Replace / Google Maps
Best free Google Maps alternatives (open source, self-hosted) 2026
The best open-source alternative to Google Maps is Nominatim (or GraphHopper) with uMap, self-hosted on Railway. Maps you host. Nominatim is GPL-3.0 geocoding; GraphHopper is Apache-2.0 routing; uMap is AGPL-3.0 custom maps — Google Maps without the API meter.
Estimated save $1,200 a year.
Open the stackStart on Railway
How Google Maps compares
| Google Maps | Nominatim + GraphHopper / uMap | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Hosted subscription | Open-source or fair-code license; you pay the host |
| Hosting | Vendor cloud | Self-hosted on Railway or any VPS |
| Rough monthly cost | Public list price not verified this run | Hosting only — no SaaS seat meter in this repo |
- Nominatim
GPL-3.0 OpenStreetMap geocoding and search
- GraphHopper
Apache-2.0 routing engine for OpenStreetMap
- uMap
AGPL-3.0 custom OpenStreetMap maps you embed
FAQ
- What is the best free open-source Google Maps alternative?
- The best open-source alternative to Google Maps is Nominatim (or GraphHopper) with uMap, self-hosted on Railway. Maps you host. Nominatim is GPL-3.0 geocoding; GraphHopper is Apache-2.0 routing; uMap is AGPL-3.0 custom maps — Google Maps without the API meter.
- Is it free?
- The Nominatim + GraphHopper / uMap licenses are open source or fair-code. You still pay hosting (Railway or any VPS) and any APIs the stack calls. There is no Google Maps seat or task bill on this path.
- Can I migrate from Google Maps?
- Yes. Start with the workflows or data you actually use, then cut over. The Nominatim + GraphHopper / uMap stack page has the agent prompt and the cost table; most teams rebuild the slice that matters and leave old Google Maps links until they expire.
- How do I deploy it?
- Open the Nominatim + GraphHopper / uMap stack, copy the agent prompt, and deploy on Railway (one service, PORT, and a volume when the app needs disk). Placeholder: this is a heavy box. Nominatim wants a large volume for an OSM extract; GraphHopper wants a graph build; uMap is the lighter custom-map app. A single Railway service is often the wrong size — a VPS with disk is the honest path. No one-click template in this repo yet — Start on Railway.
- What does this replace?
- Google Maps. The published small-team estimate on this stack is $1,200 a year.
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