Do you also use OsmAnd at the same time?

[Forsberg]

Hi guys, interesting discussion. I've moved it to "Free chat" category where it belongs I believe

Anyway, are there any serious advantages of the OsmAnd compared to Locus Map? Some time ago, OsmAnd was made mainly for navigation and nothing more. Over years, both apps have more and more in common, but both do things in different ways.

But because I've never used OsmAnd (what a surprise  ), I'll be interested in the major advantage you see in it, thanks.

I am a long time Locus user, recently tried Osmand+ just out of curiosity.
Locus per se is definitely faster in terms of map rendering. I use LM Classic and vector maps and they are definitely smoother than in Osmand. However I see some nice points of Osmand which could be useful in Locus:
- 3D view of the map is useful - really is
- online database for Wikipedia, points of interest - very handy if you go biking to another city and just pass some points by - u check some of touristic places and then they are shown on the map. I don't see that in Locus at all.
- maps are slower but they tend to do look better or at least their themes seems to be refreshing. Also their text rotate, in Locus text is fixed.
- Osmand search is a lot better. Locus search function is terrible

Locus is generally better, Osmand has some strong points mentioned above though. Both are good for outdoor activity, Locus could have better UI though - it can be clumsy and LM4 is no better in this, bah I even think LM4 interface is worse than Classic.

[Andrew Heard]

@Forsberg - interesting observations thanks. I haven't looked @ OsmAnd in 9 years. Interesting re 3D view. LM4 does already have online connection between POI & Wikipedia.

PS. I installed OsmAnd. Note OsmAnd+ is the paid version, former is the free version. It is a nice install - offers to download local map as part of the install. The settings & menu are quite clear & maybe nicer than LM4. However the 3D view, along with other topographic features (contours/ slope), required the paid version, so I didn't proceed with the investigation.

[Forsberg]

@Forsberg - interesting observations thanks. I haven't looked @ OsmAnd in 9 years. Interesting re 3D view. LM4 does already have online connection between POI & Wikipedia.

3D view is handy. Especially if you are at some hill area but if it is flat it is good as well. It seems to be more natural view than directly from the above.
Here some comparison of more or less the same area:





Interesting that LM4 has online POI connection. Does it work well? What I am looking for is that I select example a category "touristic" and it shows all monuments, squares, famous places, castles ect so a tourist could visit. Osmand has such a feature. In Locus I have to download manually all POIs or KLM routes with saved interesting points. It is tiresome tbh.

I haven't switched to LM4 due to many reasons, mostly because I see no huge progress from LM3 Pro (Classic) like:

- if vector maps rotate (u select map rotation according to the compas example) then names of all places can be unreadable because the text is upside-down.
- UI is meh - it seems to me it is a step back - some more customization like panel arrangement (dock and undock, change position like in Osmand) would be welcome.

I see some progress regarding rendering speed - LM4 renders vector maps faster than Classic - it is nice. Also, it seems the search function finally works. Not sure why devs keep Search in LM3 Classic if it is completely useless. I type a shop "lidl" and it shows me some stuff thousands kilometer from me. In LM4 it shows all shows nearby as it should.
Unfortunately those two things are not enough to me to switch, even if LM3 is de facto abandoned per new functions. I guess I will wait for LM5 then

[Andrew Heard]

The best LM4 (Gold) feature for me is the Cloud Sync of user points & tracks between all devices and the online Route Planner.

[Graf Geo]

I have installed OsmAnd for comparison, but I don't use it. I don't have the time or inclination to familiarise myself with another complex app, especially as I don't see any relevant advantages over Locus 4.

@ Forsberg: I don't like this 3D view in OsmAnd. It looks like a bent paper and the black dashed paths look ugly. But of course that's a matter of taste.

Personally, I use Locus Map 4 for > 95% of all outdoor activities, with the following exceptions:
 

• I mainly use c:geo for geocaching (even though I hardly ever do this anymore), as it's the only app that allows me as a basic member to cache without major restrictions.
• For car navigation I use other apps, e.g. Magic Earth, HERE, sometimes Google Maps.

In addition to Locus and OsmAnd, is there a more excellent app?

The only map app I use frequently is Organic Maps (formerly MapsMe). Of course, it doesn't have anywhere near the range of functions of Locus Map or OsmAnd and is not primarily an outdoor/hiking app, but it's very good for a quick overview. Advantages:
 

• Extremely fast map rendering
• Very simple intuitive operation
• Quick and easy navigation from A to B with intermediate stops
• Good POI handling incl. POI search
• Clear and pleasant map image
• Frequent map updates

*** Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) ***

[Andrew Heard]

: I don't like this 3D view in OsmAnd.

I was disappointed with the so-called 3D view; not like Google Earth. If you need a 3D view on Android then I use Google Earth side-by-side with LM4.