Our 7 Favorite Google Maps Alternatives

Waze: Plan Around Real-Time Road Conditions

Waze is a unique navigation app focusing on the social aspect of driving. Although it's owned by Google, it's our favorite first choice when we're after something other than Google Maps.

Where this app excels is in its real-time traffic alerts. Users can report all types of conditions and situations that other drivers might find useful, like bad weather, potholes, crashes, road work, and even speed traps. These updates are reflected on everyone's map and can be verified by other users, making it the most reliable source for up-to-the-minute happenings along your drive.

The app is highly customizable and super useful for more than just road conditions, allowing you to add your home/work address, change your car icon, get turn-by-turn directions via celebrity voices, save your favorite places, view toll prices, and lots more. Waze makes driving an enjoyable experience.

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Sygic GPS Navigation & Maps: Loads of Cool Features

If you like to have most of your maps saved offline, Sygic is a great app. It allows you to search for offline maps and download them to your phone, so you don't have to worry if you get stuck without service. Offline maps are available to all users, not just Premium subscribers.

Another great feature Sygic has is 3D real-view maps, so it's much easier to understand where you are and where you need to go. We also like that the map updates every month, the dashcam feature that records the road as you drive, speed limit warnings, and real-time fuel prices.

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Citymapper: Your Public Transit Guide

Are you in a large city where you rarely use a car? Citymapper is an excellent alternative to Google Maps for getting more information on public transportation.

Search for the location you want to go to within the city, and the app will give you all your options for getting there and show you how much time each option might take. The app is also useful for comparing cab fares and booking time on a bike or scooter via companies like Uber, Lyft, JUMP, Lime, Scoot, Bluebikes, Breeze, and Grid.

Citymapper is a great, efficient app if you live in the city and need a navigational app tailored to this experience.

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MapQuest: Simple and Reliable

MapQuest was a lot of people's go-to before Google Maps entered the scene. It's simple to use: enter the destination and go. You can customize the map as you wish to show amenities, traffic hazards, and more.

MapQuest is an excellent option if you want an app that can be tailored to your needs, whether you want it to show you everything along your way or just the bare-bones directions.

Some unique features you might not find in other Google Maps alternatives include roadside assistance help, hotel deals, and local weather.

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Maps.me: Access Offline Maps

Maps.me is a great option for those who don't want to use data for navigation. All the maps the app uses are offline, so you don't have to worry about getting data-related errors while you get around.

If you want to plan a route, you can do so by entering your destinations, and then the app will show you what route to take to visit them all efficiently. Maps.me also makes a point of showing POI (points of interest) within the maps so you can discover new places you may not have found otherwise.

This could be your favorite Google Maps alternative if you're an avid walker or cycler because the app shows whether the path is uphill or downhill. You can also book a hotel from the app and find all sorts of locations, including ATMs and tourist attractions.

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CoPilot GPS: Route Planning for Large Vehicles

If you use navigational tools while driving larger vehicles, like RVs or trucks, you may notice that the routes most apps give you aren't the best for your situation. CoPilot fixes this issue, giving you the best routes no matter what kind of vehicle you drive.

You can also download your maps to use offline whenever you need to, and plan your trips by adding multiple stops. These features make CoPilot especially great for long road trips.

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Pocket Earth: For Hiking, Biking, Boating, and More

Pocket Earth has tons of maps you can download and use with GPS navigation, including hiking, boating, and cycling maps. It's an excellent app for navigation, no matter where or what you're doing.

You can also plan trips by entering multiple destinations, adding a name, and saving the route for later. Pocket Earth is helpful if you want to plan a trip or use off-road maps, especially because it includes over 1 million Wikipedia articles and thousands of travel guides, all usable without a data connection.

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