public transport timetables with delays, platform numbers and live vehicle positions. Location sharing with family and friends is free. Where it beats Google is outdoors: hiking, cycling, running and winter routes, loop routes, and links to the official motorway vignette shops for every country on your route. You can download one country or region for offline use for free; Premium removes that limit and adds smartwatch apps, peak recognition with your camera (HorizontAR) and custom walking or cycling speeds. What you lose: outside the Czech Republic place details come from OpenStreetMap, so business information, reviews and photos are thinner than on Google, and Seznam lists location and identifiers as data that may be used to track you in its App Store privacy label.

Facts: HQ Czech Republic (Prague) · Seznam.cz, a.s. · free · Premium €18.99 a year · free offline maps: one country or region · web, iPhone, Android, Apple Watch, Wear OS · CarPlay and Android Auto · map data: OpenStreetMap outside Czechia.

Switching from Google Maps: easy – the web map and the apps work the way Google Maps does, and you can start without an account.

My take: Mapy.com is my first pick because it is the only European service that replaces Google Maps on the web and the phone at the same time, and it is free. The outdoor planning is better than Google's, and Premium costs less than €2 a month. It is an ad-funded Seznam product, so if privacy is your main reason for leaving Google, look at Magic Earth or Organic Maps instead. Best for: anyone who wants one European app for everyday maps, travel and the outdoors. Not for: people who rely on Google's business reviews and opening hours abroad.

Visit mapy.com →

2. HERE WeGo

Free directions for driving, walking and public transport, with offline maps for whole countries

HERE WeGo is made by HERE Technologies, a map company in the Netherlands. The app is published by HERE Europe B.V. in Eindhoven, and HERE Global B.V. at Kennedyplein in Eindhoven is the data controller. HERE says it started about forty years ago with a digital map of San Francisco; today its investor page shows BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Bosch, Aumovio, Intel, Mitsubishi, NTT and Pioneer, so the company is mostly in European hands, with US and Japanese shareholders too. HERE makes its own maps and sells them to carmakers. The web app at wego.here.com is served through Amazon's network (AS16509), a US cloud.

What users say. HERE WeGo has 3.4/5 from 4,049 ratings in the German App Store. Users like the offline maps and navigation; complaints are about slow route calculation, battery use and trouble updating offline maps. On Trustpilot HERE has 2.2/5 from 34 reviews, but that profile covers the whole company, and most complaints are about map updates for car navigation systems.

What it replaces from Google Maps – and what it doesn't. HERE WeGo covers the classic Google Maps jobs: turn-by-turn driving with voice guidance, walking directions, parking search near your destination, CarPlay, and public transport routing in more than 1,900 cities worldwide. You can download a region, a country or a whole continent for offline use, free. You do not need an account – only syncing your collections and recent searches needs one. What you lose: HERE's privacy notice says the app may show location-based and behavioural ads, and may share your device advertising ID with ad networks; it also names Amplitude for analytics. Your location is not shared with advertisers without your consent. Place details and reviews are much thinner than on Google.

Facts: HQ Netherlands (Eindhoven) · HERE Europe B.V. / HERE Global B.V. · free, no in-app purchases · transit in 1,900+ cities · offline maps by region, country or continent · iPhone, Android and web (wego.here.com) · CarPlay · own map data.

Switching from Google Maps: easy – search for a destination and pick car, walking or transit, much like Google Maps.

My take: HERE WeGo is the most Google-like app for getting from A to B anywhere in the world, with its own professional map data and offline maps you do not pay for. It sits second because Mapy.com is better on the web and outdoors, and because HERE's app still leaves room for advertising IDs and analytics. Best for: travellers who want free offline maps and public transport in many countries. Not for: people who want an app with no ads or analytics at all.

Visit wego.here.com →

3. Magic Earth

Privacy-first car navigation with traffic, offline maps and CarPlay – €14.99 a year for Premium

Magic Earth is published by Magic Lane International B.V. in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Magic Lane calls itself a European company and says it does not track your trips, build ad profiles or sell your data. Its maps are based on OpenStreetMap, and live traffic comes from third-party data partners in supported countries. Its website runs on servers in Romania, on the network of Orange Romania (AS9050).

What users say. Magic Earth has 4.1/5 from 1,931 ratings in the German App Store. On Trustpilot there is only one review (3.6/5), which praises the privacy and the OpenStreetMap detail but complains about buggy updates and the move to a freemium model.

What it replaces from Google Maps – and what it doesn't. The free Essential tier gives you basic navigation, standard maps, routing by car, bike, on foot and by truck, destination weather, speed camera alerts and community hazard reports. Navigation is free as long as the route starts from your current location. Premium adds offline maps and offline voice guidance, CarPlay, Android Auto and Apple Watch, traffic-aware routing, weather along the route, special bike and hiking profiles and activity recording. Public transport information covers hundreds of regions. In the App Store, Magic Earth's privacy label lists only precise location, not linked to your identity. What you lose: offline maps, traffic and CarPlay – things Google Maps gives you for free – are behind the paid tier, and the business search is far less detailed than Google's.

Facts: HQ Netherlands (Amsterdam) · Magic Lane International B.V. · free Essential tier · Premium €14.99 a year in the App Store, with a 14-day free trial · one-year web licence without auto-renewal also available · iPhone, Android, CarPlay, Android Auto, Apple Watch, Android Automotive · map data: OpenStreetMap.

Switching from Google Maps: easy for driving – but plan on paying for Premium if you want offline maps, traffic or CarPlay.

My take: Magic Earth is the best choice if you leave Google Maps for privacy and mostly use it in the car. For €14.99 a year you get traffic, offline maps and CarPlay or Android Auto from a Dutch company that says it does not track your trips. It sits behind Mapy.com and HERE WeGo because the free tier no longer covers much of what Google Maps does. Best for: drivers who want proper navigation without being tracked. Not for: people who want everything for free.

Visit magicearth.com →

4. TomTom

A free car navigation app with live traffic and speed camera alerts from Europe's best-known satnav brand

TomTom International B.V. is based at De Ruijterkade in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. TomTom was founded in 1991, is listed on Euronext Amsterdam and makes its own digital maps. Its company page says it has about 3,300 employees. The free app, simply called TomTom, replaces the older AmiGO app. Its website is delivered through the Akamai CDN.

What users say. The TomTom app has 4.5/5 from 20,180 ratings in the German App Store. On Trustpilot TomTom has 1.3/5 from 3,165 reviews, but that profile covers the whole company – most complaints are about satnav devices, map updates, billing and reaching support, not the free app.

What it replaces from Google Maps – and what it doesn't. For driving, TomTom covers what most people use Google Maps for: turn-by-turn navigation, live traffic with alerts for jams, roadworks, closures and hazards, speed limits and speed camera warnings, a choice of fastest, shortest or most efficient routes, and CarPlay and Android Auto. On Android it also helps you find EV chargers and parking. The app is free and the App Store listing shows no in-app purchases. What you lose: it is a driving app – no walking, cycling or public transport directions and no web map. TomTom's help page lists offline navigation and lane guidance as still in development, and the App Store privacy label says usage data may be used to track you.

Facts: HQ Netherlands (Amsterdam) · founded 1991 · listed on Euronext Amsterdam · free, no in-app purchases listed · live traffic and speed cameras · iPhone and Android · CarPlay and Android Auto · EV charging search on Android · own map data.

Switching from Google Maps: easy for driving – keep another app for walking, cycling and public transport.

My take: TomTom gives you the part of Google Maps that drivers care about most – fast routes and reliable traffic – for free, from a listed Dutch company with its own maps. It sits fourth because it only does driving, and offline maps are still missing. Best for: drivers who want free traffic info and speed camera alerts. Not for: anyone who also walks, cycles or takes public transport.

Visit tomtom.com →

5. Organic Maps

A free, open-source offline map with no ads, no tracking and no account

Organic Maps is made by Organic Maps OÜ, registered in Tallinn, Estonia, by the same people who made MapsWithMe, later Maps.Me. The app uses OpenStreetMap data and is open source under the Apache 2.0 licence. It is funded by donations and by sponsors such as NLnet through the EU's NGI0 Entrust programme. In 2025 some community contributors raised governance concerns in an open letter and, when the shareholders did not address them, started the fork CoMaps. Its website runs behind Cloudflare.

What users say. Organic Maps has 4.7/5 from 5,236 ratings in the German App Store, and its privacy label there says the app collects no data. I could not load its Trustpilot page. Organic Maps says it reached 6 million installs in December 2025.

What it replaces from Google Maps – and what it doesn't. Organic Maps does everything without an internet connection once you have downloaded a map: search, turn-by-turn navigation with voice guidance for walking, cycling and driving, CarPlay and Android Auto, hiking trails, contour lines, elevation profiles, metro maps and Wikipedia articles for popular places. Bookmarks import and export as KML, GPX and GeoJSON. Organic Maps says the app has no ads, no tracking and no data collection, and needs no registration; it points to checks by the Exodus Privacy Project. What you lose: no live traffic, no public transport routing beyond metro maps, no web map and no business reviews or photos.

Facts: HQ Estonia (Tallinn) · Organic Maps OÜ · free, funded by donations · no ads, no tracking, no account · open source (Apache 2.0) · iPhone, Android (also F-Droid), Linux desktop in beta · CarPlay and Android Auto · map data: OpenStreetMap.

Switching from Google Maps: moderate – download the maps for your country first, and accept that there is no live traffic.

My take: Organic Maps is the most private map app in this list and costs nothing. If you mainly want to find your way on foot, by bike or in a foreign city without data, it is all you need. It sits fifth only because it gives up live traffic, public transport and Google's business information. Best for: privacy-minded people, hikers and travellers who want maps that work offline. Not for: drivers who depend on live traffic.

Visit organicmaps.app →

6. OsmAnd

The most powerful offline map app – for hiking, cycling, track recording and endless settings

OsmAnd is made by OsmAnd B.V. in Amstelveen, the Netherlands. The app is open source on GitHub and built on OpenStreetMap data, which OsmAnd updates monthly, or more often with live updates on the Pro plan. Its privacy policy says OsmAnd collects mostly aggregated, non-personal usage data, and that OsmAnd Cloud data for Pro users is stored on Scaleway and Amazon servers. Payments go through FastSpring, a US company. The website runs on Hetzner servers in Germany (AS24940).

What users say. On Trustpilot OsmAnd has 3.1/5 from just 6 reviews – too few to mean much. In the German App Store it does much better: 4.5/5 from 5,829 ratings.

What it replaces from Google Maps – and what it doesn't. OsmAnd gives you offline maps for any region, offline turn-by-turn navigation with voice guidance, lane guidance, traffic warnings and automatic re-routing, plus foot, hiking and cycling paths, public transport stops, trip recording to GPX and contour lines. The free version lets you download 7 maps; map updates count towards that limit. Maps+ removes the limit and adds topography and Android Auto; Pro adds cloud sync, weather, live map updates and more. What you lose: no live traffic jams like Google's, no web map for everyday use and no business reviews – and the many settings take time to learn.

Facts: HQ Netherlands (Amstelveen) · OsmAnd B.V. · free with 7 map downloads · Maps+ €14.99 per 12 months or €69.99 lifetime · Pro €5.99/month or €39.99/year · open source · iPhone, Android, Huawei AppGallery · map data: OpenStreetMap.

Switching from Google Maps: hard – it is powerful, but it feels nothing like Google Maps.

My take: OsmAnd is the Swiss army knife of map apps: if you record tracks, plan multi-day hikes or want contour lines offline, nothing else here comes close. For everyday Google Maps tasks it is the hardest switch, which is why it sits last. Best for: hikers, cyclists and map enthusiasts who want full control. Not for: anyone looking for a simple Google Maps replacement.

Visit osmand.net →

What European map apps cost compared with Google Maps

Google Maps is free because Google earns money from advertising, including ads based on your location. Most European map apps are free too, but several put offline maps, traffic or CarPlay behind a small yearly fee. None of the paid tiers costs more than €40 a year.

Prices as shown on each company's own pages and App Store listings on 25 October 2026, in the currency shown there. Mapy.com's price is from Seznam's own Premium announcement; Magic Earth's from its German App Store listing, as its pricing page shows no amounts.

How to switch from Google Maps to a European map app

1. Export your saved places. Use Google Takeout to download your saved places and lists, so you can rebuild them in the new app.
2. Pick one app for everyday use. Mapy.com or HERE WeGo for general use, Magic Earth or TomTom if you mostly drive, Organic Maps if privacy comes first.
3. Download offline maps at home. Get your home country and your next trip on Wi-Fi – it saves data and works where reception is poor.
4. Set it as the default in the car. Most apps here work with CarPlay and Android Auto; in Magic Earth that needs Premium.
5. Turn off Google's location tracking. In your Google Account, check Timeline and Web & App Activity, and switch off the settings you no longer want.

Google Maps alternatives: FAQ

My verdict: which European map app to switch to

Most people leaving Google Maps should start with Mapy.com: it is free, works on the web and the phone, covers the whole world and is better than Google for hiking and cycling. If you travel a lot or rely on public transport, add HERE WeGo for its free offline maps and transit routing in more than 1,900 cities. If you mostly drive and care about privacy, Magic Earth is worth €14.99 a year; if you want free traffic and speed camera alerts, take TomTom.

If privacy is the whole point, install Organic Maps – no ads, no tracking, no account – and keep one of the others for traffic. Export your Google saved places before you start, and the switch takes an evening.