I ask because I have tried both and neither consistently find destinations I need, and when they do, they don’t route me there in the fastest or most efficient way possible. My first experience with Organic Maps, for instance, tried to turn what was usually a 4 hour drive into a nearly 6 hour drive. I used Google Maps to get there instead.

Google Maps is still the best navigation I’ve used, followed closely by Magic Earth, which gets the job done but still isn’t all that great. I find myself resorting to Google Maps 9 times out of 10 because even Magic Earth will add 15-30 minutes to any trip. Even when I do use Magic Earth, I have to double-check it against Google’s navigation just to make sure I’m not wasting any extra time or gas money on the road.

Also, a little gripe with OSMAnd that probably isn’t too big of a deal, but OSMAnd can’t find anything unless I download my state map. It tells me “nothing found within 5 miles” and gives me the option to expand the radius. But at 10, 15, 20, all the way up to 50 miles, it won’t find I’m looking for. Like I said, not too big a deal since downloading the map of my state solves this issue, but it’s still inconvenient and kind of a waste of internal storage space given that other apps can navigate successfully using online maps.

I’m wondering how any of you get by using OSMAnd / Organic Maps as I’ve seen people post on Lemmy that they do. Am I just missing something? Or are these apps really as bad as I think they are?

Edit: I should specify that I use navigation mainly for driving and Olive in the US. Seems like people biking / hiking in the EU have a bit of an easier time with some of these apps

  • Tio@social.trom.tf
    2·
    9 months ago

    @eddie_of_ny MagicEarth is superior from my tests. Better in all regards in terms of navigation: from the UI to the maps, voices, detection of radar, heads up when you speed up too much. Overall I managed to switch to it after so many years of being unable to find a Google Maps alternative. But truth is if you want to find an exact place to go, and then maybe parking and what not, google maps is still far superior. Has a lot of info about a lot of places. But in terms of navigation MagicEarth is superior in my view.

    • MasterBuilder@lemmy.one
      1·
      9 months ago

      I can confirm the experiences of the OP. As for OSMAnd, see my response to the post, which i am writing next.

        • aordogvan@lemmy.world
          2·
          9 months ago

          Agree Magicearth not so accurate on traffic info. But my biggest problem with Google is that it focuses so much on commercial info that takes most of the map’s real estate (shops, stores, malls, etc) ,which it’s not usually what I’m looking for, that it causes some kind of allergic reaction.

          Magic is great, better than Google, for navigation and clarity in directions and graphically much more appropriate to driving.

    • ggnoredo@lemm.ee
      11·
      9 months ago

      Yes i love magic earth but almost non existence of traffic data makes it useless in big cities