5 ms·

What the difference between Waze & Google Maps. Google owns both and don't they share data on the backend between the two apps (e.g. Traffic data, etc)

_1 9y ago
Waze allows users to submit alerts (speed traps, and the like).
rawb92 9y ago
Waze is more of a social navigation app. You can add alerts to the map about traffic, accidents, police cameras and so on. It also warns you of speed and speed cameras on the road, which google maps doesn't do.
xd1936 9y ago
The routing algorithms are completely different, as well as the map data itself. Waze allows users to edit the map, whereas Google Maps no longer does. Google Maps only allows users to submit/edit _locations on the map_. They do share traffic and accident data, but that's about all. Why do they do it this way? Couldn't tell ya.
- puzzle 9y ago
  Two different user bases. Also, Google Maps is tuned for simpler directions (e.g. fewer turns), even if that adds an extra minute or two.
th5 9y ago
I find waze'S strong point is in dense metro areas where there are many routes to consider, like LA/OC. That's where it shines. Other than that It seems to eat a lot of battery and make my phone run hot so I stick with Google elsewhere.
- JTon 9y ago
  Agreed. I find Waze has more aggressive rerouting. Maps tends to stick to simple navs at the expensive of a few minutes. Waze will zig-zag me around town. I do find both apps make my phone hot and gulp battery though.
  - theWatcher37 9y ago
    Waze has rerouted me around catestrophic traffic jams multiple times, both cases having a companion launch apple/google maps and they were more than happy to send me right through it.
vgrafe 9y ago
In my use case, stop light cameras and speed cameras positions. There is an obnoxious grid around DC/Maryland that costs me around $300/year in tickets. To the "why don't you go slower then" crowd - believe it or not, I drive carefully. Aside of the eventual speeding, silly situations like being half-way on the wrong lane while passing a green light can cost you $150 here.
- LeifCarrotson 9y ago
  > silly situations like being half-way on the wrong lane while passing a green light You're not supposed to change lanes in an intersection. It's confusing to people trying to turn and figure out what lane you're in. This is why they fine that activity.
  - karthikb 9y ago
    Not the gp, but there are situations where that kind of activity is absolutely necessary. Think about driving behind an Uber that stops in the right lane immediately after clearing the intersection, then puts their hazard lights on to wait for a passenger. Your options are either (1) stop behind the Uber, potentially blocking the crosswalk and the intersection when the light changes, or (2) make a lane change in the middle of the intersection and pass the stopped Uber.
    - true_religion 9y ago
      I thought this scenario is about changing lanes within the intersection, as opposed to just outside of it where you could potentially block the crosswalk? If I had enough space to get into the crosswalk, I'd do so to hopefully nudge the Uber along where I can safely make a lane change on the actual street. If the Uber doesn't get nudged along and there's no other legal way to move... then I'm "stuck in traffic" quite literally. It's not absolutely necessary to avoid traffic by breaking traffic laws. In the DC metro area, lots of times traffic is created by exactly the same scenario. I don't feel bad about it; the root cause was the Uber driver or more traffic up ahead combined with the limitations of human response time.
seren 9y ago
It might be because I am used to it but I find Waze interface better overall. For example, selecting alternative route is not that obvious on Google map for long distance travel, it is a single click on Waze.
amyjess 9y ago
Waze uses a completely different pathing algorithm, and it's straight-up worse than Google. The way Waze works is that it will do everything and anything it can to avoid a busy intersection or a congested street, without regard to whether or not going out of your way will take more time than just slogging through the intersection or the street. Waze will prefer a route that takes an hour but only takes streets that are empty over a route that takes half an hour but involves multiple busy intersections. Google optimizes its routes purely by time: whatever route will get you there the fastest is what it'll go with. Waze also has a notorious tendency to encourage people to make left turns from the right lane and vice versa. It's illegal and dangerous. These instructions often take the format of "turn right on [six-lane arterial] and then immediately take the next left", even though it's physically impossible to get across the street in time. Waze also cannot recognize the entrance to my townhouse complex as an entrance. It will always suggest cutting through a neighboring gated community to get to where I live. As a frequent Lyft rider, this means that I cannot ride with any driver who uses Waze if I'm going to or from my home. I often have to call drivers who pick me up from my house and say "please confirm that you are not using Waze", and if they say they're using Waze, I will immediately cancel. If they're close enough though, I'll just monitor their route, and I'll immediately cancel if they take a route that only Waze will suggest (for example: the entrance to my complex and the neighboring gated community are on separate but perpendicular arterials; if they're driving on the arterial my entrance is on, but they drive past my entrance and then make a left turn on the other arterial, I'll know they're a Waze user, and I will cancel). Sometimes, when I'm being picked up from work, I'll see a driver starting up Waze, and I'll say "please don't use Waze; it can't get to where I'm going". Sometimes, the driver will let me manually navigate them or on rare occasion even start up Google Maps, but I've also experienced a bunch of drivers who will throw angry temper tantrums because I asked them politely to not use Waze. One driver started screaming her head off at me while punching the steering wheel. I've had to get out of the car and call their trust & safety hotline a couple of times. I'm convinced that these drivers know that Waze will suggest routes that take more time than Google does, and that they are deliberately using Waze to run up the meter and make more money; as such, they get pissed off when a rider won't play along.
- kahirsch 9y ago
  > Waze also cannot recognize the entrance to my townhouse complex as an entrance. If you install the Waze App, you can report map issues as well as police, traffic, etc. I submitted a map issue at 11pm (Eastern Time) and it was fixed by early the next morning.
Yhippa 9y ago
Waze seems more aggressive about alternate routes than Google Maps. Waze also gives you the firehose of cop and other road objects.
bmurphy1976 9y ago
If you know the area, know where you are going, know when the nav is giving you a bad route, Waze is much better. It optimizes your commute time so that you can avoid traffic hot-spots. Save a couple minutes here, a couple there, it adds up. You just have to know that "yeah, that road seems quicker, but you always get stuck at the light". If you don't know where you are going or are traveling long distances, Google Maps is better. Waze simply can't handle long distance routes very well and Google Maps is far less likely to send you down some weird road to avoid a hot-spot. You definitely want to try and avoid weird roads or odd routes in strange areas.
TheAdamist 9y ago
Waze allows using the phone speaker for nav directions, even when connected over bluetooth. Google maps doesn't have this option. My cars bluetooth won't autoswitch over to the nav bluetooth audio when directions are coming in when listening to another source. Waze traffic avoidance is also far superior.
julioneander 9y ago
Also, in Google Maps you can select areas to keep cached for offline use. Waze AFAIK doesn't offer that option, which is a dealbreaker for me.

_1 9y ago

Waze allows users to submit alerts (speed traps, and the like).

rawb92 9y ago

Waze is more of a social navigation app. You can add alerts to the map about traffic, accidents, police cameras and so on. It also warns you of speed and speed cameras on the road, which google maps doesn't do.

xd1936 9y ago

The routing algorithms are completely different, as well as the map data itself. Waze allows users to edit the map, whereas Google Maps no longer does. Google Maps only allows users to submit/edit _locations on the map_. They do share traffic and accident data, but that's about all. Why do they do it this way? Couldn't tell ya.

puzzle 9y ago
Two different user bases. Also, Google Maps is tuned for simpler directions (e.g. fewer turns), even if that adds an extra minute or two.

th5 9y ago

I find waze'S strong point is in dense metro areas where there are many routes to consider, like LA/OC. That's where it shines. Other than that It seems to eat a lot of battery and make my phone run hot so I stick with Google elsewhere.

JTon 9y ago
Agreed. I find Waze has more aggressive rerouting. Maps tends to stick to simple navs at the expensive of a few minutes. Waze will zig-zag me around town. I do find both apps make my phone hot and gulp battery though.
- theWatcher37 9y ago
  Waze has rerouted me around catestrophic traffic jams multiple times, both cases having a companion launch apple/google maps and they were more than happy to send me right through it.

vgrafe 9y ago

In my use case, stop light cameras and speed cameras positions. There is an obnoxious grid around DC/Maryland that costs me around $300/year in tickets. To the "why don't you go slower then" crowd - believe it or not, I drive carefully. Aside of the eventual speeding, silly situations like being half-way on the wrong lane while passing a green light can cost you $150 here.

LeifCarrotson 9y ago
> silly situations like being half-way on the wrong lane while passing a green light You're not supposed to change lanes in an intersection. It's confusing to people trying to turn and figure out what lane you're in. This is why they fine that activity.
- karthikb 9y ago
  Not the gp, but there are situations where that kind of activity is absolutely necessary. Think about driving behind an Uber that stops in the right lane immediately after clearing the intersection, then puts their hazard lights on to wait for a passenger. Your options are either (1) stop behind the Uber, potentially blocking the crosswalk and the intersection when the light changes, or (2) make a lane change in the middle of the intersection and pass the stopped Uber.
  - true_religion 9y ago
    I thought this scenario is about changing lanes within the intersection, as opposed to just outside of it where you could potentially block the crosswalk? If I had enough space to get into the crosswalk, I'd do so to hopefully nudge the Uber along where I can safely make a lane change on the actual street. If the Uber doesn't get nudged along and there's no other legal way to move... then I'm "stuck in traffic" quite literally. It's not absolutely necessary to avoid traffic by breaking traffic laws. In the DC metro area, lots of times traffic is created by exactly the same scenario. I don't feel bad about it; the root cause was the Uber driver or more traffic up ahead combined with the limitations of human response time.

seren 9y ago

It might be because I am used to it but I find Waze interface better overall. For example, selecting alternative route is not that obvious on Google map for long distance travel, it is a single click on Waze.

amyjess 9y ago

Waze uses a completely different pathing algorithm, and it's straight-up worse than Google. The way Waze works is that it will do everything and anything it can to avoid a busy intersection or a congested street, without regard to whether or not going out of your way will take more time than just slogging through the intersection or the street. Waze will prefer a route that takes an hour but only takes streets that are empty over a route that takes half an hour but involves multiple busy intersections. Google optimizes its routes purely by time: whatever route will get you there the fastest is what it'll go with. Waze also has a notorious tendency to encourage people to make left turns from the right lane and vice versa. It's illegal and dangerous. These instructions often take the format of "turn right on [six-lane arterial] and then immediately take the next left", even though it's physically impossible to get across the street in time. Waze also cannot recognize the entrance to my townhouse complex as an entrance. It will always suggest cutting through a neighboring gated community to get to where I live. As a frequent Lyft rider, this means that I cannot ride with any driver who uses Waze if I'm going to or from my home. I often have to call drivers who pick me up from my house and say "please confirm that you are not using Waze", and if they say they're using Waze, I will immediately cancel. If they're close enough though, I'll just monitor their route, and I'll immediately cancel if they take a route that only Waze will suggest (for example: the entrance to my complex and the neighboring gated community are on separate but perpendicular arterials; if they're driving on the arterial my entrance is on, but they drive past my entrance and then make a left turn on the other arterial, I'll know they're a Waze user, and I will cancel). Sometimes, when I'm being picked up from work, I'll see a driver starting up Waze, and I'll say "please don't use Waze; it can't get to where I'm going". Sometimes, the driver will let me manually navigate them or on rare occasion even start up Google Maps, but I've also experienced a bunch of drivers who will throw angry temper tantrums because I asked them politely to not use Waze. One driver started screaming her head off at me while punching the steering wheel. I've had to get out of the car and call their trust & safety hotline a couple of times. I'm convinced that these drivers know that Waze will suggest routes that take more time than Google does, and that they are deliberately using Waze to run up the meter and make more money; as such, they get pissed off when a rider won't play along.

kahirsch 9y ago
> Waze also cannot recognize the entrance to my townhouse complex as an entrance. If you install the Waze App, you can report map issues as well as police, traffic, etc. I submitted a map issue at 11pm (Eastern Time) and it was fixed by early the next morning.

Yhippa 9y ago

Waze seems more aggressive about alternate routes than Google Maps. Waze also gives you the firehose of cop and other road objects.

bmurphy1976 9y ago

If you know the area, know where you are going, know when the nav is giving you a bad route, Waze is much better. It optimizes your commute time so that you can avoid traffic hot-spots. Save a couple minutes here, a couple there, it adds up. You just have to know that "yeah, that road seems quicker, but you always get stuck at the light". If you don't know where you are going or are traveling long distances, Google Maps is better. Waze simply can't handle long distance routes very well and Google Maps is far less likely to send you down some weird road to avoid a hot-spot. You definitely want to try and avoid weird roads or odd routes in strange areas.

TheAdamist 9y ago

Waze allows using the phone speaker for nav directions, even when connected over bluetooth. Google maps doesn't have this option. My cars bluetooth won't autoswitch over to the nav bluetooth audio when directions are coming in when listening to another source. Waze traffic avoidance is also far superior.

julioneander 9y ago

Also, in Google Maps you can select areas to keep cached for offline use. Waze AFAIK doesn't offer that option, which is a dealbreaker for me.