GraphHopper
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software, Routing |
| Founded | January 2016 |
| Founder | Peter Karich |
| Products | GraphHopper routing library and server, GraphHopper Directions API |
| Website | graphhopper |
GraphHopper is a routing library and server developed in Java that is available as open-source. It provides a routing API accessible via HTTP and can be deployed across various platforms including servers, desktop computers, Android devices, iOS, and Raspberry Pi. The software primarily utilizes road network data from OpenStreetMap alongside elevation information sourced from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. Its user interface, known as GraphHopper Maps, is also open-source.
The platform incorporates routing algorithms such as Dijkstra, A*, as well as their bidirectional variants. To achieve efficient long-distance routing without relying on heuristic methods, it defaults to using contraction hierarchies. GraphHopper is engineered for both speed and minimal memory consumption, attributes highlighted by its founder Peter Karich in an article published by Oracle's Java Magazine. The software undergoes rigorous unit, integration, and load testing to ensure reliability.
Distributed under the terms of the Apache License 2.0, GraphHopper allows for customization and integration into both commercial and free applications. Its blend of rapid query capabilities and utilization of open data makes it a strong competitor to other routing solutions and GPS navigation tools, including compatibility with the Maplibre Navigation SDK.
In addition to providing point-to-point routing for multiple vehicle categories, GraphHopper supports the computation of distance matrices essential for addressing vehicle routing problems. Its business-oriented functionalities extend to:
- Vehicle monitoring through map matching, aligning GPS traces with digital road maps
- Assistance in urban planning projects
- Modeling for Traffic simulation
- Generating Isochrone maps to assess accessibility for automobiles, pedestrians, or cyclists
- Indoor navigation tailored for warehouse operations or trade fair logistics
- Optimization of routes with an emphasis on ecological efficiency
- Applications in virtual reality gaming such as adaptations of the board game Scotland Yard
Users
Among the prominent organizations utilizing GraphHopper are Rome2rio, Deutsche Bahn, Komoot, Gnome, and Flixbus. Since February 2015, it has served as the routing engine on the official OpenStreetMap website, with version 0.4 being released soon after in March 2015.
Company
GraphHopper GmbH was founded in January 2016 by the creators of GraphHopper and jsprit.
GraphHopper Directions API
Offered by GraphHopper GmbH, the GraphHopper Directions API includes a broad range of services such as Geocoding API, Distance Matrix API, Map Matching API, Isochrone API, Cluster API, Profiles API, Route Optimization API, alongside the primary Routing API.