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Which app should you choose to get you to your next destination?

Charles Singh

USA TODAY

• Google Maps has been around for nearly two decades and is the most popular navigation app.
• Waze is more community-centric while Apple Maps has a loyal user base of iPhone owners.
• Each navigation app has unique features and specialties.

Navigation apps get drivers to their destinations highlighting alternative routes, disruptions, speed limits, and other useful information. These apps can be integrated into the infotainment screens of your vehicle using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, allowing for user-friendly navigation in vehicles.

Android users can choose between Google Maps and Waze, while Apple users have a third option: Apple Maps. How do the three types of navigation systems compare and is there a definitive better option?

Google Maps is the most popular navigation app

Google's navigation web mapping service launched in February 2005 as a desktop solution to "get people from point A to point B," according to a post from Google's The Keyword blog. Two decades later, it's now the most popular navigation app in the world.

Google Maps went mobile in 2007. In 2009, the app offered turn-by-turn navigation, completely changing the game. Google launched offline maps in 2015, making turn-by-turn directions accessible even without an internet connection.

Google Maps was downloaded over 21 million times in 2023, according to a study by Statista. The web-based mapping service helps millions of people travel via bus, train, car, or on foot every day.

Google Maps features

• Real-time traffic updates
• Alternative routes
• Multiple destinations/stops
• Eco-friendly routes

Waze is a community-driven navigation app

Over 9 million users downloaded the Waze app in the U.S. back in 2023, according to Statista. Waze was created in 2008 and sold to Google in 2013, said Investopedia. The navigation app sources real-time data from its community to update drivers on speed traps, accidents, and more.

The app also allows drivers to store contacts and keep tabs on other users in their vicinity. It's more social than other navigation apps like Google Maps and Apple Maps because it creates a sense of community among drivers looking to avoid obstacles on their journeys. Additionally, Waze allows users to plan their drives monitoring traffic and estimated arrival times. This feature can help drivers save some time and avoid sitting in traffic.

Waze features

• Map chats and user assistance requests
• Customizable navigation experience (celebrity and noteworthy character voices)
• Easy fuel price sharing
• Community-sourced real-time updates

Apple Maps: The native navigation app of America's best-selling smartphone

Apple Maps was later to the game than both Google Maps and Waze, released in 2012 as a part of Apple's iOS 6. The first iteration featured 3D maps, turn-by-turn navigation, and support from Siri, Apple's virtual assistant. It was initially met with some skepticism due to software bugs.

In 2020, Apple redesigned its Maps app to include more advanced features. Today, the application has a loyal following of millions of die-hard iPhone fans.

Apple Maps features

• Parked car feature that easily saves parking spot location
• Street-level imagery with split-screen 360-degree view
• Minimalist design
• iOS battery efficiency for iPhones compared to other navigation apps on iPhone

Which navigation app is better for drivers?

American computer magazine PC Mag called Google Maps the "best overall" navigation app in 2024. That said, the magazine acknowledges Waze as the best navigation app for daily driving.

While every driver may have a favorite navigation app, it can be helpful to have multiple options downloaded on your device. Each popular navigation app has its own unique quirks. The navigation app that's native to your device may provide the best user experience, but it doesn't hurt to have an additional navigation app to access different features.