shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use Magic Earth?

Maps & navigation app, pitched as a private European alternative to Google Maps - magicearth.com

Depends. Buy if you want a cheap, privacy-friendly Google Maps replacement and accept the new freemium model with Premium at roughly $0.99/year. Skip it if you need reliably free turn-by-turn, business or fleet features, or responsive map-fix support.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~25 public sources — mostly Reddit/forum user reports; no hard vendor metrics (ratings, user counts) published.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Free

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Premium$0.99/year

Best for

  • Privacy-first daily navigation
  • De-Googled Android users (GrapheneOS, /e/OS)
  • Offline road-trip navigation
  • Budget buyers okay with $0.99/year

Not for

  • Any business, fleet, or dispatch need — it's a consumer nav app
  • Users who resent subscriptions for formerly free features
  • Anyone needing Google-level POI and live traffic accuracy
  • People who rely on map corrections being applied quickly

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

Freemium flip means features that were free may now require Premium — audit what you use before paying.

medium

User-submitted road closures reportedly ignored, especially complex or long-term ones — don't count on fixes.

medium

Location failures and demo-mode locks reported on privacy-hardened ROMs; troubleshooting outcomes not guaranteed.

low

$0.99/year is a recurring subscription, not a one-time purchase; users pushed back on exactly this.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Core navigation free; Premium reportedly just $0.99/year
  • Flagged by Proton as a private European alternative to Google Maps
  • Offline turn-by-turn, 3D maps, plus new Android Auto (AAOS) support
  • Long-standing default on /e/OS de-Googled phones

Cons

  • 2025 freemium switch called 'evil' by longtime users
  • Recent-update backlash: users asking 'what is the next best?'
  • Reported bug: app 'no longer knows my location'
  • Stuck-in-demo-mode reports on GrapheneOS

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/26/2026 - 11 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x3review x7news x1

Key stats

  • Value for money: 4/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 11

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 4/5. $0.99/year Premium is trivially cheap despite backlash
  • Ease of use: 3/5. Demo-mode lock and location failures reported
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Offline, 3D maps, new Android Auto (AAOS)
  • Support quality: 2/5. User-submitted road closures reportedly ignored
  • Security posture: 3/5. No breaches found; security page returns 404
  • $0.99/year Premium price Recurring subscription, per user reports
  • Yes Free tier Core navigation still free after freemium shift
  • Amsterdam HQ Listed by Proton as a European alternative
  • iOS + Android Platforms New Android Auto (AAOS) support added

Pricing

Free

$0

  • Core navigation and maps

Premium

$0.99/year

  • Unlocks Premium navigation features
  • Recurring subscription, not one-time

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

Longtime users loved the cheap, private navigation but the 2025 freemium switch and unaddressed bug reports triggered loud backlash.

“Magic Earth is trash now, what is the next best?”
Reddit, r/degoogle
“$0.99/year price vs. one time purchase”
Reddit, r/MagicEarth
“Magic Earth Ignores User-Submitted Road Closures”
Reddit, r/MagicEarth

Companies that use it

  • E Foundation (/e/OS)
Full analysis

Based on ~25 public sources — mostly Reddit/forum user reports; no hard vendor metrics (ratings, user counts) published.

Cheap, private Google Maps alternative — but the 2025 freemium switch and ignored bug reports have users fuming.

Methodology

Based on ~25 public sources — mostly Reddit/forum user reports; no hard vendor metrics (ratings, user counts) published.

Sources

  1. Magic Earth official sitemagicearth.com
    official
  2. Magic Earth pricing pagemagicearth.com
    official
  3. Magic Earth App Store listingapps.apple.com
    official
  4. The last great nav app goes evil (menga.net)menga.net
    news
  5. Best private European maps and navigation apps (Proton)proton.me
    review
  6. Magic Earth is trash now (r/degoogle)reddit.com
    review
  7. $0.99/year vs one-time purchase (r/MagicEarth)reddit.com
    review
  8. Magic Earth ignores road closures (r/MagicEarth)reddit.com
    review
  9. Stuck on DEMO mode (GrapheneOS forum)discuss.grapheneos.org
    review
  10. No longer knows my location (/e/OS community)community.e.foundation
    review
  11. Now requires a subscription (r/GrapheneOS)reddit.com
    review

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