Its mapping data comes from OpenStreetMap, a collaborative Wikipedia-like project to create maps of the world.
OsmAnd is a popular mapping application available for Android and iOS, developed by the company of the same name in the Netherlands. These apps are often created by individuals or small groups in their spare time, as opposed to large companies with income generated from advertising or venture capital. Many people simply prefer open-source apps out of principle, in the same way that some people prefer shopping at locally-owned stores instead of Walmart or Target. If a developer is doing something they're not supposed to be, like spying on users or bundling malware, they probably wouldn't announce it to the world. I say 'almost,' because there's technically nothing stopping open-source apps from spying on you, but that behavior is extremely rare.
Proprietary apps can sometimes feel like black boxes, where you don't really know what's going on behind the scenes.
All the code is out in the open, so anyone with programming knowledge can go through it and see exactly what an app is doing.
However, NavFree distinguishes itself by being the only app in this roundup that can store offline maps and navigate without a data connection - making it great for those who like to go off the grid or with miserly data plans.Free and open-source software (FOSS) has a number of advantages, but to most people, the main benefit is privacy. Like Waze, this free app uses crowdsourced maps (this time from ), but it lacks Waze's traffic and incident data layer. NavFree USA is remarkably simple when compared with the rest of this crowd, but it's not without its charms.
The old timer is still alive and kicking, delivering excellent turn-by-turn directions via apps for Android and iOS devices and an HTML5-based Web app that should run in most smartphones' browsers. Before there were smartphones, before there was Google Maps, there was MapQuest. MapQuest has been around for what feels like forever.
From the maps themselves to the traffic and incident data to the fuel prices listed when you search for the nearest gas station, nearly all of Waze's data comes from drivers like you running the app and submitting data and corrections. Nearly all of the information you'll find beyond this free navigation app's splash screen is user generated. Waze is all about the power of crowdsourcing. Its true strength lies in its database of destinations, which includes aggregated reviews and an extensive listing of local events. Scout aims to be an all-in-one solution for users who want to take multitiered approach to getting from point A to B. An Android version was promised, but until then you can use the service's HTML5-powered mobile navigator that will run in the stock Android browser (or any third-party browser that will supply it with location data). Scout (the evolution/rebranding of TeleNav's Navigator software) has been around for a few months now as an app available for iOS and through your desktop's browser. If, for whatever reason, you would like to try an alternative to the stock Android navigation app, there are a number of free options available for you to play with. But there are a number of reasons to look beyond Google: maybe you're a navigation geek maybe you're just curious or maybe you're just nostalgic for the days when MapQuest reigned supreme. We love it and we know that most of you love it - most users will probably never really see a need to use another navigation app and that's perfectly fine. In the case of most Android phones, that software is Google Maps. Likewise, most of these phones have some sort of mapping and navigation software to allow you, the user, to take advantage of that positioning data to get from where you are to where you want to be. Every smartphone available today (and even the not-so-smart ones) comes equipped with some sort of GPS or A-GPS system that allows it to be aware of where it is in the world and where it's headed.