Tag: openstreetmap

Self-Hosted Maps Stack Picker

You don't need every map tool. A decision tree for picking the right self-hosted maps stack, geocoding only, routing, tiles, or the whole works.

OsmAnd + Self-Hosted Tiles, Offline

Stop letting Google Maps know where you've been. Pair OsmAnd on your phone with self-hosted tiles for offline-first maps that don't snitch on you.

OpenRouteService: One Stack, Many APIs

Tired of gluing OSRM + a tile server together? OpenRouteService bundles routing, isochrones, matrix, and elevation APIs behind one self-hosted stack.

I Stopped Paying Google Maps API

A real workload, a real bill, and a real migration. What Google Maps API actually costs, what self-hosting actually saves, and what the migration cost in time.

Overpass API: SQL for OpenStreetMap

SQL for OpenStreetMap. Overpass lets you ask 'every coffee shop in Brooklyn near a subway.' Self-host it and stop fighting public-instance rate limits.

Full Self-Hosted Maps Stack

Replace Google Maps with self-hosted Nominatim, PostGIS, and a Martin tile server. Geocoding, reverse geocoding, and vector tiles, all on one box.

Tileserver-GL vs OpenMapTiles vs renderd

Vector vs raster tiles. MBTiles vs PostGIS-on-the-fly. Here's the actual storage and CPU cost of running each tile stack at home, with no marketing fluff.

Nominatim Hardware Sizing

Real RAM, disk, and CPU numbers for self-hosted Nominatim. Planet vs region, mini PC vs server, what survives the import and what doesn't.

BRouter: Cycling Routes That Don't Suck

Strava and Google route cyclists onto highways. BRouter's elevation-aware profiles know what a bike actually wants. Here's the self-hosted setup.

Self-Hosted OSRM in Docker

Run OSRM in Docker with a regional OSM extract, compile a routing profile, and get your own /route endpoint live. Profile compilation gotchas included.

OSRM vs Valhalla vs GraphHopper

Three open-source routing engines, three philosophies. OSRM is fast, Valhalla is flexible, GraphHopper is balanced. Here's how to actually pick one.

Photon Deep Dive: Search That Forgives

Nominatim is great until your users typo. Photon adds OpenSearch-backed fuzzy geocoding on top of OSM data, here's when to deploy both, side by side.