Is Mapillary's Map Data Open, and How Can I Access It?

Mapillary describes its street-level imagery and map data as open data, intended to help people make better decisions in city and road planning, mobility and navigation, and autonomous driving. You can access imagery and map data through the Mapillary website and apps, but use is governed by Mapillary's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy — openness here means publicly accessible and shareable under those terms, not that every use is unrestricted.

What "open" means on Mapillary

Mapillary's site frames openness as a collaborative benefit: contributors capture street-level images, and the resulting data is available for others to use. The platform reports over 3 billion street-level images, kept current through contributions.

Two practical points follow from the site's own wording:

• Access is public-facing. The site offers "Explore map" and "Download app" as the entry points to imagery and map data.
• Use has conditions. The Terms of Use and Privacy Policy apply, so check them before redistributing data or building a product on it.

The site does not state pricing for accessing or downloading data, so don't assume any specific access tier is free or paid without checking the current terms.

How to access imagery and map data

Explore on the web

Use the Explore map entry on mapillary.com to browse street-level imagery and map data by location. This is the fastest way to check whether an area is covered before deciding whether you need to contribute imagery yourself.

Use the apps

Mapillary offers mobile and desktop apps. The mobile app supports capturing imagery in the field; the desktop side covers uploading and working with imagery. The site also lists a command-line upload tool for larger or automated uploads.

For developers and GIS users

The site lists these resources for building on Mapillary data:

If your goal is to add Mapillary imagery to a mapping product, start with Mapillary JS and the image dataset, then confirm licensing and attribution requirements in the Terms of Use.

Contributing imagery to fill gaps

If an area you care about has thin coverage, Mapillary's model lets you fill it: "camera of your choice, capture as you go." The site states you can use any type of camera and points to camera recommendations. Captured images are processed with computer vision to extract map features, which the site says speeds up map updates.

A practical workflow looks like this:

1. Check coverage on the Explore map for your target area.
2. Choose a camera — any camera type works; the site offers recommendations if you want guidance.
3. Capture street-level imagery along your route.
4. Upload via the mobile app or the command-line tool.
5. Verify that your images appear on the map and that extracted features (such as traffic signs) show up as expected.

Common sticking points to plan for: image spacing and orientation affect how well computer vision extracts features, and coverage gaps in rural areas may mean your contribution is the only recent imagery there.

Deciding whether Mapillary fits your use

• Choose Mapillary if you want globally available street-level imagery and derived map features, and you're willing to work within its terms and attribution requirements.
• Contribute if your area lacks coverage or you need fresher imagery than what exists — the platform is explicitly built around collaborative filling of gaps.
• Check first if your use case is commercial or involves redistribution: the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy are the governing documents, and the site does not spell out every permitted use on its homepage.

For questions beyond the site's public pages, Mapillary points users to its forum and help center.