The ultimate objective of each motorist maps is to go from one location to another as quickly as feasible. The importance of accurate instructions cannot be overstated, whether you’re a rideshare driver or just trying to meet a deadline. Apps like Waze and Google Maps come in handy here, showing us the quickest and most efficient way to go where we need to go. There are a wide variety of applications out there, so it stands to reason that they will each have their own unique features.
When it comes down to it, Google Maps and Waze are the only two navigation apps worth considering. These two navigation applications from Google are often regarded as the best available. Although both applications are owned by the same business and work toward the same end result (finding you the quickest route), they are not interchangeable just because they share a parent.
Which navigation app, Google Maps or Waze, is better, and why? With this in-depth comparison guide, we want to finally put an end to the debate. Let’s compare and contrast the two applications and discover which one offers the features and functionality you need when behind the wheel.
Waze: An Overview
Although while it hasn’t attracted as many users as Google Maps has since its 2008 debut, Waze nevertheless has a sizable following. Google bought the company that created the app in 2013 for a reported $1 billion. Ever since then, Google has been working on Waze as a community-based software specifically for motorists.
Waze is an alternative to Google Maps that emphasizes community involvement. on the one hand, is a navigation program that relies on user feedback, whereas Google Maps is based on hard data. Besides, Waze users may provide information on road hazards such as traffic jams, speed traps, and police presence.
Waze also has expanded its functionality after being acquired by Google. Among the most notable is the app’s compatibility with Google Assistant and Siri, which makes it easier to use.
Google Maps: A Brief Introduction
Waze and Google Maps are quite similar in what they provide, however Google Maps has a lot more features. Waze, as we’ve seen, is geared primarily toward drivers, but Google Maps can help anybody get where they need to go, whether they’re taking the bus, walking, biking, or driving. The app does more than just point the way; it also details points of interest, local shops, and more.
Google Maps, which is optimized for Android devices, incorporates the platform’s most prominent features, including Google Search, Google Assistant, and Google Street View. In addition to these capabilities, Google Maps now provides real-time traffic statistics, much like Waze. The app’s augmented reality (AR) capability may be used to get you familiar with a new area before you set foot in it.
Google Maps vs. Waze
Considering Google Maps and Waze come from the same parent corporation, it’s no surprise that they have many similarities as navigating tools:
Both are built to provide consumers the most accurate, up-to-date information on where they need to go and which roads to take, and they both work with a number of other Google products. Google Maps is more data-driven than Waze is community-based. Google Maps also has better detail and a plethora of other functions.
These are the main differences between Google Maps and Waze:
Now you can see that the distinctions between Waze and Google Maps are not all that striking. We need to go further into the functionality and user experience of both applications to determine which one is superior.
Distributability of Apps
Since Google is behind both Waze and Google Maps, it should come as no surprise that they are both accessible to Android and iPhone users. Both applications support Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and they’re available in the Google Play Store and the App Store, respectively. Although though live navigation is unavailable on desktop, both platforms come with desktop versions, which is a pleasant bonus. There is, in short, no discernible difference between the two map-based navigation programs.
Interface
The primary distinction between the two is the user interface. Waze and Google Maps may both be products of the same parent company, but they couldn’t be more different in terms of how they’re designed. In contrast to the spare aesthetic of Waze, Google Maps’ first screen displays a wealth of information to its users.
Where does that discrepancy originate? So, as said, while sharing similarities, Waze and Google Maps are intended for different uses. Waze’s primary goal is to ensure that drivers have access to up-to-date information and precise instructions to help them reach their destination as fast and securely as possible. Yet Google Maps considers navigation to be only one of many uses for its maps.
When it comes to navigating the applications, you’ll notice a lot of similarities in how they pare down unnecessary features and just give you what you need (your icon, current traffic situation, your route, speed limits, etc.). In general, Waze seems more practical if you want to ignore all other distractions while driving. There are moments when using Google Maps in a larger city might seem overwhelming due to the sheer amount of information shown.
Navigation
Waze and Google Maps provide essentially the same function, which is to guide you from one location to another. Nevertheless, the path will change according on the mapping software you choose. And even if they both want to do the same thing, they go about it in quite different ways.
The first thing you’ll notice with Waze is that it’s not your average navigation app. It doesn’t just provide you a route and let you to figure out the rest of the journey on your own; it continually evaluates the state of the road ahead of you and adjusts the route accordingly to maximize your time savings. Although it’s helpful in a pinch, having to keep tabs on where the app wants to take you and anticipate sudden lane changes may make for a tense journey.
Google Maps, on the other hand, uses tried-and-true methods of direction finding. When you enter your starting point and final destination, Google Maps automatically determines the fastest and most convenient route for you while also providing useful information on travel time and other options. After deciding on a route, all you have to do is follow the app’s suggestions. Google will also warn you about things like road closures and traffic congestion that you should try to avoid.
Waze, in contrast to Google Maps, really does something about traffic jams rather than just informing you about them and giving you other routes. The quickest path to your destination will calculated by the app, taking into account any potential delays along the way. In conclusion, Google Maps is the superior navigation program, but Waze is the better pick if you’re in a rush.
Timely Information
Waze, in particular, predicated on user contributions to a shared database of real-time data. Hence, Waze gives its users up-to-date information on where to go, how to get there, potential road dangers, and traffic jams. When the program launched, it immediately begins gathering the specified information. Users of Waze may alert one another to potential roadblocks by reporting traffic and accidents.
Google Maps uses user-provided real-time traffic data, but it the only factor considered. The software uses Google Maps’ historical data in addition to user submissions to make educated guesses about what the current and future landscape will look like at any given time and place. Google, by combining these two data sets, can supply consumers with even more information than Waze, ensuring that you are always in the know.
Indeed, Waze information is still highly trustworthy. Yet Google Maps has the upper hand since it has spent years amassing data and evaluating many aspects to determine the optimal route to the destination. Google Maps can more correctly predict how long it will take you to get to your destination since it takes into account factors like the number of people who travel a certain route and the locations where traffic jams tend to occur at peak periods. It’s a great help when organizing a vacation, particularly one of considerable duration.
Attributes of a Map
Both Google Maps and Waze have various features that may improve the user’s time spent behind the wheel. For instance, the local speed limit is clearly shown on both, so you’ll never have to guess how fast you allowed to go. In addition, Waze users may alert one another to the location of police radar and speed cameras. If you become stuck on the road and need help, you may ask other Waze users for assistance.
When searching for nearby places like stores and landmarks, though, Google Maps is an invaluable tool (more on that later). If you’re going somewhere you’ve never visited before but want to driving directions be sure you’re in the proper area, you can use Google Street View with this app. Also, both applications are compatible with both iOS and Android smartphones. Both also provide Spotify support.
The ability to save maps, routes, and places as offline files tips the scales in favor of Google Maps. You may simply enter offline mode whenever you choose. You need to have an active data connection in order to utilize the Waze app, since it does not provide this feature. To cut a long tale short, it seems that Google Maps is the superior option when it comes to mobile navigation apps.
Discovery
When comparing the discovery features of Google Maps with Waze, one could assume that Google Maps comes out on top. The gap is rather small in this case. Waze performs a decent job of informing its users about local companies, landmarks, petrol stations, supermarkets, and more, yet it can’t compare to Google’s discovery.
Both applications have a search bar and dedicated shortcut buttons to help you rapidly zero in on the desired content. The level of detail provided by each is what sets them apart. Google Maps triumphs in this regard. There you can discover detailed information on various places and companies, including their addresses, phone numbers, reviews, images, and hours of operation. Waze sticks to the basics, seldom offering consumers any more information.
Input Through Vocals
It’s crucial to be able to use your car’s GPS system without taking your hands off the wheel. Google Maps and Waze are quite similar in that they both provide a voice-activated navigation option. Either by pressing the on-screen microphone or by giving a voice command, you may access voice control and use it to interact with your Google Assistant.
Now, the second choice shouldn’t cause any issues if you’re an Android user, but iPhone users may have to jump through a few more hoops. As a rule, you’ll have to be more explicit about the app you want Siri to launch. Siri defaults to using Apple Maps, so if you want to use Waze to obtain directions, you’ll need to tell it to do so. This is not a drawback, though, and indicates that the two applications provide essentially the same functionality.
Customization
Waze gives you a lot of wonderful choices to personalize your app for a more interesting driving experience if that’s your thing. To begin, a wide variety of voices, including those of famous people and cartoon characters, may selected as your navigation system’s default. If you want to use your own voice, you may record it and utilize it instead.
Waze also provides a great deal of leeway for personalization of the user interface. To begin, while navigating, 10 different vehicle symbols, such as a Formula One car and a motorcycle, will appear on your screen. In addition, you may alter your “mood,” the digital representation of yourself that other app users will view.
Google Maps doesn’t provide its customers as many personalization possibilities as Waze. Google Maps only offers one generic robot voice for spoken instructions, regardless of location. Users of Google Maps may personalize their experience by selecting one of three different car symbols. The long and short of it is that Waze is the app for you if you want to add a little of personalization to your driving experience.
Transport Options
Google Maps is the best option whether you’re using a bus, train, or subway to reach where you’re going. Information useful for those using public transit, walking, or riding bicycles included in the app as well as that useful for cars. Very thorough assistance is provided for public transportation, with Google Maps presenting schedules, routes, and delay information. The app also shows you whether you can hire scooters or bikes in your region and connects you with ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft.
Waze, on the other hand, lacks any kind of support for public or alternative modes of transportation. You now know that Waze an app designed just for cars, and that its only purpose is to help motorists find the quickest route feasible. If you’re having trouble getting about without the use of a vehicle or motorcycle, Google Maps has a simple but effective option for you.
Interstitial Ads
Although in-app advertisements may not be the most crucial aspect of our comparative review, they nonetheless maps need some attention because of the potential influence they have on the entire user experience. Ads may found in both applications. Yet, they use various techniques to present data.
The app starts with Google Maps, where the advertisements are minimal. Good news, given we’re talking about a navigation mapping program, that there are no distracting flash adverts. Waze, on the other hand, shows advertisements in an obtrusive and distracting manner whenever you come to a halt. While they vanish on their own as you begin moving again, they may be distracting. All credit is due to Google Maps.
