Apart from Apple Maps, Waze is one of the best alternatives to Google Maps. Not many people know this, but Waze was acquired by Google in 2013 for $1.3 billion. While the two apps still operate independently, they share a lot in common. It is not unusual to see features that made their debut on Waze, being brought over to Google Maps. The in-tunnel navigation feature is a more recent example of that. So, the question remains – what is the difference between Google Maps and Waze, and which one should you use? Let’s find out.
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In This Article
Google Maps vs Waze: Availability
Google Maps and Waze are pretty evenly matched when it comes to availability. Both apps can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and App Store for Android and iOS devices. Since Android devices come with Google’s suite of apps preinstalled on them, you won’t need to separately install the Maps app. This is particularly beneficial while using Android Auto on your car. While Google Maps is already on the touchscreen infotainment system ready to go, the Waze app needs to be installed and logged into first.
Google Maps vs Waze: Design
Both apps are designed keeping user accessibility in mind. While Google Maps has a very busy home screen, Waze keeps things simple and displays only the essential features. The latter has an animated look, which gives it a fun and colourful vibe. On the navigation screen, Google Maps has additional icons for mute, compass, and reports overlaid on the map. The settings icon and Google Assistant button are at the bottom of the screen. Waze’s view of the map is much cleaner.
Google Maps vs Waze: Navigation
Let’s move on to the most important aspect of any navigation app, the navigation itself. This is where lies the key difference between Google Maps and Waze – crowdsourcing. The Waze app collects data from other Waze users on the road to monitor roadblocks, traffic congestion, and other situations to suggest the best possible route. The app updates the route in real-time to make you reach the destination faster. This means that you will need to cut from the main route on a few occasions and take smaller roads to cut down the time. While this is a handy feature, a lot of users would prefer sticking to the more popular route even if it takes time to get there.
However, what makes Google Maps the better option out of the two is support for multiple modes of transport. Waze is limited to only car and bike users while Google Maps has navigational support for pedestrians and public transport. You can use the latter to track your bus or train ride as well. Need to go to a place that isn’t covered by a direct train route? Google Maps will you which trains to take to get there.
Google Maps vs Waze: Additional Features
When it comes to finding places and services near you, Google Maps is easily the better app. Since Waze is more navigation-based, it can bring up the appropriate results related to your query but doesn’t contain comprehensive information about those places. For example, if you’re searching for supermarkets near you, Google Maps will pull up the directions, reviews, images, street view, and more. Meanwhile, on Waze you will only be able to see the important information related to the place, the directions to get there, and its Google rating.
Street View is another Google Maps feature that isn’t present on Waze. Not only is it incredibly useful in finding out if you’re at the right spot, but Street View is also very fun to use. You can select any spot on the planet and see what it looks like in real. Overall, support for public transport is a major factor in tipping the scales towards Google Maps.
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Conclusion
These are the major differences between Google Maps and Waze. You’ll find advertisements on both apps, but they are less intrusive on Google Maps. So, which one should you use? Well, it depends on the nature of your task. If you’re looking for a navigation app for everyday use with the sole purpose of reaching your destination faster, Waze is the app for you. However, if you are more interested in sticking to primary routes and getting comprehensive information about nearby places, Google Maps would be more up your alley.
