What is OpenStreetMap used for?

OpenStreetMap is the Ruby on Rails application behind the OpenStreetMap website and API, including user accounts, diaries, messaging and the editing API. It is a good fit for contributors developing OpenStreetMap itself and running a local development copy of the site.

Is OpenStreetMap open source?

Yes. OpenStreetMap is open source under the GPL-2.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at openstreetmap/openstreetmap-website and is written mainly in Ruby.

Is OpenStreetMap free?

Yes. OpenStreetMap is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

Can I self-host OpenStreetMap?

Yes. OpenStreetMap can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What is OpenStreetMap an alternative to?

OpenStreetMap is an open-source alternative to Google Maps, Apple Maps, Bing Maps and MapQuest. Other open-source alternatives to Google Maps include Organic Maps and OsmAnd.

Is OpenStreetMap actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to OpenStreetMap was on 1 October 2026. The project has 2.8k stars on GitHub.

OpenStreetMap: open-source alternative to Google Maps

About OpenStreetMap

openstreetmap-website is the Ruby on Rails application that powers the OpenStreetMap website and its API. OpenStreetMap is a collaboratively built map of the world, and this codebase is the web layer that lets contributors register, discuss and edit data. It is released under the GNU General Public License 2.0.

The repository includes the website itself with user accounts, diary entries and user-to-user messaging, the XML and JSON based editing API, the Browse pages that present the map data on the web and GPX upload, browsing and API support. A complete installation also depends on other services, such as map tile servers and geocoding, that come from separate software; the default setup uses public services for development and testing.

It uses PostgreSQL as its database and has many dependencies, so INSTALL.md is the place to start. Development is open to pull requests, bugs go in the issue tracker, translations are handled through Translatewiki, and there are a development mailing list and an IRC channel. A contributing guide describes the code conventions.

Key features

OpenStreetMap website with user accounts
XML and JSON editing API
Browse pages for map data
GPX upload, browsing and API
Diary entries and user-to-user messaging

Good fit for

→Contributors developing OpenStreetMap itself
→Running a local development copy of the site

Built with: Ruby
Tags: openstreetmap; maps; rails; ruby; gis; mapping; api; postgresql

OpenStreetMap: questions and answers

What is OpenStreetMap used for?: OpenStreetMap is the Ruby on Rails application behind the OpenStreetMap website and API, including user accounts, diaries, messaging and the editing API. It is a good fit for contributors developing OpenStreetMap itself and running a local development copy of the site.
Is OpenStreetMap open source?: Yes. OpenStreetMap is open source under the GPL-2.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at openstreetmap/openstreetmap-website and is written mainly in Ruby.
Is OpenStreetMap free?: Yes. OpenStreetMap is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host OpenStreetMap?: Yes. OpenStreetMap can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is OpenStreetMap an alternative to?: OpenStreetMap is an open-source alternative to Google Maps, Apple Maps, Bing Maps and MapQuest. Other open-source alternatives to Google Maps include Organic Maps and OsmAnd.
Is OpenStreetMap actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to OpenStreetMap was on 1 October 2026. The project has 2.8k stars on GitHub.