With companies like Google and Apple spending billions on mapping resources and walkthroughs, and offering great apps like Google Maps e Apple Maps for free, it is not necessary to pay for anavigation app GPS on our phone.
But there are others free navigation apps you may not have heard of, including Waze e MapQuest, which have some unique features that are worth considering. Step-by-step navigation is a strategic part of companies' plans for the navigation domain and you, the consumer, will benefit from these free GPS navigation apps.
Best GPS Navigation Apps - The Podium
Apple maps, with detailed directions and real-time traffic
What we like
- Clean, aesthetically pleasing screen.
- The new lane guidance is a hit in the eye.
- Additional built-in features, such as automatic local weather forecasts and fact sheets for landmarks.
What we don't like
- Not available for non-Apple devices.
- It does not warn of tutors, obstructions, constructions and other problems.
Apple's Maps app got off to a rough start a few years ago, with many inaccuracies and inconsistencies in its database. But Apple has since invested enormous resources in Maps, even surpassing Google as Apple's leading iOS map and directions provider. Apple Maps has emerged as a much more accurate and comprehensive product, worthy of the software ecosystem it occupies.
Maps works perfectly on all Apple devices. Unlike Google Maps, is not available for smartphones with Android operating system and other devices. The latest maps include the basics like searching, turn-by-turn directions and tracking and le traffic information in real time.
Some of the coolest Apple Maps features include interactive 3D views and a flyover feature for major cities and landmarks. Learn to use Siri for get directions while driving. Voice control is much more secure than trying to type destinations.
You can bookmark destinations and plan trips that you can send to other Apple devices when you sign in to iCloud.
Google Maps, including detailed directions and real-time traffic
What we like
- Street-level view gives an accurate picture of destinations and journeys.
- Provides alerts for traffic problems.
- Save maps for offline use.
What we don't like
- It can be problematic while integrating with iPhone contacts.
- It can consume a lot of data and battery power.
Google pioneered the free navigation app category with Google Maps, and the company continues to make a huge and costly effort to keep Google Maps as an accurate and useful resource around the world. Google maintains a large fleet of vehicles, not to mention backpacks and other specialized devices equipped with cameras and GPS to verify the "fundamental truth" of its mapping products.
With Google Maps you can get everything, including access to the huge company database and Google points of interest, driving directions, street view images, surveying and real-time traffic avoidance and more. Google also supports accurate and up-to-date walking, public transit, and bicycle directions (including cycle paths) in its app.
Google Maps it's free on most phones running Android and can be downloaded for free for the Apple iPhone via the App Store. Tap the top left corner of the screen to choose car, transit, walking, and even bike specific directions.
The Waze GPS navigation app includes user-supplied data in real time
What we like
- The social aspect allows users to inform each other about obstacles and dangers.
- Users can see where "friends" are.
What we don't like
- Confused arrangement.
- Only suitable for car travel.
Waze started as an independent app developer with the brilliant idea of allowing users to exchange travel information in real time, including traffic, obstacles, accidents and more. Waze was bought by Google in 2013 but still maintains a very well done free GPS turn-by-turn navigation app.
With most apps, for example, incoming traffic information is represented by a yellow or red line and possibly an accident icon. With Waze, you will see not only the delays on your route, but also the reason for the problem, as described by other drivers, which will allow you to make better-informed decisions about rerouting (or not).
Waze for Android and iOS is also suitable for drivers who are socially minded and like to hear the thoughts and observations of others as they travel. Waze also has a nice feature that allows you to automatically send real-time updates of your estimated arrival time to friends via social media.
Best GPS Navigation Apps - Equally good
MapFactor GPS Navigation Maps
MapFactor GPS Navigation Maps It doesn't have the online map function, but it's great for offline browsing. First, you'll need to download the maps while still connected to the internet, of course. Once the maps are downloaded, you can search for them manually or ask for directions using the Navigation tool, which also has some extra features like a live odometer, route simulation and route replay.
MapFactor GPS Navigation Maps for Android and iOS offers over 200 individual maps to choose from, with over half in Europe and the Americas. The maps are organized by country, but densely populated areas have sub-regions. Some maps even reveal with the location of speed cameras - useful information for drivers! Map data was extracted from OpenStreetMap.
MAPS.ME - Offline maps and directions
MAPS.ME - Offline maps and directions it was designed to work offline. The navigation app boasts full coverage of areas around the world, offline search and GPS navigation. Business, services and various points of interest there is just about everything.
The app is updated daily by the OpenStreetMap community. The contributors to the open source project make sure that MAPS.ME - Offline Maps for Android and iOS and Driving Directions stays up to date. Although MAPS.ME is free to download (and is committed to always remain so), it does contain advertisements.
CoPilot GPS - One of the best GPS navigation apps
The CoPilot GPS - Navigation app for Android and iOS is for drivers only, (not recommended for pedestrians) and if that's what you need then it almost certainly has all the features you were looking for. However, they are not free. Well, you get them on offer but only for seven days - after that, you'll have to pay for a Premium membership to keep access to all features.
If you don't want to pay, you can still use offline mapping and turn-by-turn navigation for free, but you can only use the 2D version of the maps and some key features will be missing as well.
Premium users are offered 3D mapping. In the full version of the app, the variety of customizable options and alerts is impressive, although potentially for some they might be over the top. There is actually an option for using walking paths, but that's not the app's main feature, it's not quite its forte.
Sygic offline maps and GPS navigation
Sygic offline maps and GPS navigation for Android and iOS is one of the most famous offline navigation apps for Android and there are good reasons. The app offers high definition maps for most of the countries in the world and is regularly updated to make it compatible with the latest Android versions.
It's free to download and there's a seven-day trial, but if you want to keep using it, you'll need to pay for the premium features and traffic updates, or just pay for the features only. If you don't want to pay, the app only offers you the basic services.
Key features include offline navigation, voice-activated GPS with route guidance, 3D mapping and imagery, dynamic lane assistance and the option to project GPS navigation onto your car's windshield. Offline Maps and GPS Navigation Sygic is a strong contender to become one of the best GPS navigation apps.