OsmAnd's offline maps put Google Maps to shame—here's why

Published Sep 10, 2026, 1:30 PM EDT Joe Fedewa has been writing about technology for over a decade. Android and the rest of the Google ecosystem have been a focus for years, as well as reviewing devices, hosting podcasts, filming videos, and writing tutorials. Joe loves all things technology and is also an avid DIYer and food blogger. He has written thousands of articles, hundreds of tutorials, and dozens of reviews. Before joining How-To Geek, Joe worked at XDA-Developers as Managing Editor and covered news from the Google ecosystem. He got his start in the industry covering Windows Phone on a small blog, and later moved to Phandroid where he covered Android news, reviewed devices, wrote tutorials, created YouTube videos, and hosted a podcast. From smartphones to Bluetooth earbuds to Z-Wave switches, Joe is interested in all kinds of technology. After several years of jailbreaking and heavily modifying an iPod Touch, he moved on to his first smartphone, the HTC DROID Eris. He's been hooked ever since. It’s no secret that offline maps are one of the best features of Google Maps. That doesn’t mean it’s the best overall, though. OsmAnd Maps is an excellent open-source alternative with a lot more to offer when it comes to offline navigation. Google Maps supports offline maps on both Android and iPhone. It’s something you have to manually do, but Google does make suggestions for areas to download. As a feature for casual users, it’s pretty decent. However, there are definite limitations — that’s where OsmAnd Maps comes in. Download larger maps more easily Entire states with one tap Google Maps asks you to select an area inside a bounding box by zooming in and out. Each downloaded map can be no larger than 2GB, which works out to be around 70 square miles. However, there’s no limit on how many of these maps you can download. OsmAnd, on the other hand, allows you to download huge chunks all at once. For example, you could download the entirety of the United States — 16GB in total — with a one-press of a button. As cool as that is, it’s more realistic to simply download your state. Most are under 1GB, and if you want to save on storage, you can opt for lighter “roads-only” versions. The free version of OsmAnd includes an allotment for seven downloads. That may sound like much fewer than Google Maps, but keep in mind that an entire state counts as one download. You can very quickly cover a huge chunk of land without needing more downloads. Offline maps are yours forever Don’t worry about expiration dates Offline maps in Google Maps don’t last forever — unless you do something about it. Under normal circumstances, maps expire after one year. However, it’s only 15 days if your device remains offline for that long. Thankfully, you can enable an “auto-update” option to prevent them from disappearing. OsmAnd Maps works very differently. For starters, there is no expiration date on offline maps. Once you download a map, it’s on your device forever. Map updates are available each month, but here’s the catch: these updates count toward your seven free downloads. The good news is these monthly updates aren’t automatically applied. You choose when to update your maps, and that can be much more infrequently. It wouldn’t be difficult to stretch out those seven downloads to last a few years. Should you decide you need more regular updates, OsmAnd Pro costs $7 per month. Full offline navigation Driving, walking, biking, hiking — you name it One of the big limitations of Google Maps’ offline maps is navigation. You get the basic turn-by-turn driving navigation, but walking, biking, and public transit are not included. Meanwhile, this is one of OsmAnd Maps’ biggest strengths. It includes full offline routing for driving, walking, biking, public transit, hiking, skiing, boating, and more. This is particularly important for activities such as biking and hiking, which can often put you in remote locations. In addition, OsmAnd’s offline search functionality is also much better. Google allows you to search through saved locations, but most of the other stuff relies on an active internet connection. OsmAnd, on the other hand, includes a full offline search for addresses, businesses, and even Wikipedia information, if you download it beforehand. OsmAnd is built to be used offline Look, this article is not meant to demean Google Maps. It’s obviously an excellent app with tons of helpful features. OsmAnd Maps isn’t trying to be Google Maps — it’s its own thing. The key thing to know about OsmAnd is that it was designed from the ground up with offline capabilities in mind. Google Maps has nice offline features, but if that’s the single-most important thing to you, OsmAnd is the better choice.