Show HN: OpenFreeMap – Open-Source Map Hosting (openfreemap.org)

Article summary

OpenFreeMap is an open-source map hosting service that allows users to display custom maps on their websites and apps for free, with no limits on the number of map views or requests. The service uses map data from OpenStreetMap and provides weekly full planet downloads in Btrfs and MBTiles formats. The project aims to be self-sustainable through donations, with the goal of covering server costs. The developer has open-sourced their map tile infrastructure, which can be self-hosted or used through the public instance.

Main themes

• Open-source mapping
• Map hosting
• Self-hosting
• Vector tiles
• Map data
• Donations and sustainability

What commenters say

• The project fills a gap in the market by providing a free and open-source alternative to commercial map tile providers, which can be expensive for small businesses and individuals.
• Some users are interested in using the service for specific use cases, such as creating a private neighborhood map with property boundaries and owner information.
• The use of Btrfs for storing and serving map tiles is seen as a good choice due to its efficient handling of inodes and incremental send/sync capabilities.
• There are alternative solutions, such as Protomaps and PMTiles, which offer serverless deployment options, but may have trade-offs in terms of latency and performance.
• Some users are looking for ways to trim down the full planet map data to a smaller area, such as a state or region, to reduce storage and bandwidth requirements.
• The project's sustainability model, which relies on donations, is seen as a potential challenge, and some users suggest displaying a cost bar vs donations bar on the website to increase transparency.
• Satellite imagery is a significant cost factor for map services, and some users are looking for free or affordable sources, such as ESA/NASA images or Keimaps.
• The choice between OpenFreeMap and other solutions, such as Protomaps, depends on specific use cases and priorities, such as security, performance, and ease of use.