Waze, Apple Maps, or Google Maps – Which Should I Choose?

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Best GPS Navigation Application for your Car or Truck

What is the best GPS navigation application for your car or truck?

Drivers of a certain age might recall the days of patiently checking your odometer to count down the miles until your next turn off, a backup road atlas, and printed directions to help guide you on long drives. Nowadays, computerized NAV is an option on nearly every new car and cell phone. While all navigation services provide the same kind of information, what and how the information is shown can be very different. With so many different apps, how can you know which is the best? We’ve concluded that our top 3 choices are Google Maps vs. Waze vs. Apple Maps. CarPlay® is available in so many brand-new cars that it may appear to be the frontrunner, but Google Maps and Waze have their own unique advantages.

Google Maps

The most powerful NAV application in this review is Google Maps because all of the information is provided by Google itself.

Google Maps Biggest Advantages

• Not only for vehicles – If you want to take a train, walk, or bike then Google Maps can handle it.

• Traffic updates in real-time – See how much time that traffic jam is going to add to your trip.

• Google Exclusive: Street View – See real images of your desired location on the map.

• Available offline – Download your map. No cellphone reception, no worries.


Apple

Thanks to the CarPlay® integration with many new cars, Apple Maps could very well be the most used NAV app on the market. ​The one disadvantage of Apple Maps is that it is only available on iOS devices.

Apple Maps Biggest Benefits

• Several options for Navigation – Get map options for driving, walking, and public transportation.
• Apple Pit Stops – Find nearby gasoline stations and other unique attractions.
• Look Around by Apple – See both images and a map of your area. Very useful if you get lost.

Waze

Despite other NAV apps now use some form of crowd-sourced traffic data, Waze was the first to use the technology as well.

Waze Advantages

• Real-time information – Other drivers input info while they drive, which is used to update your route to give the quickest route based on road conditions.
• More than just directions – Get real-time data about construction, roadside incidents, and speed traps.
• Integration with Facebook – Post your location on your timeline and share your road trip.

Our Results Are In, The Winner of Google Maps vs Apple Maps vs Waze is:

It should be no surprise, but the best NAV Application depends on how you use it. If you get lost a lot, the Look Around option on Apple Maps is beneficial. If you use NAV to follow your next big cycling road trip, Google Maps is your best choice. But, if you just need to get from Point A to Point B in the fastest time possible, Waze is your best choice. Apple Maps, Waze, and Google Maps all have features and you truly can’t go wrong with any of them.