Navigating without Google: European alternatives
European apps such as TomTom, HERE, and Organic Maps offer navigation with privacy.
Published on August 27, 2025
Merien co-founded E52 in 2015 and envisioned AI in journalism, leading to Laio. He writes bold columns on hydrogen and mobility—often with a sharp edge.
Although Google Maps and Apple Maps are the standard for navigation, there are many European alternatives available that better protect your data. Companies such as TomTom, HERE, OsmAnd, and Komoot offer offline maps, route planning, and navigation for walking, cycling, and driving that comply with European privacy regulations. With features such as real-time traffic information, speed camera alerts, and social functionality, these are reliable options for those who prefer not to share their location data with American tech giants.
Navigation and data
When you need to get somewhere, you grab your phone and open a navigation app. On an Android phone, that's often Google Maps, and on an iPhone, it's Apple Maps. In both cases, you're using an American product and sharing your data with an American company. These navigation providers know where you are and use that data. For example, the traffic information in these apps is based on user information. Google and Apple collect traffic data by combining location and movement data from millions of smartphones with historical data, reports, and external sources such as road sensors. Google uses this data, including that from Maps, to drive a targeted advertising ecosystem. But what if you don't want to share this data with American companies? Fortunately, there are several European alternatives, especially in the field of navigation, where Europe is strongly represented.
TomTom
TomTom, a Dutch company, is a well-known name in the world of navigation. Before Google Maps existed, there were already TomTom devices for cars. Although standalone navigation devices have almost disappeared, the TomTom app is still popular. The TomTom GO Navigation app offers advanced navigation with clear lane instructions and reliable offline maps, so you don't need an internet connection. The app also warns you about speed cameras and provides real-time traffic information. What's more, the navigation experience is ad-free and compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. A subscription of €6 per month or €20 per year gives you access to these features.
In addition to being a navigation app maker, TomTom is also a major map supplier. In 2007, TomTom acquired Tele Atlas for €2.9 billion, outbidding its competitor Garmin.
HERE
HERE Technologies, headquartered in Eindhoven, is another major player in the navigation world. Although based in the Netherlands, HERE is owned by a consortium of German car manufacturers. HERE focuses on creating digital maps for navigation systems and developing software for self-driving cars.
For consumers, there is the HERE WeGo navigation app, which is free to use. The app offers offline maps, traffic information, and integration with public transport. Users can also make changes to the map directly via the HERE Map Creator program. HERE WeGo is designed to support your travels, from simple commutes to complex multi-modal trips.
HERE is also a map supplier for third parties. HERE supplies maps to companies such as Garmin, Audi, BMW, Ford, and Mercedes-Benz. The digital maps also include floor plans of 49,000 buildings in 45 countries and are used by Facebook, Bing Maps, and Yahoo. HERE uses sensor data from Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz vehicles to provide live traffic information.
OsmAnd
OsmAnd is a navigation app based on free OpenStreetMap data. This app is available for Android and iOS and offers both a free and a paid version. The paid version, which costs around €3 per month or €10 per year, has no limits on downloading offline map data and offers access to Wikipedia points of interest. OsmAnd was developed by Victor Shcherb and others and is licensed under the GPLv3 open-source license. The app offers features such as displaying position and orientation, saving favorite destinations, showing points of interest, and using different map overlays.
OsmAnd is known for its strong privacy policy; the app does not collect user data and lets you decide which features the app has access to. The app offers many details, such as banks, playgrounds, parks, wheelchair accessibility, and various information about shops and restaurants, such as WiFi access.
Komoot
Komoot is an app aimed at outdoor adventurers. This German route planner and navigation app is more than just a tool for getting from A to B; it is a social network and tour guide in one, specially designed for cyclists, hikers, mountain bikers, and other outdoor enthusiasts. With Komoot, you can find, plan, and share routes, and be inspired by the knowledge and recommendations of other users. The app is available via a website, Android and iOS apps, and can be integrated with various devices, such as Garmin, Apple Watch, and Wahoo GPS bike computers. Komoot's basic features are free, including the map for the first region. For additional regions and advanced features, such as multi-day tour planning and sport-specific maps, a subscription is required.
The app also works offline, so you can stay on course even without internet coverage. An annual subscription costs €60, which is relatively expensive compared to other apps. In March 2025, Komoot was acquired by the Milan-based company Bending Spoons. The question is whether the quality of the app will remain guaranteed, as the reputation of Bending Spoons, which also bought WeTransfer, is not very good.
Organic Maps
Organic Maps is a free and open-source offline navigation app that uses map data from OpenStreetMap. The app is designed to function completely offline, allowing you to download maps in advance for navigation, searches, and route planning without an internet connection. Organic Maps emphasizes privacy and does not collect personal data or track user locations. The app is available for Android and iOS and offers detailed offline maps with bike routes, hiking trails, contour lines, elevation profiles, and information about peaks and slopes. The app was developed by the founders of MapsWithMe (Maps.Me).
