Osmdroid as alternative to Mapbox

Question

I am currently using MapBox SDK to display raster map tiles within an Java/Kotlin implemented Android app. However, I want to replace the Mapbox SDK with an alternative primarily because, as far as I understand, when I use MapBox SDK in my app even just to display other third party map tiles, it will result in some location information about my user's being intermittently sent to Mapbox. I am now considering osmdroid and was looking for some input on whether this will be an appropriate alternative. I am using Here maps as the primary source of raster map tiles [though I also have limited coverage map tile server (generated from OSM) of my own which I do not currently use but might as an alternative if needed]. Within the app, the functionality that I want to implement is relatively simple:

(1) Display map tiles based on standard X,Y,Z system (2) Display tap-able icons overlaid at certain (GPS) locations on the displayed maps (3) Allow user to zoom in-out or scroll across the displayed map

However, one absolute key requirement is that none of my user location information will be shared as part of the terms of usage for the SDK.

Is Osmdroid SDK a possible suitable alternative to mapbox SDK for this?

Thanks for any comments.

Answer 1

Since 2017, I've been using the OsmDroid SDK quite frequently. The SDK is primarily used to create my situational awareness map application and to manage my offline GeoPackage raster and vector map collections via OsmDroid GeoPackage API support, though the core GeoPackage API allows me to use online GeoPackage-based map providers.

To respond to your inquiry: No user data, including location, is stored by the OsmDroid APIs. It is merely an SDK for manipulating its MapView (which extends from Android's ViewGroup) and supports loading tile sources from online/offline map databases.

It will be our responsibility to implement our own location positioning codes so that any user position, in addition to other map objects you want to include in the map, can be drawn on the map.

Unlike the Google Maps SDK, no API key is required for the OsmDroid SDK. In fact, it attempts to emulate what the Google Maps SDK can do while remaining royalty-free and open-source license compliant. It primarily serves OpenStreetMap purposes. To improve the OsmDroid experience, a free OsmBonusPack SDK simplifies developer use-cases.

https://github.com/MKergall/osmbonuspack

Except that you'll need a TOKEN/API key from the map database provider of your choice for any non-free map databases you want to use as base maps or tile sources. This requires you to code in the necessary parameters for the tile module provider to work.

https://github.com/osmdroid/osmdroid/wiki/Map-Sources