CoMaps – FOSS Offline Maps

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

CoMaps is a new fully open-source, offline navigation app that recently forked from Organic Maps over governance, transparency and proprietary-component concerns. Commenters compare it to Organic Maps, OsmAnd, Google Maps and AllTrails, generally praising CoMaps’ speed, weekly OSM-based map updates and hiking/biking features, while noting weak search and lack of live traffic as key drawbacks shared by most OSM clients. The conversation also touches on broader issues in open mapping, including funding, data freshness, user-generated content, and the trade-offs between a lean, privacy-respecting app and feature-rich commercial platforms.

Project scope and relation to other apps

  • CoMaps is an offline-focused, FOSS mobile maps app using OpenStreetMap data, recently forked from Organic Maps (itself a fork of Maps.me).
  • It’s described as a simpler, opinionated alternative to OsmAnd: fewer power features, faster and easier for everyday navigation, especially in cities.

Governance, licensing, and fork motivations

  • Multiple comments link to prior drama around Organic Maps:
    • Complaints about opaque governance, shareholder‑driven decisions, partnerships (e.g., Kayak), and partially proprietary map generator/files.
    • CoMaps was started by former OM contributors who wanted fully FOSS code and more transparent, community‑oriented governance.
  • There is dispute over whether publishing previously non‑public generator code was a “leak” or fulfilling earlier promises to open it; both sides are represented.

User experience & feature comparisons

  • Many users report CoMaps and Organic Maps feel almost identical today, as the fork is recent.
  • Some prefer CoMaps’ “vibe,” faster pace of development and more frequent map data updates (weekly vs. slower in OM).
  • Others stick with Organic Maps due to extra features: colored hiking route markers, public transport routes, and behavior like starting zoomed to the neighborhood.
  • Some note CoMaps’ functionality as “bare‑bones” compared to OsmAnd, but appreciate its clarity and speed.

Search, data quality, and business info

  • A major recurring complaint: search quality in OSM-based apps (including CoMaps/OM) is poor compared to Google, especially for combined queries and nearby exact matches.
  • Causes are attributed to both client bugs and incomplete/messy OSM address data.
  • Server-side search stacks (Photon, Pelias, Overpass, etc.) are said to be resource‑intensive and underfunded.
  • Business data freshness varies heavily by region and by how active local mappers are.

Offline use, routing, and traffic

  • CoMaps is praised for offline navigation, weekly map updates, track recording, GPX sharing, and being good for hiking and cycling.
  • Routing works but can be slower or less polished than big proprietary apps; timing estimates can be off.
  • Lack of live traffic data keeps many on Google/Waze; traffic integration is planned but not yet widely available.

OSM contribution tools and ecosystem

  • Thread branches into how to improve OSM using apps like StreetComplete, MapComplete, Vespucci, and others for accessibility, trails, and POIs.
  • Some argue OSM should stay a map database and let separate projects handle rich user‑generated content (photos, reviews), due to moderation and legal overhead.

Critiques, concerns, and open questions

  • UI complaints: low-contrast dark mode, initial zoom behavior, and limited overlays (e.g., subway-only layer).
  • A few express suspicion about any fork run by a vaguely defined “community,” including speculative worries about state actors; others see this as unfounded compared to more mundane governance conflicts.
  • For many, the deciding factors remain: search quality, traffic data, rich place metadata, and trust in project governance.