When commuting, you want a smooth experience. In other words, you want a shorter route to your destination, and you also want to avoid any routes with barriers, such as construction, heavy traffic, police activity, accidents, immobile vehicles, and the like.
Fortunately, Waze can help you have a fun and hassle-free trip. Waze is a free GPS navigation app that provides real-time traffic updates and other geo and social gaming elements that make traveling easy.
You typically have one or more routes to the desired destination as you drive. When you enter the car and start driving along any of these routes with the app open, Waze collects information to learn the routes you prefer. The app analyzes the information to offer other Wazers the most suitable route to their destination.
While I enjoy using Waze when traveling, some aspects are less appealing. For instance, the app has distracting ads and other icons that can make it visually overwhelming.
It only functions with an internet connection, so you’re out of luck if your car lacks WiFi. Also, community-based data isn’t always applicable in all regions.
To get around most of Waze’s limitations, this post will highlight top Waze alternatives, including Google Maps, MapQuest, Apple Maps, Sygic GPS Navigation, TomTom Go Navigation, HERE WeGo, and more.
Keep reading.
Also Read: Google Maps vs Google Earth
Overview of Waze
What is Waze?
Waze is a community-driven navigational and GPS app that provides real-time traffic updates, turn-by-turn voice navigation, and other location-specific alerts.
The free navigation app works on both iOS and Android and uses crowd-sourced data to provide real-time traffic alerts to users.
Over 140 million people use this application every month globally.
Who’s the App Designed for?
Drivers from all parts of the world use Waze to connect with each other and work toward improving each other’s driving experience.
The app lets drivers share real-time data on traffic incidents, speed traps, accidents, speed limits, and other useful information to help fellow drivers navigate the quickest possible route.
Waze was designed as a social navigation application for private cars. That’s why the app doesn’t currently support lane navigation set aside for public commuting or trucks.
Who Founded Waze?
Uri Levine and co-founders Amir Shinar and Ehud Shabtai founded this app in 2006.
Funding was the initial hurdle the co-founders faced, as it was difficult to convince investors to consider a company that was way ahead of its time; smartphones didn’t exist when the company first launched in 2006.
The app ran on personal device assistants at the time, significantly diminishing interest from possible investors. But Levine’s focus on solving the traffic jam problem attracted a few investors’ attention.
In 2013, Google acquired Waze for $1.2 billion to help improve Google Maps’ features.
In April 2020, during the pandemic, Waze reported a decline in app use due to reduced travel in most parts of the world. The scenario saw Waze lay off 5% of its workers globally in September of that year and permanently shut down offices in Latin America and Asia-Pacific regions.
Waze Features
Here are some of Waze’s top features:
Location is Always On
Based on your settings, this app can access your location even when the app isn’t in use. This feature lets the app get updates regarding heavy traffic, parking assistance, planned trips, and more.
As an Android user, you can go to the app’s Privacy settings and change the location-sharing settings. On the other hand, iOS users can change the settings via OS settings.
Invisible Mode
Your mood, username, Waze points, and rank appear publicly on the map. Besides, friends may see your photo and name. However, you can go invisible if you don’t want to show up on the map.
Account Information
You can control your account information plus login details in one place. If you delete the account, go to the “Delete Account” functionality. You will lose your navigation history, saved places, credits, and rank.
Ads Personalization
If you turn this feature on, you’ll see personalized ads based on your information. Turning the option off doesn’t disable ads; they will show, though less relevant.
Please note Waze won’t sell your personal information. Check out their privacy policy for more info.
Sharing Data with Third-Party Applications
Waze may allow you to link to a third-party service that can help you while using the navigation app.
You must grant Waze permission to share data with a third-party app if you link the accounts.
If you enable data sharing with an audio app, Waze may share the following data:
- Route info, such as street names
- ETA (estimated time of arrival) details
- Next turn instructions (left, right, straight, etc.)
- Distance to your next turn
You can disable data sharing with audio apps anytime. Go to Settings > Audio Player and toggle off a specific audio app.
Also Read: Best Weather Apps For iPad
Cost and Availability
You can download and use Waze for free. However, your phone’s data rates will apply as the app receives and sends real-time route information.
You can download Waze from the Play Store (Android version 6 and above). Similarly, you can get it from the App Store to your iOS device (iOS version 14 and above).
User Interface
Waze has a simple user interface with a menu that opens from the left. The look is playful and cartoonish, with bright colors and big fonts.
The home screen shows shortcuts to frequently used features, including playing music, searching for a destination, or reporting traffic problems.
Pros and Cons of Using Waze
Pros
- It has a user-friendly and simple interface
- Crowdsourced traffic updates generate real-time data regarding road conditions
- Suggestions on alternate routes can help you evade traffic
- It’s free and without hidden charges
- It supports voice commands
- It supports hands-free operation
Cons
- Waze works well in highly populated areas with more input from users. It may not be useful for off-road or back-country navigation.
- It may prioritize speed over accuracy when providing routing decisions
- It includes ads, which can be distracting when driving
- It requires a constant connection to the internet to operate effectively.
Check Out: Best Weather Apps For iPhone
Best Waze Alternatives
1. Google Maps
Google Maps is a free navigation and mapping app from Google for mobile and desktop devices.
It provides real-time traffic updates on speed traps, traffic jams, road closures, or accidents. The app also lets you report incidents and alert other road users.
Most states forbid using mobile phones while driving, but Google Maps integrates with Google Assistant, giving you hands-free help when driving.
Now, you can text, listen to music, or even call. Simply start by saying, “Hey, Google.”
Google Maps is one of the Waze alternatives that provide real-time updates on public transport. You can tell how crowded a bus or train is and their departure times are.
But that’s not all.
The app shows the bus location, letting you know how far you must walk to catch up.
Should you worry when using Google Maps? Absolutely not! The application uses advanced technology, such as differential technology, to safeguard your personal data.
Want even more privacy? Use Google Maps’ incognito mode to search places.
The feature I like most on Google Maps is sharing your real-time location with other users.
Explore the best alternatives to Google Maps here.
2. Apple Maps
Apple Maps is a map app preloaded on Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch. The app offers turn-by-turn navigation, lane guidance, stop lights, traffic signs, and updates, enhancing a private and robust experience.
What gives Apple Maps an edge over Waze is that it doesn’t collect your personalized data to display ads based on what you search.
You’ll enjoy your driving experience thanks to the at-a-glance information this app gives. For example, while driving, you will see current speed limits, real-time traffic, and speed cameras near you.
Getting around any town is easy, as you can see real-time information regarding transit departure and arrival times, train and bus locations, outages, and connections.
Interestingly, Apple Maps is helpful when walking; use Indoor Maps and augmented reality when on foot.
Moreover, Maps provides cycling directions, alerting you about steep inclines, stairs, or uncrowded roads.
3. MapQuest
MapQuest is an online mapping service rolled out in 1996. MapQuest will work for you if you want to gain more familiarity with a place and its directions.
Once you provide your start and end locations, the app will provide directions and let you find hospitals, hotels, ATMs, and more.
Are you driving in a new location, and the gas level is sinking low? No worries.
The Gas Prices feature provides more information on gasoline’s price and location or alternative fuel.
MapQuest provides several mobile telephone services, including
- MapQuest Mobile – Allows you to access driving directions and maps on your cell phone
- MapQuest Traffic – Sends traffic updates to your mobile phone
- MapQuest Fine Me – Lets you identify your current location, share it with a friend, and locate points of interest in the vicinity
I’ve yet to see mobile telephone services on Waze.
Find out more apps like MapQuest in this post.
TomTom GO is a navigation application for cars and walking. It uses weekly updated offline maps stored on your smartphone.
The app lets you steer clear of blocked roads and traffic in real time. You will receive warnings and other speed alerts for mobile and fixed safety cameras.
TomTom GO Navigation provides live information on fuel costs along your route, saving you time in finding the most affordable fuel for your car.
If you dislike ads and distractions in a navigation app, TomTom GO Navigation won’t disappoint. You only see what matters on the road. They respect data privacy as well. These features make this app score more points than Waze.
Changing lanes on a busy highway can be challenging, but with the app’s Lane Guidance, you will know what lane to take. Besides, the hassle-free turn-by-turn directions make it easy to know what turn you should take.
TomTom GO Navigation is a free app, but to enjoy full features, switch to a paid subscription that starts at $4.99/month for car use on Android and $12.99/month on iOS. However, they offer a seven-day free trial.
Check Out: Best Police Scanner Apps For iPhone
Sygic GPS Navigation is an innovative application with offline apps updated monthly. It also features a precise speed camera and live traffic alerts, updated in real-time.
The app claims to be trusted by over 200 million users globally.
Sygic GPS Navigation lets you access offline 3D maps on your phone without connecting to the internet.
It gets better: this app is voice-guided, with spoken street names and precise directions.
The pedestrian GPS navigation, tourist attractions, and walking directions make Sygic GPS stand out from Waze.
Use satellite maps to search for your point of interest, target address, or favorites in a satellite view.
Other Alternatives to Consider
6. HERE WeGo
HERE WeGo is a free navigational application that guides travelers at both the local and global levels.
This app makes it possible whether you want to reach a destination on foot or use public transport. Public transport enthusiasts in over 1,900 cities globally can enjoy HERE WeGo.
However, if you don’t prefer public transport, you can still benefit from the app’s turn-by-turn voice guidance in your car.
Waze doesn’t work for public transport or when walking.
If you visit various places often, you can save the locations in a collection for easy access in the future.
HERE WeGo works offline, as well.
Scout is a free navigation app that uses GPS-based turn-by-turn voice directions to give you driving directions.
Scout Maps uses information from OpenStreetMap to provide updated map info, ensuring you select the best route and never get lost.
This Waze alternative helps you find the fastest routes and avoid gridlock, thanks to real-time traffic and speed updates.
With a single tap, share your ETA with friends and family so they know when to expect you.
In addition to helping you find the best driving routes, this app also lets you discover places to dine, walk, shop, travel, and find cheap gas.
With this app, parking woes will be a thing of the past; it provides easy navigation into parking safety and walking. Waze lacks this capability.
Navmii is a traffic and navigation application for drivers. The free Waze alternative combines live traffic information, voice-guided navigation, points of interest, traffic scores, and local search.
The app boasts more than 24 million drivers in over 150 countries.
Navmii operates with GPS only; there’s no need to use the Internet. In contrast, Waze doesn’t have an offline feature.
The other remarkable features include fast or automatic routing, heads-up display, community map reporting, HD accurate maps, and search using street, city, postcode, or points of interest.
CoPilot is built with the driver in mind, whether for a car, RV, or truck.
The PC*MILLER routing feature helps you avoid truck-restricted roads and low bridges, keeping you out of trouble.
The app has a clean, driver-friendly interface that won’t distract you when in a cab or personal car, so you can focus on the road ahead.
CoPilot GPS Navigation provides three routes and uses automobile-grade offline maps to help you drive confidently. Waze lacks this functionality.
You get real-time traffic updates and automatic rerouting, eliminating delays when driving.
It comes with voice-guided offline navigation, traffic, and route planning (free for 14 days).
To continue enjoying these three features after 14 days, pay a yearly subscription of $14.99, $29.99, and $119.99 for car, RV, and truck navigation, respectively.
10. Gaia GPS
If you are a camper, hiker, or wilderness explorer, you shouldn’t go out without Gaia GPS. This app helps you discover stunning off-road routes, camping sites, and hiking trails.
With Gaia, you can explore the world using hundreds of high-quality maps from NatGeo with high-resolution illustrations and satellite imagery.
The app covers all nature routes, including backcountry trails and national parks.
Are you traveling in an RV and away from the cell service? Use Gaia’s offline maps to track your location.
The free version provides limited maps exclusively for online use. The premium version costs $39.99 and with it, you can download offline maps, access all maps, print custom maps, and layer different maps together to find more terrain information.
Pros and Cons of Each Alternative
1. Google Maps
Pros
- Accessible, user-friendly, and simple user interface that’s easy to understand and navigate.
- Real-time ETAs depending on traffic conditions
- Provides automatic rerouting because of accidents, traffic, and other road conditions
- Works offline
- Offers a wealth of information, including road layouts, city and town locations, restaurant reviews, state boundaries, and more
- Works with multiple transport models like bike, car, public transport, and walking
Cons
- Limited accuracy – Maps use satellites to estimate your location to approximately 20 meters. When underground or inside a building, the GPS can be inaccurate.
2. Apple Maps
Pros
- Has a focused and easy-to-use interface
- Guides you on what lane to use
- Lets you know the fastest route to your destination
- Provides 3D map views for locations, including buildings
- Augmented reality is useful when walking
- Is highly accurate
- Values your data privacy
Cons
- Doesn’t support offline use
- Only works on Apple devices
3. MapQuest
Pros
- Has a user-friendly interface
- The live camera functionality lets you know how many vehicles are on the road at any given time
- Tells you where to find cheap gas prices
- Provides multiple routes that you can choose depending on your preferences
- Lets you search and book hotel reservations within the application
Cons
- It lacks navigational accuracy and might get some destinations wrong
- Pop-ups can be distracting to some users
- Doesn’t work offline
Pros
- Provides lane guidance
- Provides impressive and reliable offline maps
- You can share your approximate ETA with family and friends
- The interface is easy to use
Cons
- You can only access the first 50 miles for free per month, after which you need an annual or monthly subscription
- The app isn’t updated frequently
Pros
- The user interface is easy to navigate
- Provides up-to-the-minute traffic updates
- Effective voice-guided navigation complete with street names
- Maps are updated monthly
Cons
- Can fail to find some common places
- It may not work effectively under a weak internet connection
6. HERE WeGo
Pros
- Operates in offline mode
- You can save locations in a collection
- Offers accurate navigation, especially ETAs
- The interface is intuitive, with big buttons that you can easily tap
Cons
- Business searches don’t return full results in offline mode
- Maps may not display in full-screen mode on certain mobile phone models
Pros
- It provides up-to-date and accurate directions
- Shows useful information, such as user-recommended nearby restaurants
- Lets you alert your friends about your expected time of arrival
Cons
- Runs in the background and may deplete your battery life
- Location sharing may pose safety and privacy concerns
Pros
- Has an easy and intuitive user interface
- Has voice-guided navigation, minimizing distraction as you don’t have to keep looking at the screen
- Offline maps work effectively
- Provides live traffic information
- Supports fast map rendering
Cons
- At times, it suggests strange detours before reaching your destination
- Image quality is not always great
9. CoPilot GPS
Pros
- Clean and easy-to-use interface
- Works with many vehicle types, including cars, trucks, RVs, and cabs
- Has reliable offline maps that help you find important places like hotels
- Has millions of preloaded places, such as gas stations, restaurants, and hotels, that you can quickly find
- Lane Access shows simple, driver-friendly visuals, letting you know which lane to use
Cons
- Some users have complained that the app suggests dangerous routes when driving around the countryside.
10. Gaia GPS
Pros
- Helps you navigate off-road routes easily, something most navigation apps can’t do
- Offline maps work like a charm
- Apps include high-resolution imagery and clarity
- App interface is intuitive and easy to navigate
Cons
- Free version lacks offline capability and doesn’t have plenty of maps
Wrapping Up: Best Waze App Alternatives
Most of the above Waze alternatives are user-friendly, send timely driving recommendations, provide accurate navigation, respect data privacy, and recommend the right routes.
However, if I had to choose a personal preference, I would go for Google Maps because it supports offline use, respects data privacy, offers hands-free voice-guided navigation, and works on Android and iOS devices.
Google Maps is also free and provides excellent recommendations for businesses, hotels, and other essential places. Additionally, it supports several transport models, including public transport, car, bike, truck, and walking.
If you use an iPhone or another iOS device, I recommend Apple Maps because it provides lane guidance, is super accurate, offers three-dimensional location views, values data privacy, and supports augmented reality.
On the other hand, if you are into camping, hiking, or RVing, I recommend Gaia. You will access professional maps for all trails and terrains, whether online or offline.
Ultimately, each of the above navigation maps is useful. It all depends on your travel needs and preferences. Explore each Waze alternative to find out what suits you.
Tom loves to write on technology, e-commerce & internet marketing. I started my first e-commerce company in college, designing and selling t-shirts for my campus bar crawl using print-on-demand. Having successfully established multiple 6 & 7-figure e-commerce businesses (in women’s fashion and hiking gear), I think I can share a tip or 2 to help you succeed.