# uMaps: Alternative to Google Maps
**URL:** https://forum.pinegrow.com/t/umaps-alternative-to-google-maps/583
**Category:** Tips & Tricks
**Created:** [January 10, 2017, 8:57pm UTC](https://forum.pinegrow.com/t/umaps-alternative-to-google-maps/583 "2017-01-10T20:57:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Jack](https://forum.pinegrow.com/u/Jack)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2017, 8:57pm UTC](https://forum.pinegrow.com/t/umaps-alternative-to-google-maps/583/1 "2017-01-10T20:57:41Z")
Hi Forum,
I’ve managed to find a way back to reality and during that journey I discovered an alternative to google maps:
[https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/](https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/)
It really is excellent and allows an easy way to create slick looking maps to blend in with the design of your website and the businesses branding. It’s also open source.
Create an account at [http://www.openstreetmap.org](http://www.openstreetmap.org) to save all your maps and you can easily embed your maps within your website using the iframe code.
Once you create your map, you can drop in the iframe component if using bootstrap or foundation “edit code” and replace the code with the iframe code you copied and pasted from uMaps. I set both height/width to 100% (within uMaps options) and depending on the layout I control the iframe using css for different screen sizes.
uMap has numerous customisation options so make sure you explore because at first it can seem daunting but you just have to explore all the options and remove/add to suit your requirements.
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### Author:  [@Simmo](https://forum.pinegrow.com/u/Simmo)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2017, 2:42am UTC](https://forum.pinegrow.com/t/umaps-alternative-to-google-maps/583/2 "2017-01-11T02:42:05Z")
Hi Jack,
Thanks for that - will check it out
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### Author:  [@Jack](https://forum.pinegrow.com/u/Jack)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2017, 2:48am UTC](https://forum.pinegrow.com/t/umaps-alternative-to-google-maps/583/3 "2017-01-11T02:48:37Z")
Simmo when you come to exploring, have a look at the right hand side options and click “change tile layers” as it comes with some default styling ready to use.
You can also hide all user viewable options from “user interface options”
Also make sure you click “save center and zoom” which is on the options bar to the right.
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### Author:  [@Simmo](https://forum.pinegrow.com/u/Simmo)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2017, 3:05am UTC](https://forum.pinegrow.com/t/umaps-alternative-to-google-maps/583/4 "2017-01-11T03:05:10Z")
Good stuff - I have just now finished a site where I used google maps but I will check this and revisit the design
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### Author:  [@mandarin](https://forum.pinegrow.com/u/mandarin)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2017, 7:55am UTC](https://forum.pinegrow.com/t/umaps-alternative-to-google-maps/583/5 "2017-01-11T07:55:08Z")
That will never replace google maps. Far too many spelling errors - look at Edinburgh as an example, and for my area mapping is massively inacurate with roads in wrong places, wrong road names and even roads missing completely.
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### Author:  [@Rob](https://forum.pinegrow.com/u/Rob)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2017, 11:41am UTC](https://forum.pinegrow.com/t/umaps-alternative-to-google-maps/583/6 "2017-01-11T11:41:01Z")
Welcome back Jack. Hope you’re in good form and thanks for the share its an interesting option.
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### Author:  [@Jack](https://forum.pinegrow.com/u/Jack)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2017, 3:04pm UTC](https://forum.pinegrow.com/t/umaps-alternative-to-google-maps/583/7 "2017-01-11T15:04:09Z")
> [@mandarin](#):
>
> and for my area mapping is massively inacurate with roads in wrong places
Well for my area it’s spot on and also checked where I was born and it’s spot on - so who wins?
Nothing will ever replace google maps and while you can style google maps, this actually has more options overall and if you wish you can join the community and help with updating the maps.
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### Author:  [@Jack](https://forum.pinegrow.com/u/Jack)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2017, 3:12pm UTC](https://forum.pinegrow.com/t/umaps-alternative-to-google-maps/583/8 "2017-01-11T15:12:00Z")
[http://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright](http://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright)
There is some homework for you, check the mistakes and spelling errors and I’ll email the openmaps big boss and tell him to update 🙂
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### Author:  [@schpengle](https://forum.pinegrow.com/u/schpengle)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2017, 9:22pm UTC](https://forum.pinegrow.com/t/umaps-alternative-to-google-maps/583/9 "2017-01-11T21:22:20Z")
And here is another \< I know one of the Devs.
[http://www.openstreetmap.org/user/Steven%20Whitehouse](http://www.openstreetmap.org/user/Steven%20Whitehouse)
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### Author:  [@Jack](https://forum.pinegrow.com/u/Jack)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2017, 9:59pm UTC](https://forum.pinegrow.com/t/umaps-alternative-to-google-maps/583/10 "2017-01-11T21:59:22Z")
I have a funny feeling the guys at uMap may know the guys at openstreetmap 😀
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### Author:  [@Rob](https://forum.pinegrow.com/u/Rob)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2017, 2:30pm UTC](https://forum.pinegrow.com/t/umaps-alternative-to-google-maps/583/11 "2017-01-12T14:30:27Z")
@schpengle Ur funny… have a look at the [link](http://forum.pinegrow.com/t/umaps-alternative-to-google-maps/583?u=rob) posted in by Jack in the OP.
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### Author:  [@Jack](https://forum.pinegrow.com/u/Jack)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2017, 3:06am UTC](https://forum.pinegrow.com/t/umaps-alternative-to-google-maps/583/12 "2017-01-14T03:06:33Z")
I wonder when mandarin will return after making his comment about OpenMaps being massively inaccurate?
> **[Founder: OpenStreetMap Already As Good Or Better Than Google Maps](https://searchengineland.com/founder-openstreetmap-good-better-google-maps-already-192089)**
>
> Steve Coast founded OpenStreetMap (OSM) in the UK in 2004. It's 10 years old this year. He was inspired by the Wikipedia model and compelled by a lack of
If you type into google “openstreetmaps or google maps” there are quite a few articles and discussions.
> **[Why would you use OpenStreetMap if there is Google Maps? - Geoawesomeness](https://geoawesomeness.com/why-would-you-use-openstreetmap-if-there-is-google-maps/)**
>
> If you’re a GeoGeek, cartographer, developer or you simply need to find a particular place on a map you’ve got two main mapping environments to choose from: Google Maps and OpenStreetMap… and I guess that you might be asking yourself: “Why would I...
> In fact more and more major organizations are choosing OSM for their maps. In February 2012, Foursquare switched to the OpenStreetMap powered Mapbox platform. In March 2013, Wikipedia started using OSM as well. Craigslist uses it for apartment searches and even Apple has used OSM data in its maps… Other popular platforms using OSM powered maps are Github, Pinterest, Roadtrippers and Strava, to name a few.
There you go, if its good enough for WIkipedia, Craiglist and Apple, I’m sure its good enough for Pinegrow Users 😁
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### Author:  [@mandarin](https://forum.pinegrow.com/u/mandarin)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2017, 8:03am UTC](https://forum.pinegrow.com/t/umaps-alternative-to-google-maps/583/13 "2017-01-14T08:03:23Z")
Jack
I’ll return now.
I didn’t say it was massively inaccurate, I said it was massively inaccurate **for my area**. There’s a difference. I’m sure it’s fine for many users but for me just too out of date with errors.
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### Author:  [@Jack](https://forum.pinegrow.com/u/Jack)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2017, 5:23pm UTC](https://forum.pinegrow.com/t/umaps-alternative-to-google-maps/583/14 "2017-01-14T17:23:59Z")
Nice to hear from you mandarin.
My comment directed at you was said with tongue in cheek 😄 - always nice to have a credible alternative to the big boys!
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### Author:  [@Jack](https://forum.pinegrow.com/u/Jack)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2017, 6:08am UTC](https://forum.pinegrow.com/t/umaps-alternative-to-google-maps/583/15 "2017-01-15T06:08:15Z")
> [@mandarin](#):
>
> That will never replace google maps. Far too many spelling errors - **look at Edinburgh as an example,**
Which part of Edinburgh has spelling errors? so it can be reported to their team for updating.
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### Author:  [@mandarin](https://forum.pinegrow.com/u/mandarin)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2017, 8:18am UTC](https://forum.pinegrow.com/t/umaps-alternative-to-google-maps/583/16 "2017-01-15T08:18:57Z")
Jack
I clicked the create map button and moved to Edinburgh - spelt wrongly. Then I moved down the A1 as far as Alnwick, or tried to but there are huge chunks of it (the A1) simply not in place. Then some good news, there’s an amendment been made on the B4368 which I actually submitted to Google Map Maker 6 years ago, which Ordnance Survey still have to catch up with, so not all bad.
I guess it has promise, just a shame the starting point has so much missing.
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### Author:  [@Jack](https://forum.pinegrow.com/u/Jack)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2017, 5:32pm UTC](https://forum.pinegrow.com/t/umaps-alternative-to-google-maps/583/17 "2017-01-15T17:32:56Z")
Yeah that often takes time to update , same with sat navs (sending you on a road to nowhere)
They appear to have most of the correct data re major cities so we just have to report mistakes as the project is community driven.
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### Author:  [@Jack](https://forum.pinegrow.com/u/Jack)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2017, 7:12pm UTC](https://forum.pinegrow.com/t/umaps-alternative-to-google-maps/583/18 "2017-01-15T19:12:15Z")
> [@mandarin](#):
>
> I clicked the create map button and moved to Edinburgh - spelt wrongly.
You will notice the link I provide has a .fr domain / en - when you first arrive on the interface, certain cities have the french spelling, such as “Londres” and “Édimbourg”
> **[Édimbourg](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89dimbourg)**
>
> « Edinburgh » redirige ici. Pour les autres significations, voir Edinburgh (homonymie).
>
> Édimbourg (/edɛ̃buʁ/ ; en anglais : Edinburgh /ˈɛdɪnb(ə)ɹə/, .mw-parser-output .prononciation\>a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Loudspeaker.svg")center left no-repeat;background-size:11px 11px;padding-left:15px;font-size:smaller}Écouter ; en gaélique écossais : Dùn Èideann, /ˈt̪uːnˈeːtʲən̪ˠ/ ; en scots : Embra, Edinburrie, Edinburra ou Edimbra) est une ville d'Écosse au Royaume...
Remember, uMap is using Open Street Maps data - this is what the end user will see - so there aren’t spelling errors and when you click search, type “Edinburgh” and that is what you will get, rather than the French wording.
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### Author:  [@schpengle](https://forum.pinegrow.com/u/schpengle)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2017, 8:49pm UTC](https://forum.pinegrow.com/t/umaps-alternative-to-google-maps/583/19 "2017-03-28T20:49:42Z")
aaaand… that was my final Slack post!
because they disconnected me immediately after I posted that
!
I can no longer _Skip for Now_
Booglywoogly Dog Turds
!
I had like a week or twos notice.
To have an Enforced OS upgrade ?
Not bloody likely.
not on MY watch!
😉
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### Author:  [@schpengle](https://forum.pinegrow.com/u/schpengle)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://forum.pinegrow.com/t/umaps-alternative-to-google-maps/583/20 "2017-03-28T21:14:25Z")
woops! how did that end up here? I’d better edit the B word!
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