The Dutch navigation app Magic Earth is experiencing rapid growth. Magic Earth presents itself as a European and privacy-friendly alternative to Google Maps.
Magic Earth, a mobile navigation app of Dutch origin, reports that it has tripled its user base in just six weeks. The previously little-known alternative to Google and Apple Maps attributes its rise to the recent trend towards ‘de-Americanization’ among European mobile users, says creator Magic Lane.
The Dutch navigation app leverages its European character to compete with Google Maps, but also focuses on privacy. Magic Earth prides itself on not storing location data or user history. This is in contrast to other navigation services, which know exactly where you were and when if you don’t adjust your settings.
The rapid popularity of Magic Earth comes at a cost. The company says that maintaining an ‘independent’ application costs money. After a free one-month trial period, the application will cost 99 cents per year. Magic Lane says this is the only way to keep the application free of advertisements.
De-Americanization
Magic Earth benefits from a trend towards ‘de-Americanization’ in the IT world. Donald Trump’s whims and the resulting geopolitical and economic tensions are making consumers and companies reconsider whether they still want to use Big Tech technology. The website European Alternatives, compiled by Austrian software developers, bundles the main European providers of digital services, and the European Union is also helping companies find (open source) alternatives.
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Alternatives to the services of Google, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and Apple that might have previously remained under the radar are therefore gaining popularity at a rapid pace in recent weeks. Another example is Signal: we have already analyzed extensively why that app suddenly became so popular.