Google Maps vs. Waze- Which Should I Use for Navigation?

According to data collected from a third-party source Waze appears to be the number one alternative to Google Maps and the reasons are the accurate ETAs and better traffic reports associated with it. The crowd-sourcing engine of this application also set it aside from other navigation systems which means it can make your commute more predictable. To this end, these two apps are competing for relevance and many users often get confused because the two are Google’s products. The search engine purchased the product back in 2013 and continued to operate it independently.

Google Maps for Your Daily Commute

Choosing between these two applications should be easy but it becomes complicated when you are trying to escape the rush hours. Despite looking similar in many ways, these two independent programs are efficient in what they do so making a choice will depend on how much you care about the traffic conditions.

Google Maps provide route guidance for turn-by-turn movements and also provides a few extras including Satellite Maps. This option comes in handy when you drive especially to unknown places. The system also displays traffic information with a color-coded display, for instance, the route ahead will be colored in red if the traffic is heavy or green if the traffic is light. With this, you can tell if you will experience delays if you plan to get to work, home, or any other destination at a particular time.

This app will also help you share your drive route with other people, your friends and family will be able to see your location in real-time and estimate your arrival time.

ETAs provided by this application are correct most times because it relies on historical patterns to create routes. This means it will keep you on the same route to your destination most times hence the navigation experience is always straightforward.

The platform also supports traffic reports and you will be surprised that certain features including accident alerts are imported from the Waze app. There are certain times you may get stuck in traffic without knowing the cause, hence the platform is only the best when it comes to driving to your destination.

Waze for Your Daily Commute

This platform has one huge benefit when compared to its main rival and that is the ability to look for a faster route to your destination. It will also notify you of any change in traffic conditions.

This product relies on a crowdsourcing engine to enable its users to send traffic reports, for instance, you can report a car accident to Waze, and other motorists plying that route will get the notification. The app will collect data from other vehicle users on the same road, in case there is a slowdown resulting from the accident, and with this information, it will calculate all delays on your ETA and show a slow-down bar on the screen and even indicate how long it will take to get through the traffic jam.

While Waze is efficient in displaying information as regards your route, it can also make it complicated by displaying alternative routes and sometimes these roads are in residential areas. The reason for this is that this app is constantly searching for the fastest route to your destination. Hence it will reroute your destination when things get difficult on the road.

Google Maps vs. Waze- Which Should You Consider?

Bother navigation systems are great but Waze often suggests more difficult routes than those suggested by Google Maps. This means that the former may not provide you with the same route every day depending on the traffic conditions and reports sent on incidents occurring along that route.

Also, Waze always requires internet connection for it to download information on traffic conditions and to receive reports submitted by other road users. On the other hand, Google Maps can work offline when offline maps are enabled.

With the two scenarios highlighted above, you should be able to judge which of the options is better for you. One area where Waze seems to perform better is providing planned drives. It will tell you the appropriate time to leave so that you arrive at your destination at a specific hour.

Both systems support home and work location savings to configure and provide ETAs in advance based on your commuting hours.