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OpenStreetMap (OSM) is a collaborative, editable map of the world maintained by a global community of contributors. Its underlying geospatial data — roads, buildings, points of interest, boundaries and more — is freely available and widely used as the foundation for commercial and non-commercial mapping products.
Because it is community-maintained, coverage and detail can vary by region, but OSM remains one of the most complete open geospatial datasets available, and many commercial geodata products are built on top of it.
Best for and not ideal for
Best for
- Developers building mapping or location features
- Researchers needing open geospatial data
- Teams wanting a free base layer before buying commercial geodata
Not ideal for
- Use cases needing guaranteed, SLA-backed data accuracy
- Regions with limited community mapping coverage
Key features
What it offers
- Free, open geospatial data covering roads, buildings and POIs
- Global community of contributors and editors
- Downloadable extracts and API access
- Foundation for many commercial mapping products
Data types
- Geospatial data
- Points of interest
- Map and boundary data
Delivery methods
- Direct download
- API
Pricing
Free to use under its open data license.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Free and extremely widely used
- Good global coverage overall
- Strong developer ecosystem and tooling
Cons
- Coverage detail varies by region
- No commercial SLA or guaranteed accuracy
BuyDataHub Editorial Score
4.2/5 overallIndependent editorial assessment for OpenStreetMap — not a user-submitted rating. See our methodology.
Scores and rankings reflect independent editorial research, not paid placement. Affiliate relationships, where they exist, do not affect how a provider is scored. Read our full methodology.
Alternatives to OpenStreetMap
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Oxylabs
4.5/5An enterprise-focused web data platform providing proxy networks, scraper APIs and curated datasets with strong compliance positioning.
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenStreetMap data free for commercial use?
Yes, under its open data license, though attribution and share-alike requirements may apply depending on how it's used — check the license terms.