rhythmisaprancer

Topographic map apps for mobile

I am looking for an open source replacement for Gaia. I have been using an Android alternative OS for awhile (Graphene) and this is a program I have struggled to find a replacement for. I have found one option on github, but it doesn’t seem to be maintained but otherwise would fit some of my desires (opentopomap). Openstreetmap has a topo layer, but there doesn’t seem to be a mobile app that has the focus on topo maps. I mostly find open source options for dedicated GPS devices.

I don’t expect to have what I get from Gaia but having the ability to get this info on the fly is very useful for me.

I hope this is an acceptable topic!

https://piefed.social/post/1355808

Oct 10, 2025 at 6:59amWeb
Show threadrhythmisaprancerOct 22

@[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected]

Thanks for the tips and discussion! Fdroid was incredibly slow to work with, but I have installed osmand with some additions and found that it can possibly replace Gaia. It has a photo layer option and many other things that ate helpful. I will need to spend more time with it, but I feel good about it!

Thanks for pushing me in this direction.

Show threadookOct 22
Cool! Glad to hear you found something that works well enough.
Show threadookOct 10, 2025
I may be wrong but doesn’t Osmand have a topographical view or map setting or something
Show threadinfeeeeeOct 10, 2025

There is a topography plugin, you have to pay for it, but it’s free in the fdroid version: osmand.net/docs/user/plugins/topography/

There is also a topo map style, similar to OpenTopoMap, but no contourlines: osmand.net/docs/user/map/vector-maps/#topo

Mapy is another osm based map app (except for Czechia, map data is different there), some of my hiking friends love it, it’s not foss at all: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cz.seznam.m…

Osmand is not fully foss as well.

Topography | OsmAnd

Overview

Show threadillusionistOct 10, 2025

Whats not foss about it?

There’s no info on fdroid regarding it not being foss

Show threadinfeeeeeOct 10, 2025

Visual elements: osmand.net/help-online/license/

And fdroid shows it:

License | OsmAnd

Show threadillusionistOct 10, 2025
You’re right, neo store hides all that info nowadays. I wasn’t aware that it is now hidden.
Show threadSomeAmateurOct 10, 2025

For having a dedicated topo setup I would recommend OSMand. CoMaps/OrganicMaps does contour lines too but you can configure things way more in OSMand and it makes a huge difference. I have both apps so here are screenshots of the same place to compare