[VorpalWay]

I have used OsmAnd+ for well over 15 years by now, which also uses OSM data, just like these. And I have used JOSM on my PC to fix the OSM data myself.

Does Organic maps / CoMaps offer anything OsmAnd+ doesn't for someone who uses it for car navigation (especially on back roads in the wilderness) as well as hiking? (All in the Nordic countries.) I also record tracks with it.

[idoubtit]

I also use OsmAnd~ for hiking, and even more for cycling. I tried CoMaps after a friend recommended it. In my experience, OsmAnd is much more powerful, and if you can tolerate its complexity and battery-drain, it's worth it.

- CoMaps is much simpler, but lacks features. OsmAnd has (too many) features and requires heavy configuration, e.g. to disable some features I never use and optimize battery life.

- Loading a track (GPX) in CoMaps is cumbersome (you have to "Open with..." from a file navigator). OsmAnd can load tracks from within the app, and just display them or turn one into a route. With CoMaps, I couldn't load more than one on a map. My GPX routes are prepared with BRouter on my desktop computer, since both apps are unable to build routes of 150 kms

- CoMaps is better at energy saving. OsmAnd drains my battery in 5-6 hours when the screen is on (the screen roughly accounts for half of the drain). YMMV. For long rides, I switch the phone off as soon as I don't absolutely require its help for navigation.

- OsmAnd has features that I would never give up. Notably, displaying markers on "drinking water" POI, so that I know when I'll be able to refill, or decide if I must deviate my route toward a drinking tap.

- There are more maps and data in OsmAnd than in CoMaps, and more visualisation options.

- Last time I tried CoMaps (from F-Droid), at some point the screen went blinking, alternating between home and CoMaps. The only way out was to shutdown the phone.

[edit: BRouter for routing]

[loscati]

> Notably, displaying markers on "drinking water" POI

In CoMaps, they are shown under: search > categories > water (then you can press "show on map"). Not straightforward, but it is there. Fairly enough, don't know if "water" includes drinkable ones only.

[xattt]

> CoMaps is better at energy saving. OsmAnd drains my battery in 5-6 hours …

Have you considered a dynamo hub with a headlight with USB output?

[epihelix]

OsmAnd~ is great for hiking, when you need topographic contour info, 3D relief shading, etc.

CoMaps is a much simpler and faster interface, that I use for driving navigation. (I use a 7 year old S10e, though, so it's possible that on a modern phone you'd not notice the difference?)

YMMV, but they're both free, so it's easy to try and see for yourself :)

[IndySun]

I ditched osmand because the interface is so convoluted. Ridiculously so. Plus theres a facebook pixel in there somewhere, at least there was when I dropped it 10 years ago.

CoMaps seem sincere.

For Nordic/outdoors, outcomes using either osmand/comaps/etc in practice are going to be very similar.

[birdsongs]

Not sure where in the Nordics you are, but just want to plug ut.no and norgeskart.no for really fantastic Norway navigation.

Both have free apps (norgeskart has a 50kr / year subscription to support and add more features), and both are incredible for navigating trails, marked and otherwise, anywhere Norway.

[IndySun]

Great detail on norgeskart.no. Thanks for the headsup.

[liotier]

> I ditched osmand because the interface is so convoluted. Ridiculously so

OSMand is a cartographer's friend - it does everything and more... With all the drawbacks of doing that.

CoMaps is better targeted to the needs of most people.

[IndySun]

>CoMaps is better targeted to the needs of most people.

Thank you. Both use OSM. The similarities are so slight I'd be inclined to recommend a region specific map, as is our friend with norgeskart.no for those particular cases.

I admit I haven't reloaded OsmAND this year, but I do every year, and delete it every year. Moreover, for me, using OSM is partly to get away from trackers, and facebook at all costs.

[zelphirkalt]

In my experience from years ago, OsmAnd was always very slow when searching and also didn't find much, as if it required a 100 percent match for anything one searches. Really annoying. Then I discovered Organic Maps, which behaved better, and more recently switched CoMaps, due to ideological reasons.

[bluebarbet]

The question I ask every time there's a breathless new post about the supposedly revolutionary Organic Maps.

[gentile]

I've been making some custom maps for both Osmand and Comaps. The main big positive for Comaps I've seen is Android Auto being available freely (but you have osmand+ so moot point). But having used both, the tooling for osmand is far more mature. Creating an obf file (osmand file type) is a lot easier than the process for an mwm file (comaps file type). Far more routing or ui customization options in osmand and routing.xml files for even more advanced custom time penalties/weighting profiles.

[VorpalWay]

I happily own a car with nothing fancier than a bluetooth radio. No touch screens and no Android Auto is a blessing.

But from this and sibling comments it seems that CoMaps have nothing to offer me (except possibly better search).