# OpenStreetMap web editor

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/openstreetmap-web-editor/

5 people recommended OpenStreetMap web editor in Hacker News comments and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 2 of 12 months, in 3 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

3 of the 5 people who recommend it commented in one thread, “Make your first edit to OpenStreetMap”.

**Verdict:** A free, browser-based editor for OpenStreetMap that people find easy to learn for their first edits. One critic found it confusing and difficult.

Summary written by Claude from 5 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Beginner-friendly and easy to learn (2 comments in the sample): "the web editor is probably the most beginner-friendly editor" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48811822)) "OpenStreetMap iD is probably the easiest to learn." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48818519))
- Good for quick first edits (1 comment in the sample): "in about ten minutes used the visual editor to paint in the driveway" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49676776))
- Works directly on openstreetmap.org (1 comment in the sample): "just use the editor on openstreetmap.org" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49674472))

## What people warn about

- Confusing and difficult to use (1 comment in the sample): "I tried editing through OSM and found it confusing and difficult." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48491862))

## Other map editors people recommend

- [Every Door](https://hackerapproved.com/p/every-door/): 19 recommend, 2 mixed, 4 criticize
- [MapComplete](https://hackerapproved.com/p/mapcomplete/): 16 recommend, 0 mixed, 2 criticize
- [iD editor](https://hackerapproved.com/p/id-editor/): 11 recommend, 0 mixed, 3 criticize
- [JOSM](https://hackerapproved.com/p/josm/): 9 recommend, 2 mixed, 11 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "OpenStreetMap web editor", https://hackerapproved.com/p/openstreetmap-web-editor/ (5 recommend, 0 mixed, 1 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 3 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.