Google Maps vs Waze: Comprehensive Comparison for Navigation Apps

Google Maps vs Waze: this debate has existed since these two navigation apps became popular globally. 

In reality, if you just have to go from one location to another, both work for you.  

But it’s not all that most people seek in a navigation and mapping app. 

Instead, they look for multiple functionalities before selecting the right app, choice, including:

• Turn-by-turn directions
• Real-time traffic updates
• Freedom of customization of colors, icons, or voice instructions
• Offline maps

If you are also one of those people, this blog is for you. It discusses how they compare to help you decide which suits your needs.

Here we go:

Overview of Google Maps vs Waze

Google Maps and Waze have long been popular names in the field of navigation apps. So, before delving into the details of their comparison, let’s briefly glimpse what they are and what purpose they serve.

Ideal use cases for each app

What is Google Maps used for?

With over 10 billion downloads, Google Maps has emerged as the most popular custom route navigation app since its inception in 2005. Whether you want to find routes, check for nearby eateries or gas stations, or save offline maps, Google Maps can be your go-to choice. 

Google Maps suggests alternative options to pick the fastest route, avoiding traffic jams or poor road conditions. It highlights the most fuel or energy-efficient route, indicated by a green leaf. 

Google Maps keeps rolling out new functionalities to help you plan your journey and navigate routes more confidently. At I/O 2023 this year, it announced the rollout of ‘Immersive View for Routes,’ which uses computer vision and AI to let you visualize each segment of your route.

Google Maps integration with Google Assistant enables voice-guided turn-by-turn directions to ensure hands-free navigation, making driving safer and more convenient.

Click here to learn potential Google Maps alternatives.

What is Waze used for?

Founded in 2008, Waze had already become renowned for community-driven navigation before Google acquired it in 2013. It provides real-time crowdsourced information on road closures, safety hazards, traffic, accidents, police presence, and speed cameras. 

Further, Waze enables sharing this information with fellow Waze users, helping them avoid roadblocks and reach destinations faster and more efficiently. It stands out for playful icons representing points of interest, like other Wazers, construction zones, and stopped cars.

Based on local Waze drivers’ insights, community members, and municipal partners, it recently released emergency vehicle alerts, such as an ambulance stopped along your route, so you can adjust your driving speed and avoid accidents.

Best Suitable For

Google Maps	Waze	Upper Route Planner
Decluttered and accurate route planning	Real-time traffic-based rerouting	Multi-constrained route planning for complex delivery or field service routing scenarios
Small businesses with a small delivery radius not exceeding 10 stops	Individuals looking for just the fastest routes	Suitable for medium to large-sized businesses with multiple drivers and multi-stop routes

At a Glance

According to user reviews for both free navigation services, Google Maps is the preferred option, with a higher overall ranking than Waze.

Google Maps is renowned for routing accuracy, while Waze’s USP lies in its cleaner and simplified interface. While both Google Maps and Waze provide help articles, Waze lets you submit a ticket, making it a clear winner in customer support.

If we compare Google Maps to Waze and add Upper, Upper has the best scores. It provides a clean user interface with clear instructions to help you maximize the functionalities.

Plus, it helps create routes, considering multiple constraints specific to delivery, field sales, or service businesses, such as delivery time windows, priority, and drivers’ availability. That’s what makes it a much-preferred app among those looking for navigation and mapping apps.

Feature	Google Maps	Waze	Upper
Overall Rating
User Interface
Routing Accuracy
Multi-stop Routing
Real-time Traffic Updates
Customization Options
Customer Support
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Quick Comparison: Google Maps vs Waze

Waze and Google Maps are free navigational services that help you plan a route from A to B while avoiding traffic, tolls, or tolls as desired. 

If you look at the ease of navigation, Waze is better as it provides detailed real-time information on traffic or road conditions. Google Maps, on the other hand, outperforms Waze in journey planning capabilities, such as identifying pit stops and adding several stops.

However, unlike Upper, they fail to factor in delivery-specific constraints like stop priority, drivers’ working hours, and customer availability.

Let’s have a detailed comparison of the features to help understand which service leads in which area. 

Reviews of Google Maps vs Waze

Google Maps

Positives:

• Google Maps is easy to use and requires no prior coding or programming knowledge to customize it to meet your needs.
• The geocoding feature is available in even the remotest parts, making Google Maps easily accessible to users worldwide.
• Features that extend beyond navigation, including offline maps, public transport integration, and points of interest, make Google Maps a comprehensive mapping app.

Negatives:

• Google Maps doesn’t indicate police traps or speed cameras.
• Occasional inaccuracies in live traffic updates lead to longer detours and unforeseen delays, impacting time-sensitive journeys. 
• Rerouting suggestions are sometimes not as efficient as they should be and may cause travelers to get stuck or delayed.

Waze:

Positives:

• Traffic-based routing saves travel time on the road, getting people to their destination in the shortest time possible.
• The vocal guidance and the readability of the map are great, making navigation easy. 
• Waze features playful icons representing other Waze users, making it appealing and interesting. 

Negatives:

• No offline navigation capabilities, including traffic-based updates, restrict Waze’s usability to areas with proper cellular data coverage.
• Too many icons and information on the map may make the app look cluttered and overwhelm users, causing unwanted distractions.
• Waze recalibrates whenever users stay away from it for a few minutes and doesn’t give alerts.

Upper:

Positives:

• Upper optimizes routes based on traffic, drivers’ working hours, priority, and vehicle capacity constraints, making it ideal for complex delivery or field service scenarios.
• Upper allows for real-time route adjustments based on sudden unforeseen changes, such as roadblocks, inclement weather, vehicle breakdowns, or accidents.
• Upper provides advanced customization features that enable adding priorities, notes, and availability.

Negatives:

• Upper requires some initial setup and familiarization with its advanced features for optimal utilization.
• The free plan offers basic features but advanced functionalities like customization and might require paid subscriptions.

Key Feature Comparison

Navigational efficiency

1. Real-time traffic updates

Navigation is an important part of a map app and helps you get from one location to another efficiently. While both offer satisfactory navigation capabilities, Google Maps, unlike Waze, lets you add up to 10 stops along a route.

Google Maps suggests alternate routes but highlights the shortest one by default. Unless you manually recommend another route, it doesn’t reroute you based on traffic. Moreover, it lets you pick from multiple transport options, including car, bike, cycle, or walking.

Contrarily, Waze is designed for only cars or bikes but focuses on getting you to your destination as fast as possible, even if it means rerouting you frequently based on worsening traffic or roadblocks.

Overall, Waze has the upper hand in traffic-based routing but may leave you seeking at least some control over your routing and more public transit options beyond a car or van.

2. Route options and calculations

Both apps provide suggestions for alternate routes. However, Waze dynamically reroutes users based on real-time traffic conditions, roadblocks, or accidents. Google Maps, on the other hand, defaults to the shortest route and requires manual intervention for alternatives.

For users who prefer fast, automatic traffic-based rerouting, Waze stands out, while Google Maps is better suited for those who prioritize customizable route planning.

User experience and interface

3. Design elements

Google Maps’ interface resembles a traditional app with a professional look. On the other hand, Waze is unconventionally cartoonish and displays Waze users as cartoon icons on the roads on the map.

While both provide clean and decluttered interfaces, the latest Google Maps redesign includes updated colors in daytime and night mode. Google Maps also lets you view routes in satellite view instead of using simple graphics like Waze, giving it a slight edge.

4. Ease of use

Google Maps offers a more intuitive experience, especially for those seeking detailed location information. Waze’s playful design appeals to users who enjoy interactive navigation but can feel less professional. The availability of additional visual options like satellite view in Google Maps enhances its usability for a wider audience.

Unique offerings

5. Community engagement features

Waze fosters community-driven data by allowing users to report road incidents like traffic jams, accidents, or hazards. Frequent contributors can unlock unique features like special mood icons, such as a golden crown or T-rex avatar.

Google Maps doesn’t rely as much on real-time community input, instead providing information through business and location integrations.

6. Customization options

Google Maps provides limited customization. For voice-guided navigation, you can choose from three vehicle icons or a blue arrow and select a voice option based on your region or country.

Waze offers far more customization options, including car icons, voice instructions, avatars, and moods visible to other users. Users contributing significantly to Waze’s community can also unlock special customization features.

In-Depth Performance Analysis

1. Traffic alert systems

Both Google Maps and Waze provide traffic alerts, but their approach differs. 

Waze relies on real-time community reports, enabling faster reactions to incidents like accidents or roadblocks. 

Google Maps aggregates data from multiple sources, offering a broader yet less dynamic alert system.

3. Live updates and offline capabilities

Google Maps allows users to download offline maps for navigation in areas with weak signals.

Waze, while offering predefined routes offline, lacks real-time updates and rerouting capabilities when disconnected from the internet. Thus, Google Maps excels in offline navigation.

Cost Assessment

1. Advertisement impact on usage

While both apps feature advertisements, Waze displays intrusive banner ads that appear when the vehicle stops, disrupting the experience. 

Google Maps embeds ads more seamlessly within its interface, such as sponsored business listings.

2. Subscription models and pricing

Both Google Maps and Waze are free to use, with no mandatory subscription plans. 

However, Google Maps monetizes through business integrations and ad placements, while Waze focuses on ad revenue through targeted campaigns.

Final Verdict: Which is Better and Why?

Both Google Maps and Waze are excellent navigation apps but in their own ways. Your choice depends on what you expect from a navigation app at a given point in time.

Google Maps may be an ideal choice if:

• You prioritize accurate and detailed route planning.
• You frequently use public transportation and want up-to-date information.
• You need offline maps for areas with limited internet access.
• You prefer a professional and user-friendly interface.

Waze may be better if:

• You prioritize reaching your destination as quickly as possible, even if it means rerouting.
• You value real-time traffic data updates from other drivers.
• You prefer a gamified experience with community interaction.

Want the Capabilities of Google Maps and Waze Combined in One App?

Upper Route Planner is for you if you are looking for an app that gives you the best of these apps and far more advanced features. It lets you create multiple routes based on numerous routing factors, including traffic, drivers’ shifts, customers’ availability, and vehicle capacity constraints, making it a great alternative to a Google Maps trip planner.

Moreover, it lets you add 500 stops and more, unlike Google Maps and Waze, which allow you to add only 10 and 2 stops along a route, respectively. 

Moreover, advanced features, such as CSV/Excel spreadsheet import for quick address entry, multi-constrained route optimization, ETA notifications, and route summary reports, make it far more powerful and efficient than Google Maps and Waze, especially when Google Maps compared to FedEx and UPS, which may not offer the same level of customizable routing and real-time updates for delivery optimization.

If you want to know more, book a free demo.