

The navigation mobile view is more cartoonish.Maps are less detailed on both the web and on mobile.See and interact with other users around you.Online and mobile trip planning with scheduled departure times.Integration with your mobile music apps.Better warnings about crashes, speed traps, and more.You can quickly share traffic or police alerts, hazard warnings, note cool places, post camera shots, or ask for roadside help. This is because of the social integration it offers with other users (called Wazers). The Waze mobile app is much more fun to use than most other navigation tools out there. The Live Map lets you quickly search for destinations and plan routes, click locations on the map to drop pins or add destinations, and use the Waze Map Editor to customize your own map of any area. The web tool is really meant as a supplement to your mobile experience. That is until you click the Live Map link in the menu. If you visit the Waze website, it doesn’t look like there’s a web-based tool at all. The route is slightly less accurate than Google Maps and doesn’t update as frequently.Route planner has fewer features than Google Maps.The web tool is covered with several very annoying ads that block the map view.Re-routing the planned trip path is more user-friendly.One-button tool for finding gas stations, grocery stores, coffee shops, shopping areas, food, and hotels.An integrated tool for quickly finding hotels and making reservations.Directions include estimated fuel costs.It also displays the current temperature at your location. It offers more one-button location finding options like hospitals, parking, post office, schools, and more. The MapQuest mobile app actually has more features than the web-based tool. A hovering tool along the right provides you with zoom controls, satellite or traffic views, and share or print buttons.

Route directions are very accurate and include current traffic levels, distance, and even estimated fuel costs to make the drive. Just type in a location and click Get Directions to see the route. It’ll recognize your current location based on your IP address (if using the web) or your phone GPS (if using mobile). MapQuest works much like Google Maps does when it comes to searching for locations and finding directions. With a MapQuest account, you can sink all of your navigation plans between the web and your phone. It offers both a web-based tool as well as a mobile app. MapQuest has been around for about as long as Google Maps has. The following list highlights the features and all of the pros and cons of each Google Maps alternative so that you can choose the perfect mapping tool for your situation.
