Whether you’re driving for a rideshare app or heading somewhere when you’re off the clock, getting the right directions is an absolute must.
For many drivers, choosing the best navigation app comes down to a tough choice between two top contenders: Waze vs. Google Maps.
Our app stores are saturated with hundreds of navigation app options these days, with each one vying to be your download of choice.
But while every app will claim its own unique benefits, there’s probably one that edges out the rest for your specific needs.
Even though there are plenty of navigation options out there, you’ve probably noticed 2 apps are always at the top of the list: Google Maps and Waze
Drivers all over the country are quick to debate the two, much like tech consumers battling between Apple iPhone or Android.
This article will provide a comprehensive side-by-side comparison of Waze and Google Maps, two of the most popular navigation apps in the market today.
We’re finally going to settle the dispute, and give an unbiased balanced review of the two apps, so you’ll know which is the best one for you.
Let’s get started.
Overview:
Table Of Contents
Waze vs. Google Maps: The Basics
Before we dive into a head-on comparison, let’s define the two contenders.
Waze and Google Maps are both Google-owned global mapping apps that are built for iPhones and Androids, but each platform has successfully maintained its own user base.
Despite the fact that the apps both fall into the navigation category, they can easily be distinguished by users.
Google Maps is perhaps the most widely recognized app around.
Founded in 2005, it’s one of the earliest mapping platforms and has nearly 130 million more users than Waze in the U.S. alone.
The Google Maps app has long been known as the golden standard in navigation, due to the fact that it provides high-quality directions for far more than driving.
It also supports directions for walking, biking, and even public transportation.
They are baking more community-based features into the app, but it focuses more on Google’s huge domination of mapping.
Waze, on the other hand, is a purely driver-focused app that was founded in 2008 and acquired by Google Maps five years later.
The platform is best known for its heavily crowd-sourced approach, as it uses community-driven information about road conditions from its users.
When you open the app, Waze also clearly takes a more modern approach, offering a minimalist (albeit, somewhat cartoonish) interface in comparison to the traditional look of Google Maps.
Drivers can share real-time data about accidents, traffic incidents, speed limits, speed traps, and other trip information that helps other drivers navigate the fastest possible route.
While these two navigation apps are heavy contenders, it’s worth again noting that they share the same parent company: Google.
Google actually acquired Waze for more than a billion dollars back in 2013, but since then the apps have continued to operate independently.
They service similar functions in getting you around, but they offer two different methods of doing so.
But if the app’s actual functionality is what matters most to you, you’ll need to dive deeper into how Waze and Google Maps actually work.
The Main Differences Between Google Maps and Waze
While both apps offer turn by turn directions, there are a few key differences between Google Maps and Waze:
- Waze is community-based, Google Maps is more data-based.
- Waze is pretty much just for cars, Google Maps offers walking, driving, biking, and public transportation directions. They also have built-in “Explore” features that allow users to see events, reviews, photos, points of interest, etc. There’s even the “street view” mode to see things at street level.
- Waze requires a data connection, Google Maps is available offline.
- Google Maps includes business data such as menus, hours, and phone numbers, while Waze does not.
- Waze offers real-time info such as road closures, road hazards, traffic alerts and real-time traffic conditions based on driver data. Google Maps has only started to include some of these features recently.
- Google Maps uses a traditional navigation interface, while Waze offers a sleek and minimal interface using the latest in design language.
- Google Maps is fairly basic, Waze offers a high level of customization (including celebrity voices!)
- Google Maps is standard in Tesla vehicles, yet you must download Tesla Waze for Waze to work in a Tesla.
In short, Google Maps is a simple but powerful navigation tool that selects the quickest and most efficient route.
Waze collects data from a bunch of different users and leverages that data to tailor your trip experience, giving you the most efficient route that’s free of obstacles and other nuisances.
Comparing Interfaces
The Waze app interface goes for style without giving up minimalism (which I’m a huge fan of). It has all the details you need and uses 3D graphics to grab your attention.
Waze initially targeted early adopters of tech who opted for a sleek and well-designed interface to bring them on board. And it’s been a successful approach.
Waze now has a Spotify integration and can even quickly identify the nearest gas station (Google Maps can do this to, but it takes a little bit more work).
Google Maps, on the other hand, has a pretty dated interface.
The downside to this is that it resembles Mapquest, a massive throwback to the late 90s/early 2000s.
The upside is that while simple and dated, there’s not a lot of fluff to get lost in, and minimal distractions to the user when driving around.
In terms of operation, Waze moves around a lot. The app changes locations, shifts, rotates, and pans when you change directions.
There are very bold, brash directions at the top of the app, which make missing a direction incredibly difficult.
As you drive, there are “pins” like potholes, speed traps, and traffic jams that pop up, and they are very easy to avoid.
Using Google Maps is similar to Waze, but very user-friendly. The Google Maps app also moves around, but only when necessary.
Google Maps also displays directions at the top of the app, and gives you plenty of notice when you need to take an action.
Winner: Google Maps
I like the interface of Google Maps better than the interface of Waze.
While the minimalism isn’t for everyone, I like it because it cuts down on distractions while I’m navigating to my destination.
Real-Time Data
Though it’s unknown exactly how much data is shared between the two apps, Waze and Google Maps are known to collect real-time traffic data from users who are already on the road.
Because of this, both apps do provide accurate directions that take into account traffic jams, major road closures, and more.
Your ETA should be accurate on both platforms, as well. Still, Waze’s crowd-sourcing model does shine in this category.
Waze users can easily submit information about road hazards, local street closures, and car accidents that your Google Maps app may not immediately notice, so you’ll get an extra layer of real-time accuracy.
While Google Maps has built in new features to support user-provided data in recent years, they’re definitely not as well-known or heavily used.
Waze, on the other hand, emphasizes user reports on its homepage. Of course, this isn’t to say that Waze always provides the best routes.
ecause it’s more heavily dependent on community reports, it tends to thrive in major cities — especially in Boston, New York City, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Chicago — but isn’t always the ideal map app for users in smaller cities or suburban or rural areas.
Winner: Waze
We prefer the Waze interface because it provides much more actionable information.
You can quickly see the cause of a traffic jam or see if they are reports of police cars coming ahead.
Map Features
Beyond routing, both Google Maps and Waze provide special features that can improve your driving experience.
Both apps can display the local speed limit, so you always know how fast you should be driving.
Waze additionally lets users report where local speed traps are, so you can ensure you’re within the legal speed limit before you come across one.
However, if you’re seeking local destinations, Google Maps can help.
Because Google business pages are integrated into the platform, you can easily find nearby businesses, along with photos and user reviews about each one, and can even get suggestions catered to you if you create an account.
Google Maps also supports its street view feature, so you always know you’re arriving at the right storefront or residence.
If you’re specifically looking for nearby gas stations, Waze can take the lead. The app includes real-time gas price data, provided by users, so you can save money when you need a fill-up.
Another helpful Waze feature? You can request roadside assistance from your fellow Wazers.
Instead of waiting for help from your insurance company or a friend for minor issues, you may be able to find someone who’s already nearby to help you with a flat tire or jump-starting your car.
Winner: Google Maps
If I’m using a navigation app, I either don’t know where I’m going, or I am using it to keep track of time so I’m not late.
The Street View feature is pretty cool, so I have to give this one to Google Maps.
Ease of Route
Despite the fact that Google Maps and Waze may share some data, their algorithms often formulate completely different routes.
This is because Waze is designed to get you to your destination as fast as possible — even if you’re only shaving off 30 seconds.
Waze can definitely be helpful when you’re in a time crunch, but this emphasis on speed can actually make your route unpleasant and harder to navigate.
Users frequently report unnecessary turns, U-turns, and freeway exits. In rarer cases, you may be taken through alleyways just to get to your location.
Google Maps, on the other hand, almost always provides logical suggested and alternative routes, without sacrificing too much time. You’ll also get lane assistance, so you never miss an exit or turn.
If you have passengers in your car, Google Maps is the more consistent way to provide a great ride experience without the risk of getting lost. Otherwise, you can take your pick.
If you don’t mind frequent turns, Waze truly can help you save time on the road.
Winner: Google Maps
When driving, I don’t need any extra hassle or frustration.
The weird routing that Waze does sometimes works, but not every time. For that, Google Maps takes the win on this point.
Ability to Customize
When you want an experience catered especially for you, both navigation apps can provide a wide range of features that can be customized.
Regardless of which app you choose, you can opt to avoid freeways and tolls, connect with Spotify, and change your navigation voice.
However, Waze does go above and beyond in terms of customization.
In addition to its Spotify integration, the mapping app supports a large number of audio apps for listening to music, podcasts, audio books, and more.
Plus, while Google Maps only allows you to change between accents and languages, Waze allows you to have fun with your navigation by selecting celebrity and character voice prompts, too.
More practically, Waze also enables you to get the best routing and gas price information for your specific car type.
Just by inputting information about your vehicle, you’ll get Waze maps that take into account whether you’re eligible for the carpool lane or even commercial routes.
Waze users can even choose to avoid unpaved roads to save their tires.
Winner: Waze
When it comes to customization, Waze blows Google Maps out of the water. This one is a no-brainer – Waze.
Data Usage
User interface and features are great, but what about data usage? This factor plays a large role in determining the winner of the Waze vs Google Maps saga.
If you’re on a strict data plan, you’re already sucking down massive amounts of data from using Uber and Lyft.
If you don’t watch out for the data usage, you’ll start to pick up unwanted overages and extra charges.
Let’s take a look at how much data each app uses.
How much data does Waze use?
The amount of data that Waze uses is dependent on a number of factors, including the amount of time you use it, trip distance, etc..
But let’s take a look at a quick real-world example from our favorite source, Reddit.
My data: About 15MB average a month driving about one hour a day on average. So about 0.5 MB a day. Multiply that by 5 and that’s 2.5 MB a day if you drive for 5 hours. This is 35 MB for the two weeks you suggested.
This seems a bit low, but other drivers also seem to agree that they’re using something similar.
This is one of the biggest drawbacks of Waze – it requires a constant internet connection to function.
Unless you have Wi-Fi in your car, this means you can expect to use a significant amount of data anytime you’re using the app on the road.
How much data does Google Maps use?
Like Waze, the amount of data used by Google Maps depends on the factors listed above.
For this example, we’ll take a look at a recent post on the Andoid Apps section of Reddit:
I also checked the logs after the fact on my provider’s website. I saw that the data download occurred in bulk at the approximate time I left before the trip. There was very little data used while I was actually driving. The majority of the data downloaded all at once when I set the trip.
It looks like Google Maps might be a bit more efficient at managing the data used by the navigation app.
One of the reasons for this is because Google Maps offers the ability to download a location, switch data off, and still get to where you need to go.
This is a great feature if you’re traveling abroad and don’t have an international data plan. If your smartphone has a limited data plan, Google Maps is the clear choice, thanks to its reliable offline maps.
As long as you have your data on when you start your drive or when you need help rerouting, you can get to your destination with or without a connection.
Even if you have unlimited data, you may want to consider Google Maps for its offline functionality.
If you ever lose your signal — which can happen frequently in a moving vehicle, especially outside of the city — you won’t be stranded without directions when using the original mapping app.
Winner: Google Maps
Google Maps is the winner here because the ability to download maps while your connected to Wifi is a huge advantage.
Our Winner: Waze
When we drive for Uber or Lyft, Waze is the go-to GPS. Of all the mapping apps and GPS apps out there, no app is better at providing alternate routes to save time (and money).
It’s more useful based on the sheer amount of data it collects through its massive user base; which is not only extremely valuable, but presented in a visual and actionable manner.
Because of the social features, Waze offers better routes to avoid traffic and potholes (or have their time wasted because you get pulled over for a ticket).
There are so many other new features that come standard, all of which provide a huge upside to you and the rider.
However, Google Maps is still very reliable.
If you aren’t too concerned about avoiding traffic or shaving a minute or two off your drive time, Google Maps works perfectly fine.
Google Maps is our navigation app of choice when traveling long distances or overseas because of the offline maps feature.
We also like the public transit direction on Google Maps, but most people won’t need that feature.
Google is clearly dominating the navigation market, as the owner of the two biggest mapping apps in the United States.
However, when comparing Waze vs. Google Maps, it becomes clear that both have unique pros and cons that continue to distinguish them from each other and from their competitors.
Google Maps is the most widely used navigation app in the U.S., offering trusted data and logical routes for just about any drive — whether or not you have an internet connection.
Waze is a rising, modern mapping app that gets you places faster, all while improving your experience through user-provided data.
If you own an iPhone and are still unsure if Waze or Google Maps are right for you, you may want to consider your native app, too.
Despite many setbacks in its early stages, Apple Maps is now widely used by iPhone users. Read our Apple Maps vs. Google Maps comparison to make an informed choice for your commutes.
I’ve been a Google Maps user for a long time. Tried Waze recently. I live out in the country, not difficult to find. Waze took me right by my house, right at the next road, right again and half way down that road announced that I had arrived at XXXX Rd, my address and road on a totally different road name! Not impressed.
I’ve been a Google Maps user for a long time. Tried Waze recently. I live out in the country, not difficult to find. Waze took me right by my house, right at the next road, right again and half way down that road announced that I had arrived at XXXX Rd, my address and road on a totally different road name! Not impressed.
I use Waze daily because of the real time data on accidents and police along my commute. My data usage is significant. It may not show in the app, but it shows on the iphone if you look at the Cellular -> System Services -> Time and Location. I’m currently showing 279 MB in the past 2 days, and most of my other apps are set to only provide location while using. My husband and sons don’t have this issue (they don’t use Waze). I’m the heavy data user in our family, and I’m pretty sure it’s Waze.
I use Waze daily because of the real time data on accidents and police along my commute. My data usage is significant. It may not show in the app, but it shows on the iphone if you look at the Cellular -> System Services -> Time and Location. I’m currently showing 279 MB in the past 2 days, and most of my other apps are set to only provide location while using. My husband and sons don’t have this issue (they don’t use Waze). I’m the heavy data user in our family, and I’m pretty sure it’s Waze.
CNBC did comparison tests of Waze, Google Maps, and Apple Maps, comparing route times (both estimated and actual); interestingly, each app’s routes differed rather significantly. Google Maps barely edged Waze in the shortest times, and was the most accurate in estimates; Apple Maps was way behind.
CNBC did comparison tests of Waze, Google Maps, and Apple Maps, comparing route times (both estimated and actual); interestingly, each app’s routes differed rather significantly. Google Maps barely edged Waze in the shortest times, and was the most accurate in estimates; Apple Maps was way behind.
@ K Pike : thats interesting. I have used Waze a few times since the beginning of the month and now checked my cellular usage. Google Maps showed up with 5.71 Mb, but not Waze at all – I had used Waze just this morning to check the route for real time data on my daily commute. So I wonder if Waze data is registered as Google Maps data ?
@ K Pike : thats interesting. I have used Waze a few times since the beginning of the month and now checked my cellular usage. Google Maps showed up with 5.71 Mb, but not Waze at all – I had used Waze just this morning to check the route for real time data on my daily commute. So I wonder if Waze data is registered as Google Maps data ?
what about the left and right lanes you have to stay to turn right and left? Google Maps tells you if you should stay on middle lane, right from the left, second from right and so on. That helps a lot if there is a short turn on the next road. In DC and other places this is pretty significant. Waze does not tell you this!
what about the left and right lanes you have to stay to turn right and left? Google Maps tells you if you should stay on middle lane, right from the left, second from right and so on. That helps a lot if there is a short turn on the next road. In DC and other places this is pretty significant. Waze does not tell you this!
As a long time user of Google Maps, I decided to give Waze a try for a few days. In the Northeast Philadelphia area, it has taken me on surface roads to avoid heavy traffic on I-95, and the traffic on the side roads was even worse. Its initial ETA went up by 10 minutes (same as the highway traffic delay) because I guess Waze didn’t realise there would also be traffic on the side roads.
Uninstalled and using Google Maps again. Google Maps is less likely to reroute me off the highway unless it is a MAJOR delay. I rather sit in traffic on a highway than deal with a nightmare of surface street traffic in northeast philly where most people are extremely rude drivers.
I was wondering this smae thing. when I have uber or lyft drivers using Waze, they usually come in 5 or 10 minutes slower – and much more complicated – routes that Google maps was estimating. Has anyone done an actual time test comparison of the two?
The ultimate showdown? This literally had no useful information whatsoever other than basic explanations between the two.
Waze is a Google product. At least, it is listed under the “Our Products” section of the apps on google.com
I have to disagree. I found this article to be very informative and unbiased. I have never used Waze, and I learned quite a bit about the app while reading it. Having been a Google Maps user for many years, it’s good to know that there is an alternative out there that could pick up in places where Maps drops the ball. It seems like over the past year or so people have become extremely comfortable criticizing writers and other people that publish media on the various platforms all across the internet. The majority of the time negative comments are being posted instead of positive, constructive comments, which causes an environment of hostility and negativity amongst the readers and commenters. It would be nice if people would go back to using the old analogy our mothers used to tell us as kids, “if you can’t say something nice, then shut the hell up.” YOUR comment on this article was literally not useful at all, and maybe you should revisit some of the old-school ways of doing things. Maybe then you will think before you “speak” the next time you find it necessary to be a cynic or a critic. The person that wrote this article spent many hours putting this information together. Put yourself into other peoples shoes and think about how you would feel if you worked really hard on putting together an article such as this one and then someone left a comment like yours in the comments section. Geez.
I prefer google maps over waze for two reasons :
First, I like the fact google maps tells me in what lane I should be on, like “Use second lane to turn left”, or things like that.
Second, when I lost GPS connection (in a tunnel for instance), waze becomes crazy, showing my position at a weird place, and therefore is useless (which is an issue if my exit is just after the tunnel). Google maps considers I’m continuing on the same road at the same speed, and therefore can tell me the next exit even IN the tunnel.
That is why I prefer google maps.
I think you are referring to an adage, not an analogy. Easy now, just a little humor. 😉
Agree with you. I just wonder if some writers would say the same things face-to-face. I’d bet not. Some have too much time to waste online.
Another now I missed in my list of GMaps advantages!
Indeed. In cities many tunels (E.g. Santiago de Chile) you have forks WITHIN the tunnel. GMaps offline feature becomes ESSENTIAL. Another to my previous list.
Totally agree. Waze “overkills” with optimization when its margin of error is higher than what you will gain. I’ve tried it frequently to prove this.
Totally agree. See my long posting. And consider Waze is as/more popular in South America than Maps, so the social network advantage should be considerable.
Couldn’t have said it better myself. I’ve used Google Maps all over the country and it has proven to be the absolutely best. Waze is good, but it will make you take 10 turns to save 1 minute of travel, where in reality, it actually takes longer.
I’ve been using Google Maps forever and it gets the job done when I’m driving or walking. I’ve thought about using Waze but I keep getting turned off it for one very superficial reason: I hate the visuals and the UI. It looks too bulky; Waze to Google Maps is as Duplo is to Lego.
I have to admit I am pretty happy using Google Maps.
As a part of my LG phone android already installed and added to my work Iphone ,it’s been fairly accurate as far as fastest routes.
Also,Maps is good as preventing you from driving into an accident or traffic back up.
Where I work at in the Washington D.C. area,I have two major routes I can take.
One is down the dreaded Interstate 95 and the other is a much longer but usually much less traffic slowed route.
Within both routes, to and from work,Google Maps has let me learn many new in between roads I can take to save time but more importantly to me save massive irritation from being stuck in a road going parking lot.
I do love seeing natural beauty instead of concrete,steel and endless cars driven by psychotic maniacs.
I don’t always take the routes Google Maps recommend though.
There are local cities you never want to drive into in the morning,just because it saves you two minutes.
The traffic lights in those cities makes every intersection a five or ten minute Mad Max fest.
In those cases,I scroll up the route and see if there are any red zones on the road or accident and if they are not too bad,I’ll gladly eat the two minutes to stay on a major road.
And it’s important to know,if you do decide to go another route,Google Maps will always try to return you to the old fastest route until it is’nt the fastest route.
Even if you get yourself way out somewhere exploring better looking, less traveled routes, Google maps will give you directions to get back home or where ever you want to go.
Now,I turn Maps on or off,during my drive now to save data.
Kind of stinks but when you are paying as you go,leaving any app on that eats data is’nt great.
Thankfully , Google Maps saves the last address entered and ,for me, boots up pretty quick everytime I turn it on.
I envy you phone users with generous data plans ,may be some day soon I’ll get that too.
Considering the research I just did on Google Maps and Waz and the comments I see ( here and other places) ,I’ll just stay with Google Maps.
My gps system needs to be reliable,not fancy.
And Google Maps has been predictable and consistent in the way it gives me it’s version of driving directions data.
If you drive commercial trucks though,you have to look through the route because the fastest car route is often on roads you cannot go on.
I cuss her all the time when she tells me to “return to the route”,lol.
But,we work together to get me there.
I really appreciate all the new routes Google maps showed me since I started using it.
I’d be lost in Missouri right now if I tried to find those routes myself.
Nice to have some reliable help going to and from work.
Thanks Google.
Fentaye: Waze doesn’t give names of streets and off ramps either. It just tell you “turn left’ or ‘exit now”. At least Google lets you know ahead of time. But the biggest issue is you can’t listen the radio or my iPhone while using the Waze app (unless I’m doing it wrong).
Just completed a trip from Atlanta to Durham NC mid August. Google maps constantly noted speed traps and has always offered alternate routes, some of which were very helpful. I’ll keep it rather than use the newer kid on the same block. If both are owned by Google, neither one will be snubbed for new features. Also who is inputting data and driving at the same time, am I missing something here?
Google maps uploads your data and location in the background while the app is open (even when not navigating, btw!) That’s where all the traffic data comes from.
I think this article misses the genius of Google Maps. The statement that Waze wins because “It’s more useful based on the sheer amount of data it collects through its massive user base” overlooks the fact that Google Maps is constantly tracking the speed and location of everyone using Google Maps (that’s how it knows how to mark a bit of road as Red ahead when it knows there is slow moving traffic on it, right?) So I’d suggest that Google Maps gathers even more real-time, non subjective data from its even massive-r user base.
I have been a google maps user since they launched turn by turn directions (and even before, when it was just a mobile website that did not offer navigation!) but I’m highly inclined to switch to an alternative, since google maps seems to be terrible at maintaining my GPS location (even when in the open, it shows me jumping around, and only catches GPS when I’m at a standstill!). It also doesn’t give proper notifications of when it loses GPS or isn’t sure if GPS is right (sometimes just a cryptic beep!). Sometimes voice based navigation directions just go silent!
Overall, google maps seems to work less often than it doesn’t.
Also, the new social features mean that it’s constantly bugging me to upload my photos, write reviews etc. Looks like they don’t care about navigation any more! I’ve even had times when my navigation got canceled because google thought it’s more important to ask for a review while i was moving. Real smart.
The only advantage Google maps has over Waze is walking/cycling directions. Since I do a lot of travel on foot/cycle, I’m going to miss those. But a non-functional app is pretty much pointless to begin with!
There are certain navigation settings that allow you to choose directions w/ or w/out street names.(For example choose ‘voice directions/Waze voices’ / English(US)Jane (including street names) Also Pandora and other music apps are now integrated with the app. Hope this will help. (:
finally someone who understands how it works, and also understands the unreliability of people’s testimony
I decided to try Waze vs GMap. I entered an address. GMap stopped at the front door. Waze proceeded to tell me to take a U-turn, go back a half mile and park in an empty lot.
I grew tired of Waze’s (mostly very nerdy) point system for reporting some road conditions, street sign placement, bends in the road , etc. Faced with the difficulty of checking extra stuff while driving, the reported “pot holes” for example were simple puddles ( not holes). And the same “pot hole” would then get reported by a uselessly consecutive number of motorists ( (one or two over a time span works). The motivation in these cases for reporting was to get points which can be more self-serving than an intrinsic service to assist other motorists.
I have found Google maps to be wrong about traffic speed almost every morning during my commute.
At the same expressway interchange, the map will be full green and there will be a line of cars creeping along at well below the posted speed. That should trigger the map to show orange or even red.
And how does one offer feedback to Google? Fergitaboutit. They DO NOT CARE.
It sounds like you’re using GM offline. You have to use it online for best routing and traffic, i.e, with mobile data turned on. If the traffic slows, real-time data is using your online speed with mobile data and that of OTHER GM users. Waze does the same but users have to report the slowing. GM is doing it automatically.
Goggle maps gives much more accurate travel time estimates. Waze can be off by 10 minutes sometimes causing you to be late. Google maps is usually spot on.
Hey, thanks to everyone for the helpful info. Today, Waze sent be in circles in Philly rush hour traffic. And I used a lot of data too.
Waze has saved me a lot in tickets and being stuck in traffic. Real time…duh!