Google Maps is by far the most popular navigation app. But it's not the only app to plot the fastest or shortest route from A to B for you. We've listed three free alternatives for you.
Why these three? We looked at ease of use, features, and how up-to-date the app is, for example, with new roads and roadworks.
1. Waze (Android, iPhone, Windows Phone)
Waze is entirely free and you won't be bothered by adverts. Unlike Google Maps, the app only offers car navigation; as a result, it's of little use to walkers or cyclists. The app scores (very) well in terms of ease of use, up-to-dateness, and reliability, meaning it didn't often send us the wrong way. On the other hand, the app didn't always choose the most logical route. Recalculating a route also took quite a long time. The app uses the same amount of MBs as Google Maps. The app only scores slightly lower on offline navigation.
2. HERE WeGo (Android, iPhone)
Unlike Waze, HERE WeGo, like Google Maps, can also be used by pedestrians and cyclists. In addition, there is an offline navigation option. For this, you have to accept small advertisements, but they are not enormously disruptive. Calculating routes is fast. Downsides are the recency of the information and the directions are sometimes confusing. Overall a good app!
3. Apple Maps (iPhone)
Apple Maps scores slightly less well than the previous two, but is a reasonable app all in all. Routes are calculated and recalculated quickly, but offline navigation is practically impossible. The timeliness of the information also leaves something to be desired and data usage is high. Street names are also often pronounced incorrectly, which causes the necessary confusion. Clearly the least of the three, but not bad by any means!
Which app do you use for navigation? Let us know in the comments!
Source: Kampioen 7/8, July 2017, ANWB
One Response
Waze gets better and better with each passing month. This is thanks to the growing number of users, which makes it more accurate. A big advantage is that the maps are updated faster than most other apps.