Google Maps Alternatives
Posted on 7th September 2021One of the best advantages of the age of technological progress we live in is that you don’t need to carry inconvenient road atlases with you when you travel. You can have everything you need for a successful trip on your phone.
Probably, each of us has heard of Google Maps. Many use it because it is considered to be the most popular app. You might be surprised, but there really are really worthy alternatives with their own unique features, useful functions, and information.
It is true that Google has rooted in our life like no other corporation ever did. It became a synonym for browsing, maps, and smartphone operating systems. But it does not mean you have to stay glued to its services and never try anything new. If you simply don’t find Google Maps convenient for you, or you wish to give something new a try, we have prepared a review of alternatives for Android and iOS that will help you get to your destination without unpleasant adventures.
Six alternatives for Google Maps with free download
1. Waze
Waze is not simply road maps, traffic information, and GPS; it is a community of drivers who send their reports about situations on the roads in real-time mode. Those who use this application say that it provides more relevant information compared to Google Maps. Google processes data from traffic agencies that many do not always notice a jam as soon as it appears. And Waze uses crowdsourcing to know the current situation on the road in question. It will also warn you about police and other hazards on the way.
Using Waze, you also get built-in support for the apps you use to listen to your music or podcasts. It means that you will not need to close the app to manage your audio. It will also give you live maps, step-by-step navigation, and local fuel prices.
You can also customize your Waze app by adding celebrity voice packs. You may get your directions voiced by Morgan Freeman or Jeremy Clarkson.
2. Citymapper
The app has a pretty simple and understandable interface. It can be installed on any Android device or iOS.
Although it does not provide information for a variety of cities, this app is perfect for major cities like London, Berlin, or New York. With it, you will no longer need to stop people in the street to ask the way.
Citymapper allows you to plan your route in the city using different means of transportation – car, bicycle, and any public transport, underground – and even a walking route. It provides live time mode information. So, even if your bus is going to be late, the app will provide you an alternative route. It will even give you a tip where you should stand on the platform to get on the train or leave the platform quicker.
Another benefit of the app is that it will not only design the best route for you but also show you other interesting spots in the city. In addition, it will display the number of calories you burn.
Citymapper will:
- Design any kind of rout
- Knows everything about public transportation
- Works well all around the world
3. Maps.me
This app will serve you best if you are going to travel in unknown places or travel somewhere “far from civilization” where you have a chance to lose internet connection.
The only thing you need is to install this app beforehand and download the maps you need. Your trip will not depend on the data connection. You will be using maps in offline mode.
Maps.me uses the GPS module built-in in your smartphone to detect your location. For this, you will not need the internet connection.
The app will easily design a route for you to help you get from A to B the best way.
Another benefit of this app is that it is able to search for infrastructure objects such as hotels, cafes, sights, transportation, and other things you might need during your travel.
Maps.me application uses data from Open Street Map, the one and only map in the world that was created by people from around the globe. To be clearer, it is like Wikipedia for maps. This is why the maps you download in this app are very detailed and show every peculiarity of a particular region. They have everything that might be of a traveler’s interest. This app will save not only your time but also your money. You will not need to wander around in search of the closest restaurant or a pharmacy. You will be able to find anything you need even in the middle of the night.
Some of the advantages include:
- It’s free
- Offline mode
- Includes maps of all countries
- Navigation included
- Fast work
4. what3words
Imagine that you are lost in the woods, and there is no way you can know your exact location. Or, let’s say, you are at the big open-air concert, and you have lost your companions. Or you just can’t keep in mind the names of the streets. what3words will excellently help you in all these situations.
What is so special about this app? The developers managed to divide the entire globe into fifty-seven trillion squares and give each square a name consisting of three random words. With the help of this system, it is possible to get coordinates of a piece of land as big as 3 meters by 3 meters.
The app has undeniable advantages:
- It is convenient to use – you only need to enter three words to find the location you need
- Remote possibility of mistake – even if there exist locations with similar names of three words, they are located far from each other.
- High speed of search
- Accuracy of identification
Also, you have a possibility to reserve your own point on the map with the name consisting of one word. It is a paid service, and you can use it if you need to mark a specific location important for you. This is confidential information, and only those who you give the name of this place on the map will be able to find it.
Of course, there are addresses and GPS coordinates, but it is sometimes very difficult to remember them because they are not always short. This app is simple and unique at the same time.
5. Geoguessr
This is not actually a navigation application. This is a game that helps you explore the world and different cultures from your phone. What can be more interesting!
What you need to do is guess the location by looking at the picture of this place offered by the game. The picture is divided into several parts, but you can turn it for a better clue.
In the beginning, it might seem rather easy, but as you play further, the games become more difficult yet involving, as one should expect. At some point, it even looks like a real investigation – you keep driving the roads, searching for some identification marks like phone codes, names of cities, streets, stores, etc. The game looks very real because it uses Google maps. You can play either on your own or with other players. It is really involved. When you get some experience playing it, you will be able to differentiate between the trees of Norway and America.
6. Here WeGo
This is a navigation app from Nokia. It provides free maps for Windows, Android, and iOS devices.
The application allows you to see maps of different regions and receive the information you need. There are two options to see the maps. The first one is the classical view of the streets and roads with current information about traffic. The second option is a 3D view of all the buildings. This is such a great option because you can literally look inside malls or airports to see the location of different objects inside there.
WeGo will work perfectly even if you lose internet connection because you can download packages of maps of a particular region or city, and you don’t need a signal to see them. If you want your app to speak any specific voice when you drive, you can choose a voice package offered by the app.
You will also find other tools such as a search of banks, stores and services, and other local objects. You are able to use tabs to remember the place you liked. WeGo will integrate with the local transportation system. This will allow you to always know where you are, design the best route to the point of your destination, and know-how long you need to wait for your bus or other means of transportation.
You can connect other apps, for example, to check the reviews of the places you want to visit.
Obvious advantages of Here WeGo include:
- Voice navigation that is available all over the world
- Possibility to download maps and use them without an internet connection
- Latest information about the current situation on the road
- 3D visualization
- Route planner
- Public transport information
- Possibility to share your location
As you can see, there are worthy alternative apps to Google Maps. We all know that Google is a giant in technology, and these guys work on improving their products all the time. Google Maps seems to become more and more available with each day. But, of course, each of us has reasons why we don’t want or can not use this service. The good news is that there are pretty good alternatives in the market, each of which provides their unique tools.
Most of the apps we have mentioned in this article are designed to provide the latest information about the traffic and infrastructure in the area you are in. Do you think any of them will meet your requirements?
