Why people leave what3words
- Proprietary system. Three-word addresses are owned and licensed by what3words. The dictionary, the algorithm, and the API all sit behind a commercial licence. Open standards like Plus Codes or GPS coordinates do the same job without lock-in.
- Adoption gap outside emergency services. UK emergency services and a handful of delivery firms accept what3words. Most apps, mapping platforms, and businesses worldwide do not. Sharing a what3words address with someone who does not have the app means falling back to coordinates anyway.
- Word ambiguity. Some three-word combinations sound similar enough to be misheard or mistyped. Reports flag confusion between similar-sounding words across English dialects, with cases of riders sent to the wrong location.
- Account and data tracking. The newer AI features and saved-address lists nudge users into creating an account, which routes location data through what3words servers.
- Lower rating signal. The Play Store rating sits at 3.7, with regular complaints about the recent UI overhaul, intrusive permission prompts, and feature creep around AI chat.
If any of those push you to compare, here are 7 what3words alternatives worth installing.
Which app should you choose?
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Google Maps if you want the broadest coverage and built-in Plus Codes as an open three-word alternative.
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OsmAnd if you spend time in the outdoors and want pinpoint coordinates with offline maps.
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Organic Maps if you want zero telemetry, zero accounts, and full offline navigation.
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HERE WeGo if you cross borders often and want free country-sized offline maps.
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Magic Earth if you want free turn-by-turn with location sharing that does not need an account.
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MAPS.ME if you want a familiar offline map app with point sharing via OSM links.
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Mapy.com if you hike, cycle, or travel in central Europe and want detailed terrain plus precise points.
Stay on what3words if you regularly contact UK emergency services in remote locations, you work with a logistics partner that requires three-word addresses, or your delivery network has standardised on it.
Comparison table
| App | Best for | Location format | Offline | Free | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Maps | Everyday default | Plus Codes + GPS | Region | Yes | 4.0 |
| OsmAnd | Outdoor precision | GPS + UTM | Worldwide | Yes (FOSS) | 4.4 |
| Organic Maps | Privacy-first | GPS coordinates | Worldwide | Yes (FOSS) | 4.6 |
| HERE WeGo | Free country offline | GPS coordinates | 100+ countries | Yes | 4.4 |
| Magic Earth | Privacy-friendly | GPS coordinates | Worldwide | Yes | 4.4 |
| MAPS.ME | Familiar offline | OSM share links | Worldwide | Yes | 3.8 |
| Mapy.com | Central EU outdoors | GPS coordinates | Worldwide | Yes | 4.5 |
1. Google Maps — broadest coverage and built-in Plus Codes
Google Maps supports Plus Codes, an open three-character location standard, alongside latitude and longitude. Plus Codes work the same way as what3words for sharing pinpoint locations: type or paste the code into any Maps app and it resolves to the exact spot. Plus Codes are open source, so they work without a paid licence and integrate into apps that what3words does not reach.
Google Maps vs what3words on universal recognition is no contest. Google Maps runs on almost every phone, accepts a Plus Code, a coordinate pair, or a Google Maps short link, and lets you save offline regions. The trade-off is the wider Google data footprint and the in-app promoted pins.
Advantages:
- Plus Codes built in alongside coordinates
- Works on almost every phone worldwide
- Offline regions for use without signal
- Multimodal directions in one app
Disadvantages:
- Google account ties location data to your profile
- Promoted pins surface in search
- Three-word style is not native; uses Plus Codes instead
Pricing: Free.
Bottom line: Pick Google Maps if you want the easiest universal alternative; Plus Codes do the same job as what3words without the lock-in.
2. OsmAnd — outdoor precision with offline maps
OsmAnd is the OpenStreetMap power tool. The app handles car turn-by-turn, hiking with contour lines, cycling with surface-aware routing, and offline GPX recording. For pinpoint location sharing, OsmAnd copies precise GPS coordinates and shares them as a standard URL or coordinate pair that any other map app can parse. Topographic, marine, ski, and travel layers ship as optional plugins.
OsmAnd vs what3words is the swap from a proprietary code to GPS coordinates that work everywhere. Latitude and longitude are universally readable and accepted by emergency services worldwide.
Advantages:
- Worldwide offline maps with topo overlays
- Precise GPS coordinate sharing
- GPX track recording and import
- F-Droid build available
Disadvantages:
- Steeper learning curve than Google Maps
- Free tier limits the number of map regions
- Three-word friendly format is not native
Pricing: Free with map download limits. Paid tiers available.
Bottom line: Pick OsmAnd if you want precise, offline location sharing in coordinates that any other app can read.
3. Organic Maps — privacy-first offline navigation
Organic Maps is the open-source fork started by the original MAPS.ME developers after that app pivoted toward ads. It ships with worldwide OpenStreetMap data, fully offline turn-by-turn for cars, bikes, and walking, and zero telemetry. Sharing a location produces a standard map URL with coordinates, which any other map app can open. There is no account, no analytics, no ad SDK.
Organic Maps vs what3words on privacy is straightforward. what3words requires you to send queries to its API to encode or decode a code; Organic Maps shares coordinates locally without phoning home.
Advantages:
- Free and open-source under Apache 2.0
- No account, no analytics, no trackers
- Full offline navigation worldwide
- F-Droid build with reproducible signing
Disadvantages:
- No live traffic
- OSM data quality varies by region
- No native three-word format
Pricing: Free.
Bottom line: Pick Organic Maps if privacy is the reason you are leaving what3words; nothing tracks, nothing logs.
4. HERE WeGo — free country-sized offline maps
HERE WeGo lets you download full country maps for free and use them offline with turn-by-turn voice guidance. The HERE map data behind it is the same dataset many car manufacturers ship in their dashboards. Location sharing produces standard coordinate-based URLs and what HERE calls “share location” links that any HERE-aware app can open. Public transport directions cover 1,300 plus cities.
HERE WeGo vs what3words for travellers and people who lose signal often is mostly about offline reliability and universal coordinate sharing.
Advantages:
- Country-sized offline downloads at no cost
- Same map data as in-car systems
- Public transport in 1,300+ cities
- No account required for basic navigation
Disadvantages:
- Live traffic is thinner than Google Maps
- Interface feels older than newer apps
- No three-word friendly format
Pricing: Free.
Bottom line: Pick HERE WeGo if you need offline country maps for free and you want a proven coordinate-share workflow.
5. Magic Earth — privacy-friendly free turn-by-turn
Magic Earth runs on OpenStreetMap data and ships full 3D turn-by-turn navigation, traffic, and live weather without a sign-in screen. Location sharing uses standard coordinate links. There is no account, no ads in the map view, and the privacy policy commits to no profiling. The routing engine handles cars, bikes, and walking modes.
Magic Earth vs what3words on free navigation that respects your data is the same trade-off as Organic Maps but with live traffic and 3D buildings. The location share format is universal coordinates, not three words.
Advantages:
- No account, no tracker SDKs
- 3D buildings and lane guidance
- Live traffic and weather
- Hands-free voice commands
Disadvantages:
- Smaller place database than Google Maps
- Live community reports thinner than Waze
- No three-word format
Pricing: Free.
Bottom line: Pick Magic Earth for a free, privacy-friendly map app that shares precise coordinates without an account.
6. MAPS.ME — familiar offline maps with OSM share links
MAPS.ME is the long-running OSM-based offline map app that many travellers already have installed. Saving and sharing a location produces a standard ge0 link that resolves to coordinates in any browser or map app. The interface is friendlier than OsmAnd’s, and downloading a country pack is one tap.
MAPS.ME vs what3words is a coordinate-versus-code question. The MAPS.ME ge0 link is human-shareable, opens cleanly in browsers, and does not require the recipient to install MAPS.ME. After the 2020 ownership change, the app added ads and account features, which is why some users moved to Organic Maps.
Advantages:
- Friendly offline OSM interface
- Quick country-pack downloads
- ge0 share links open in any browser
- Strong place-of-interest catalogue
Disadvantages:
- Ads after the 2020 ownership change
- Optional account adds telemetry
- Lower rating than the Organic Maps fork
Pricing: Free with ads. Premium subscription removes ads.
Bottom line: Pick MAPS.ME if you already use it and want a familiar offline map app that shares coordinates universally.
7. Mapy.com — detailed terrain across central Europe
Mapy.com (formerly Mapy.cz) is the Czech-built offline map app with the strongest hiking, cycling, and ski coverage across central Europe. Downloads cover the whole world, the topographic and contour data is detailed, and shared locations produce coordinate-based URLs. Trail markers, elevation profiles, and POIs go beyond what general-purpose apps surface.
Mapy.com vs what3words is the gold standard if you spend time in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, or surrounding countries. Coordinates work universally, and the trail data beats what3words because what3words has no terrain layer at all.
Advantages:
- Detailed central Europe terrain data
- Hiking, cycling, ski, and water trails
- Worldwide offline downloads
- Coordinate-based location sharing
Disadvantages:
- POI density thins outside central Europe
- Interface tilts toward outdoors over urban
- No native three-word format
Pricing: Free.
Bottom line: Pick Mapy.com if you hike or cycle in central Europe and want precise coordinates with terrain context.
How to choose
Pick Google Maps if you just want the easiest swap. Plus Codes do exactly what what3words does, work on every phone, and are open source.
Pick OsmAnd for outdoor precision and offline coordinate sharing.
Pick Organic Maps if privacy is the priority. No account, no telemetry, no trackers.
Pick HERE WeGo for free offline country maps and reliable coordinate sharing on the road.
Pick Magic Earth for free turn-by-turn that does not need a sign-in.
Pick MAPS.ME if you already have it and the ge0 share links suit your workflow.
Pick Mapy.com for hiking and cycling in central Europe.
Stay on what3words if you specifically deal with UK emergency services in remote locations, you work with a logistics partner that requires three-word addresses, or your delivery network has standardised on it.
FAQ
What is the open alternative to what3words?
Plus Codes (Open Location Code) are the closest open alternative. Google built and open-sourced Plus Codes, and they work in Google Maps, in URLs, and in third-party apps without a licence. UTM and standard latitude-longitude coordinates also work universally and are accepted by emergency services worldwide.
Do UK emergency services accept GPS coordinates?
Yes. UK emergency services accept latitude and longitude coordinates, what3words addresses, and OS Grid references. The 999 BSL service and the emergencySMS service both handle coordinates routinely. Always state the format you are using before reading the numbers.
Is Google Maps as accurate as what3words?
For pinpoint location sharing, yes. A Plus Code or a six-decimal latitude-longitude pair both narrow a position to roughly the same precision as a what3words square. The difference is presentation, not accuracy.
Why do delivery companies use what3words?
UK delivery companies use it because addresses with no door number or imprecise postcodes can be ambiguous. A three-word address narrows a doorstep to a 3-by-3-metre square. Plus Codes and shared coordinates do the same thing, but what3words has the brand recognition in UK logistics.
Can I share a precise location without an app?
Yes. Open Google Maps in any browser, drop a pin, and copy the coordinate URL. The recipient can open it in any map app. For SMS, send the coordinate pair as text and ask the recipient to paste it into Maps.
Is what3words free?
The app is free for personal use. The API and commercial integrations are licensed, which is part of why adoption outside emergency services and a few logistics partners has been slow.
