Key Takeaways

• All three navigation apps will reliably get you to your destination with no major issues.
• Waze stands out for real-time route changes and extensive user reporting features, offering a more detailed and specific navigation experience.
• Google Maps excels in additional features like satellite view, while Apple Maps offers a cleaner design and better experience for local discovery.

Smartphone users are absolutely spoiled with their selection of navigation apps, but there is still a choice to make. Mainly, that choice boils down to Google Maps, Apple Maps, or Waze. While there are many factors you may want to consider -- such as Apple Maps’ poor launch or Waze being owned by Google -- there are several reasons that this is a far more compelling comparison than you might initially think.

While all three services set out to do the same thing, they each yield very different results and experiences. Through the use of all three apps, there are some obvious pros and cons to each, as well as some unexpected and niche bonuses. But which one reigns supreme above the rest?

Navigation

All three will get you where you need to go

The choice between these three services is not one that you’re going to want to make exclusively based on their ability to get you from location to location. All three services will get you where you want to go with no issue. Outside of the exceedingly rare bug that can happen on any service, all three options accomplish the navigational aspect.

As for choosing your destination and starting point, Apple Maps and Google Maps are neck-and-neck. Waze, on the other hand, has a slightly clunkier UI than the other two services -- especially for selecting an alternative starting destination, which seems almost impossible at first glance. With a destination picked, all three provide a few routes for getting where you need to go, and they all tend to be accurate as far as time estimates go.

All three apps will alert you to traffic jams or road hazards, but Waze is the champion for real-time route changes.

When the unexpected happens, all three apps have user reporting systems. They let you track a variety of road hazards, including speed traps and car accidents. Yet, Waze stands out above both Apple Maps and Google Maps for how swiftly it will reroute you based on data from fellow Waze users. All three apps will alert you to traffic jams or road hazards, but Waze is the champion for real-time route changes.

But, these apps will almost never lead you the wrong way. If your only concern is being able to go from point A to point B, you can't make a wrong decision between the three services.

Traffic and other information

All three feature user reporting, but only one implements lighting fast

As mentioned above, Waze is great about quickly getting reported road issues onto the map for you to see and potentially reconsider your route. But what Waze is even better with is specificity about road hazards.

Apple Maps only gives you a paltry three options when reporting a road hazard: crash, speed trap, or a generic hazard option. Google, meanwhile, gives you a little more as options go, adding on slowdowns, construction, objects on the road, lane closures, and stalled vehicles.

Waze absolutely blows Google Maps and Apple Maps out of the water in this regard. Whereas Apple offers three possible reports and Google has seven, Waze lets users report a whopping ten kinds of hazards, including:

• Traffic
• Police
• Crash
• Hazard
• Bad weather
• Blocked lane
• Map issue
• Closure
• Gas prices
• Roadside help

On top of all of those options, each of them has more specific variations available for you to input. Reporting bad weather allows you to specify exactly what kind of weather you mean, and reporting a closure allows you to mark the exact direction and length of closure on the Waze map. Your report will become visible to other Waze users, who can then verify or debunk your report.

While Google and Apple can give you light information about how busy the roads are and potential hazards, Waze is the champion of giving you an idea of exactly what to expect along your route.

Accuracy

Barring glitches, accuracy isn’t an issue

One of the most important things about any navigation app is that it gets you exactly where you need to go. Thankfully, none of these map apps really do a bad job with it. However, when it comes to the accuracy of ETA from each app, your mileage will vary.

From usage, I’ve had wildly inaccurate ETAs from each app. But, I’ve also had highly accurate ETAs from them all as well. While it’s never been an issue, it is probably best not to rely too heavily on the ETAs that any of these apps give -- at least not down to the minute.

While I have seen a fair share of bugs and random misdirections from all three, it’s not really a notable issue. Every instance of it in my experience can be counted on one hand. All three apps are great at getting you where you need to go and giving you a good idea of how long it will take to get there.

Other navigation options

Google and Apple have far more options available

Apple Maps and Google Maps both offer directions outside the car.

Not everybody drives everywhere -- sometimes you need a map to help you navigate on foot or on a bike. Unfortunately, Waze does not offer this kind of option. If you want anything other than driving directions, it’s time to briefly ditch Waze. Apple Maps and Google Maps do, however, offer directions outside the car.

When seeking directions on either Google Maps or Apple Maps, you can tailor the directions to walking or biking as well as view ride-sharing and public transit options. Additionally, Google Maps can give you flight information to a chosen destination.

If you want a navigation app to use for walking, Apple Maps is far better in terms of walking directions than Google Maps. I’ve had Google Maps occasionally point down a sidewalk or road that either doesn’t exist, or terrain that is absolutely not somewhere you can walk. Apple Maps’ Apple Watch integration is also a cherry on top of the slightly better directions.