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Comparison · DevOps

GraphHopper vs Nominatim

A side-by-side editorial comparison of GraphHopper and Nominatim — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Shared themes:openstreetmap

GraphHopper vs Nominatim: at a glance

FeatureGraphHopperNominatim
SectorDevOpsDevOps
Velocity score2.52.5
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesrouting, openstreetmap, navigation, security-fixesgeocoding, openstreetmap, api-hardening, reverse-geocoding
Last editorial update1h ago1h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is GraphHopper?

GraphHopper 11.1 is a security release, and 12.0 prerelease tags have started.

GraphHopper published 11.1 in October as a security release fixing what it calls critical vulnerabilities, without describing them; the attached change list largely repeats 11.0's OSM tag work, plus items such as trip-based public transit routing, scriptable turn penalties and POST /navigate. Alongside it, 12.0-pre1 and 12.0-pre3 tags and an odd 11.0-alpha1 tag appeared with only commit messages. The roughly yearly major cadence (10.0 in late 2024, 11.0 in October 2025) points at 12.0 as the next major.

Read the full GraphHopper trajectory →

What is Nominatim?

Nominatim 5.3.3 turns off its debug view by default because it can leak server details.

Nominatim releases a minor every few months with hotfixes when the update path breaks. 5.3.3, the first entry since April, restores compatibility with the latest SQLAlchemy and fixes reverse geocoding near overlapping POIs, POIs parented to unnamed streets, TIGER parent streets and rank-11 boundaries. It also tightens API parameter validation, output escaping and overlong query terms, and makes one breaking change: the debug view is now off unless NOMINATIM_SERVE_DEBUG_OUTPUT is set.

Read the full Nominatim trajectory →

GraphHopper vs Nominatim: editorial side-by-side

G2.5

GraphHopper 11.1 is a security release, and 12.0 prerelease tags have started.

◆ Current state

GraphHopper published 11.1 in October as a security release fixing what it calls critical vulnerabilities, without describing them; the attached change list largely repeats 11.0's OSM tag work, plus items such as trip-based public transit routing, scriptable turn penalties and POST /navigate. Alongside it, 12.0-pre1 and 12.0-pre3 tags and an odd 11.0-alpha1 tag appeared with only commit messages. The roughly yearly major cadence (10.0 in late 2024, 11.0 in October 2025) points at 12.0 as the next major.

◆ Where it's heading

The engine's recent work is routing quality, reading OSM tags more faithfully per mode, and that continues in the 11.x list. The 12.0 prereleases suggest the next major is in preparation, but their notes give no content. Security disclosure is thin: 11.1 is labelled critical without naming the issue.

◆ Prediction

A 12.0 release is the next likely major entry given the prerelease tags; its contents can't be read from these entries.

N
Nominatim
DEVOPS
2.5

Nominatim 5.3.3 turns off its debug view by default because it can leak server details.

◆ Current state

Nominatim releases a minor every few months with hotfixes when the update path breaks. 5.3.3, the first entry since April, restores compatibility with the latest SQLAlchemy and fixes reverse geocoding near overlapping POIs, POIs parented to unnamed streets, TIGER parent streets and rank-11 boundaries. It also tightens API parameter validation, output escaping and overlong query terms, and makes one breaking change: the debug view is now off unless NOMINATIM_SERVE_DEBUG_OUTPUT is set.

◆ Where it's heading

Since the move to a Python package was completed in 5.0, releases have concentrated on geocoding quality and the update pipeline. 5.3.3 adds a security-minded layer, validating and escaping API input and output and closing the debug view, which suggests operators running public instances are now a design concern. No migrations are needed, keeping upgrades cheap.

◆ Prediction

Expect a 5.4 minor to continue query-parser and update-pipeline work; the hardening in 5.3.3 may extend to further API defaults.

Alternatives to GraphHopper and Nominatim

Other DevOps products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either GraphHopper or Nominatim.

See all GraphHopper alternatives → · See all Nominatim alternatives →

Recent activity from GraphHopper and Nominatim

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 11d agoGraphHopper11.1 security release for undisclosed critical vulnerabilities
  2. 18d agoNominatim5.3.3 disables the debug view by default and fixes search cases
  3. 1mo agoGraphHopper12.0-pre3 prerelease tag (no notes)
  4. 1mo agoGraphHopperRelease tag adapting to Sonatype publishing
  5. 1mo agoGraphHopper12.0-pre1 prerelease tag (no notes)
  6. 6mo agoNominatim5.3.2 fixes a non-null constraint error during updates
  7. 6mo agoNominatim5.3.1 restores usable update speed for associatedStreet relations
  8. 7mo agoNominatim5.3.0 gives postcodes and interpolations their own processing tables
  9. 1y agoNominatim5.2.0 returns building entrances and cuts SQL round-trips
  10. 1y agoGraphHopper11.0 refines mode-specific OSM tag handling and adds POST /navigate
  11. 1y agoNominatim5.1.0 recognizes postcodes that aren't in the OSM data
  12. 1y agoGraphHopper10.2 fixes an import failure on recent OSM turn restriction data

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between GraphHopper and Nominatim?

Both compete on the same themes — openstreetmap — within DevOps. GraphHopper and Nominatim are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 2.5 vs 2.5, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is GraphHopper better than Nominatim?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. GraphHopper and Nominatim are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 2.5 vs 2.5, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other DevOps products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to GraphHopper?

Top GraphHopper alternatives in DevOps are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "GraphHopper alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/graphhopper for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to Nominatim?

Top Nominatim alternatives in DevOps are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Nominatim alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/nominatim for the full list with editorial commentary on each.