Google Maps vs. Apple Maps: I compared two of the best navigation apps – here’s my pick

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

Google Maps wins for fast routing, AI, and rich discovery features.
Apple Maps is cleaner, simpler, and geared toward Apple users.
Both apps are close, but Google Maps is more powerful overall.

I’ll admit it: I’m a Google Maps person. I use it for driving, walking, looking up restaurants and businesses, checking out what a parking lot looks like, travel planning, and occasionally falling into a Street View rabbit hole that might begin with “What does my old childhood home look like today?” and end with me exploring the ancient streets of Rome, dreaming of visiting one day.

But I once preferred Apple Maps. As a longtime Apple user (I got my first Mac when I was 14, nearly 25 years ago, and I switched from Verizon to AT&T in 2007 just so I could get the first iPhone), I will always try everything Cupertino releases. So, back in 2012, when Apple Maps first launched, I gave it a shot. I can’t remember how long I used it for, but it was a couple of years at least.

Also: Google Maps vs. Waze: I’ve used both, and one is much better

I ignored the haters. Let’s be real, Apple Maps was a punchline after its disastrous launch. But at some point, I followed the crowd. Overtime, I became entrenched in Google apps. Eventually, it became obvious that Apple Maps was my backup maps app, the one I’d accidentally open instead of Google Maps. But I know Apple Maps has steadily improved.

I’m a tech editor by day, so I’ve seen and written about countless updates to Apple Maps over the last decade. For example, with iOS 26, Apple added a Preferred Routes feature, which learns the routes I take most often and warns me about delays before I leave.

With these kinds of updates in mind, I set aside my Google Maps bias and compared both apps feature by feature. Which one is better in 2026? Which one should I actually use? Has Apple Maps finally done enough to make me quit Google Maps for…

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