Let’s be honest about it and admit that Google Maps was, is, and will definitely continue to be the most advanced mobile navigation app currently available out there.
While it’s not necessarily everybody’s cup of tea, Google Maps comes with an impressive feature lineup, and more often than not, it provides very accurate navigation, traffic information, and step-by-step guidance to make the experience overall a lot more straightforward.
However, using Google Maps lately has been a challenge, especially on Android Auto, where the number of glitches increased significantly. And what’s worse is that nobody knows for sure when the highly anticipated fixes could finally land.
As a result, it’s not really a surprise that so many people are looking for alternatives these days. If you’re particularly interested in the traffic information provided by a navigation app, here are the best replacements for Google Maps today.
Waze – crowdsourcing for the win
Without a doubt, the best alternative to Google Maps when it comes to traffic information is Waze. Also owned by Google, Waze can predict the traffic you would come across on a configured route in a way that’s often incredibly accurate.
The secret behind Waze’s magic is its user base, as people running the application can contribute with traffic reports and send information on what they come across on the road. As a result, Waze can generate faster routes, determine the ETAs more accurately, and make the driving overall more predictable.
The only major drawback that Waze comes with (aside from its rather childish UI, but this is more of a subjective thing) is the must-have permanent Internet connection. In other words, Waze doesn’t work in offline mode, but if you’re interested in real-time traffic information, this kind of makes sense anyway.
Photo: Screenshot from Toyota YouTube channel
Sygic GPS Navigation – the fastest route comes at a price
If Google apps aren’t necessarily your favorite cup of tea, then Sygic’s GPS Navigation is without a doubt worth checking out.
Also available on Android Auto, the application uses real-time traffic information from TomTom, so in theory, it’s as accurate as it gets. TomTom is currently one of the leading navigation software specialists out there, and its data is helping drivers in millions of cars already on the road, not only with mobile apps but also thanks to pre-loaded navigation.
In Sygic’s app, the traffic data is refreshed every 2 minutes, and just like in rival apps, light and heavy traffic conditions are marked on the map with yellow and red lines, respectively.
Thanks to the automatic traffic updates, Sygic can continuously look for new routes, and the company promises the fastest way to reach your destination will always be offered.
On the other hand, the main drawback is that real-time traffic information is only available with a Premium subscription, so you must pay to get access to it.
Photo: Sygic
MapQuest – a different approach
While many navigation apps out there promise just the most accurate traffic data, MapQuest uses a different approach to help users in this regard.
While few people know this, MapQuest was one of the first Google Maps alternatives, as it’s been around, including on mobile, for more than a decade.
In addition to traffic information when generating new routes, MapQuest also comes with a dedicated traffic button that lets you connect to real-time cameras. In other words, you can see the current traffic conditions with your own eyes, and therefore be in the know before leaving on a new journey.
MapQuest also comes with all kinds of extras, including an estimate of how much the gas is going to cost you in order to reach the destination (this feature, however, is only available in the web-based version of the service).
