Key Takeaways
- Waze routes are faster than Google Maps because of traffic avoidance, and it also provides accurate hazard information.
- Waze is community-driven, trusted, and lets you personalize your experience with celebrity voices and icons.
- These are some of the reasons why I’m an avid Waze user and don’t plan on switching completely to Google Maps anytime soon.
There are a ton of navigation apps out there, from Apple Maps to TomTom GO, but two of the most popular are Waze and Google Maps. Both are free apps, and both are owned by Google. Thankfully, the tech giant hasn’t tried to incorporate Waze’s features into Google Maps, keeping it as a standalone app. This means you can choose which of Google’s navigation apps you want to use, as they both have very different approaches.
Personally, I’ve been using Waze for years, and while I still use Google Maps occasionally, I’ve always used Waze as my go-to driving navigation app. Here are the main reasons why I use Waze instead of Google Maps:
We compare Google Maps and Waze to see which is better
Google has two navigation apps: Waze and Google Maps. I use Waze regularly, but downloaded Google Maps to compare them.
1 Better route planning
Get from point A to point B faster
Because both apps are owned by Google, you’d think they’d generate the same route for a given trip. But that’s not actually the case. That’s because Waze is designed to get you to your destination in the shortest time possible, and is happy to take slightly unconventional routes to avoid traffic jams and accidents. Google Maps usually generates a more direct route, but it can also be a bit slower.
For example, I entered the same destination in both apps, and Waze gave me a route that was 325 miles long and took 5 hours and 31 minutes, while Google Maps gave me a shorter route, 324 miles, but took 5 hours and 53 minutes. I like to get to my destination as quickly as possible unless I’m on a really long route, and I found Waze to be better in this regard.
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2 Better risk reporting
Get real-time risk reports
Waze is built on a social network of Waze users, whose data is shared with everyone else. Waze uses information about other users’ travel speeds to estimate how congested roads are, and uses this information to create the most efficient routes, but users can also add their own data, such as traffic accidents, speed traps, and other hazards.
These warnings are usually very accurate. For example, I regularly get warnings about vehicles stopped on the side of the road, but most of the time I’m stopped where the warning says I am. If not, I can quickly tap the screen to indicate that the hazard is gone. Waze also recently added new hazard reporting options, like speed bumps and toll booths.
Google Maps has a hazard reporting feature, but it’s still relatively new and needs other users to take advantage of it. Many people may not realize that hazard reporting is an option in Google Maps, but it’s been a key part of Waze for years. This makes Waze hazard reporting much more accurate.
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3 Customization Options
Keep it interesting with new voices and icons
Have you ever been so lost in thought while driving that you missed a turn without hearing the navigation app’s instructions? This can often happen, especially when the same monotone voice is speaking to you every few minutes. Waze changes that by giving you a huge selection of different voices to choose from, including some amazing celebrity voices.
Many of these voices are short-term options used as promotional tools or only appear during the holiday season. For example, right now I can be directed by the voice of Ray Stantz, Dan Aykroyd’s character from the Ghostbusters movies, promoting the release of the latest installment in the franchise. There are plenty of other options remaining, including a zombie, a noir detective, and an ’80s aerobics instructor.
In addition to voice, you can also customize the icon that appears on the map to show other Waze users your location and let them know your current mood.
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Four Faster rerouting
Rapid route updates if issues arise
The initial route Waze generates is the best route based on current traffic conditions, but conditions can change during your trip: congested roads can slow you down, or accidents or other hazards can make the current route less than ideal.
If this happens, Waze will suggest an alternative route and let you know how much time you could save by switching to this route. It does this fairly proactively: if it finds a faster route, Waze will usually let you know. This means that the route may change multiple times during the journey.
Google Maps does change routes from time to time, but it doesn’t seem to happen very often, probably because users don’t submit as much information to it, so if you want the fastest response to route changes, Waze is your best bet.
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Five In-app fuel prices
Find the cheapest fuel fast
Both apps let you find gas stations and EV charging stations along or near your route, but Waze has one advantage over Google Maps in this regard: Google Maps shows gas station locations but doesn’t provide information about prices.
The Waze app not only lets you see gas station locations, but also prices – information that can be submitted by the gas stations themselves or by other Waze users – so you can quickly find the cheapest place to fill up without having to travel far.
Prices are displayed on a map, but below the map you’ll see more information, like the date the price was added to the app, meaning you can ignore prices that haven’t been updated in a while and only look at the most recently updated prices.
This is another benefit of the social aspect of Waze, allowing users to share information such as fuel prices that benefits everyone who uses the app.
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FAQ
Q: Is there any reason to choose Google Maps over Waze?
It’s a bit odd that Google has two entirely different navigation apps and runs them separately, but it certainly gives you more options. The above are some of the main reasons why I still prefer Waze as my navigation app, but Google Maps also has some features that give it an edge.
For example, Google Maps lets you download maps for offline use so you can navigate even when you’re not connected to a network. Google Maps also offers walking and cycling directions, as well as public transport and flight information. For driving, though, I’m sticking with Waze for now.
