Key Takeaways
- Waze routes are quicker than Google Maps as a consequence of site visitors avoidance. It additionally has correct hazard reporting
- Waze is community-driven and dependable and allows you to customise your expertise with superstar voices and icons.
- These are a couple of the reason why I am a devoted Waze consumer and will not be absolutely switching to Google Maps any time quickly.
There are many navigation apps on the market, from Apple Maps to TomTom GO, however two of the preferred are Waze and Google Maps. Each are free apps, and each are owned by Google. Fortunately, the tech big has stored Waze as a separate app quite than making an attempt to fold its options into Google Maps. It means you get a selection of which of Google’s navigation apps to make use of, as they’re each very totally different of their approaches.
Personally, I have been utilizing Waze for years, and though I nonetheless use Google Maps every now and then, I all the time discover myself going again to Waze as my go-to driving navigation app. Listed here are the primary the reason why I exploit Waze over Google Maps.
I tested Waze against Google Maps to see which is actually better
Google owns two navigation apps: Waze and Google Maps. I exploit Waze, however I downloaded Google Maps once more to see the way it compares.
1 Higher route planning
Get from A to B quicker
Each apps are owned by Google so that you may anticipate them to generate the identical routes for a particular journey. Nevertheless, that is not often the case. That is as a result of Waze is designed to get you to your vacation spot within the shortest time doable and can fortunately take you through a barely unusual route if it means avoiding site visitors congestion or an accident. Google Maps normally generates a extra direct route however one that may find yourself being a little bit slower.
For instance, I attempted getting into the identical vacation spot on each apps. Waze gave me a route that was 325 miles lengthy and would take 5 hours and 31 minutes. Google Maps generated a route that was shorter, at 324 miles, however would take 5 hours 53 minutes. Except a route is basically loopy, I all the time want to get there as shortly as doable, and I’ve discovered Waze to be higher on this regard.
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2 Higher hazard reporting
Get real-time hazard stories
Waze is constructed on a social community of Waze customers whose knowledge is shared with all different customers. Waze will use details about how briskly different customers are touring to estimate how busy roads are and use this data to construct essentially the most environment friendly routes. Nevertheless, customers may add their very own knowledge, similar to site visitors accidents, velocity traps, and different hazards.
These warnings are normally extremely correct. For instance, I frequently get warnings about automobiles stopped along with the highway, and these are virtually all the time precisely the place the warning says they are going to be. If they are not, I can shortly faucet the display to point that the hazard is now not there. Waze has not too long ago added new hazard reporting options, too, together with velocity bumps and toll cubicles.
There’s hazard reporting in Google Maps, however the function continues to be pretty new and depends on different customers profiting from it. Many could also be unaware that hazard reporting is an choice in Google Maps, however it has been a key a part of Waze for years. This makes the hazard reporting in Waze way more correct.
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3 Customization choices
Hold issues fascinating with new voices and icons
Have you ever ever been driving and so misplaced in your individual ideas that you do not even hear the directions out of your navigation app and sail on previous the flip you are alleged to make? It is simple to do, particularly with the identical monotonous voice speaking to you each couple of minutes. Waze shakes issues up a bit by supplying you with an enormous selection of various voices to make use of, together with some wonderful superstar voice.
A number of these voices are short-term choices which might be used as promotional instruments or only appear for the holidays. For instance, proper now I can get my directions within the voice of Ray Stantz, Dan Akroyd’s character from the film Ghostbusters, which is selling the discharge of the newest film within the franchise. There are many different choices that stick round, too, similar to Zombie, Noir Detective, and 80s Aerobics Teacher.
Alongside the voices, it is also doable to customise the icon that shows on the map to indicate your location to different Waze customers, which lets you point out your present temper.
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4 Quicker rerouting
Fast route updates if issues come up
The preliminary route that Waze generates is the optimum route primarily based on the present site visitors situations. Nevertheless, issues can change in your journey. Some roads might get busier, slowing you up, or there could also be accidents or different hazards that make the present route much less perfect.
If this occurs, Waze will counsel another route, and inform you ways a lot time it can save you by switching to this route. It’ll achieve this fairly aggressively; if a faster route is discovered, Waze will normally let you recognize, that means the route can change a number of instances in your journey.
Google Maps will change the route sometimes, however it does not appear to take action almost as usually, which might be right down to not having as a lot user-submitted data to go on. If you would like the quickest response to modifications in your route, then Waze is the best way to go.
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5 In-app gas costs
Discover the most cost effective gas quicker
Each apps can help you seek for gasoline stations and EV charging stations on or near your route. Nevertheless, Waze has one main benefit over Google Maps on this regard. Whereas Google Maps will present the placement of the gasoline stations, you will not get any details about how a lot you will need to pay.
Within the Waze app, you will not simply see the places of the gasoline stations, however you may as well see the costs, too. This data could be submitted by the gasoline stations themselves, or it may be submitted by different Waze customers. This lets you shortly discover the most cost effective place to replenish with out going too far out of your method.
You will see the costs on the map, however beneath the map you’ll be able to see extra data, together with the date that the worth was added to the app. It means you’ll be able to disregard the costs that have not been up to date for some time and simply take into account people who had been up to date not too long ago.
That is yet one more good thing about the social side of Waze, with customers in a position to share data similar to gas costs that may profit everybody utilizing the app.
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FAQ
Q: Is there any cause to decide on Google Maps over Waze?
It is a little bit unusual that Google owns two very totally different navigation apps and nonetheless runs them each individually, however it does imply you get extra selection. Above are a few of the key the reason why I nonetheless use Waze as my navigation app of selection, however there are some options that Google Maps has in its favor, too.
For instance, Google Maps permits you to download maps for offline use so as to navigate even when you do not have a community connection. Google Maps additionally affords instructions for strolling and biking, in addition to public transport and flight data. Nevertheless, in relation to driving, I am nonetheless sticking with Waze for now.
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