Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Google Play Store
Google Maps is often considered the world's number one navigation app on Android and iPhone despite the fiercer competition in this space. By the number of downloads, Google Maps is by far the top choice, albeit the numbers might not always paint the most accurate pictures.
The download statistics published on the Google Play Store also include the installations performed on new Android devices – Google ships its mobile OS with Google Maps pre-loaded, and when users purchase a new phone and set it up, Google Maps is downloaded and updated from the Google Play Store; the process is considered a new download.
The rating on the Google Play Store provides a more accurate picture of how popular a navigation app is on Android. Users can submit reviews and rate an application with a maximum of five stars—a five-star rating typically implies that an app is flawless and includes all the features users expect.
This is why I decided to look up the Google Play Store ratings for the biggest names in the Android navigation space. Surprisingly, Google Maps is not the leading choice.
Number 1 – Sygic GPS Navigation & Maps
Sygic has long been a top name in the navigation space, and its GPS navigation software leads the pack with a 4.7-star rating.
Sygic GPS Navigation & Maps is the app that is closest to the top 5-star rating, and most users who posted reviews on the Play Store are satisfied with the app. Sygic has 1.76 million reviews on the Play Store.
The app offers the essential feature package, including turn-by-turn navigation, voice instructions, offline maps, and a series of premium options, such as dashcam support, head-up integration with a mobile device, and Android Auto support. Its biggest shortcoming is the premium tier, and you can't get the full feature package without paying.
US rating: 4.2.
Photo: Google Play Store
Number 2 - TomTom AmiGO
I can't blame you if you've never heard of TomTom AmiGO. TomTom's main mobile navigation app is GO Navigation, but AmiGO's number one selling point isn't only the essential feature package but also EV capabilities, speed camera warnings, and real-time traffic alerts. AmiGO also offers Android Auto support.
TomTom offers AmiGO free of charge and promises it'll never spam users with ads.
The app has a 4.5-star rating after 153K reviews.
US rating: 4.0.
Photo: Google Play Store
Number 3 – Waze
I'm fairly sure you heard of this one, as Waze is one of the most popular apps in the world. Waze includes a crowdsourcing engine that allows users to submit traffic hazards and generate warnings for the other motorists on the road.
Also owned by Google, Waze includes online-only navigation, so you can't use the app without an Internet connection. It also sports Android Auto support.
Waze has 8.46 million reviews on the Google Play Store, and its rating is 4.4 stars.
US rating: 4.4.
Photo: Google Play Store
Number 4 – Google Maps
This might surprise many people, but Google Maps is only fourth in the charts. Since everyone is familiar with its feature lineup, I won't spend much time telling you what it can and can't do.
The application received 17.2 million reviews—it's the navigation app with the most reviews—and has an overall score of 4.2 stars.
US rating: 3.9.
Photo: Google Play Store
Number 5 – TomTom GO Navigation
As I said earlier, GO Navigation is TomTom's flagship product in the navigation space, coming with the entire feature lineup and also including truck navigation mode.
However, while TomTom has everything you'd need from a navigation app, including offline maps, rest stops for truck drivers and vehicle information to offer optimized routes, It's not available for free. A free trial is indeed available, but the full feature lineup can only be unlocked with a subscription.
Despite having the same 4.2-star rating as Google Maps, I ranked TomTom GO Navigation fifth in my chart because it has only 229K reviews.
US rating: 3.5.
Photo: Google Play Store
Number 6 – HERE WeGo
HERE is one of the biggest names in the navigation space, and its software is already pre-loaded with millions of cars on the road. Carmakers love HERE's navigation know-how, so they adopted its products for accurate maps and the extra features that can be offered pre-loaded on new vehicles.
However, HERE also expanded to the mobile world with an app called WeGo. It's available on Android with a freeware license, bringing the company's expertise to Google smartphones at no cost.
The app includes voice guidance, public transportation, offline maps, parking spots, and everything else you'd need in a modern navigation companion. It also offers Android Auto support, so if you want to run it on the bigger screen in the car, you can do this by installing the latest version and connecting your mobile phone to the vehicle.
Despite this excellent promise, HERE WeGo is far from becoming users' favorite app on Android. It ranks 6th in today's charts due to a 4.1-star score on the Google Play Store following 475K reviews.
US rating: 3.3.
Photo: Google Play Store
This story doesn't end here. You can continue the conversation in the comment box after the jump, so let me know what's your favorite mobile navigation app for Android.
Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones. Full profile
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