Last updated: 19 Mar 2020
Google Maps is the most popular app, with over 54% of smartphone owners have used it at least once. In contrast, HERE WeGo, previously known as Here Maps, now owned by multiple companies, is a direct competitor of Google Maps. How do both differ? The blog post explores boh and covers HERE WeGo vs. Google Maps (2021).
Routing
Filled with powerful AI, both use different routing techniques. When you search for something, you get the recommended route with additional routes. To identify which one is better, I took a test drive to the given destination. Here is what I found.
| Service | ETA on start | ETA on end | Dist. on start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Maps | 16:36 | 16:35 | 12 km |
| HERE WeGo | 16:38 | 16:35 | 12 Km |
Although one map can perform better than the other depending on the location and time, HERE WeGo suggested a 16:38 ETA, but the actual arrival time was 16:35. Google Maps was more accurate. The full result video is available down below.
Winner: Tie Score: HERE WeGo: 1 | Google Maps: 1
Reporting
Google Maps is slowly adding reporting features on both Android and iOS. HERE WeGo also comes with a few features. Take a look at the below table for all the supported features.
| Feature | HERE WeGo | Google Maps |
|---|---|---|
| Speed camera | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Speed limit | ✔️ limited locations | ✔️ limited locations |
| Vehicle’s speed | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Mobile speed camera | ❌ | ✔️ User-reported |
| Crash | ❌ | ✔️ User-reported |
| Congestion | ✔️ | ✔️ User-reported |
| Roadworks | ✔️ | ✔️ User-reported |
| Lane Closure | ❌ | ✔️ User-reported |
| Disabled Vehicle | ❌ | ✔️ User-reported |
| Object on Road | ❌ | ✔️ User-reported |
Winner: Google Maps Score: HERE WeGo: 1 | Google Maps: 2
Speedometer test
Regarding the speedometer, both are almost accurate. There is usually a difference of 1 km/hr between the two and the vehicle’s speedometer.
Winner: Tie Score: HERE WeGo: 2 | Google Maps: 3
Related: HERE WeGo vs Waze
Transit options
The next round is covering all the supported routing options. HERE WeGo and Google Maps are some of the services to provide navigation for public transport in over 1300 cities.
HERE WeGo shows all the possible navigation types on the screen with separate tabs for each transport option when you search for an address.
Google Maps shows each transport option separately. Google Maps also remembers your choice, so the next time you search for anything, the tab with the last used transport option comes up.
The table shows what transport type both apps offer. The * suggest that the transport type is region or device limited.
| Transport option | HERE WeGo | Google Maps |
|---|---|---|
| Car | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Motorbike | ❌ | ✔️* |
| Bicycle | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Walking | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Taxi / Uber | ✔️* | ✔️* |
| Public transport | ✔️* | ✔️* |
Winner: Google Maps Score: HERE WeGo: 2 | Google Maps: 4
Offline navigation
With HERE WeGo, we can download territories and nations at once, while Google Maps allows you to download a particular area in one go. HERE WeGo also offers to download the public transport data, which may not be accurate.
The apps automatically switch to the offline mode if the internet connection is unavailable, but you can toggle the online/offline button in the settings menu.
Winner: Tie Score: HERE WeGo: 3 | Google Maps: 5
Related: Sygic vs Waze
Business information
Google Maps and HERE WeGo alongside Waze are the only apps offering information about places. Both support a lot of information, but Google Maps is the king.
Let’s take a look at the below table to see which service supports what.
| Feature | HERE WeGo | Google Maps |
|---|---|---|
| Business name | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Contact information | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Website | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Rating | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Reviews | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Business hours | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Nearby public transport | ❌ | ✔️ |
Winner: Google Maps Score: HERE WeGo: 3 | Google Maps: 6
Other features
HERE WeGo
- App for Galaxy Watch
- Offline maps for cities or nations
- No account is needed to use
Google Maps
- Street and real-time street view
- Total lanes and recommend lane while driving
- Timeline
- Share live location
Contributions
Google Maps comes with a program where users can earn points by posting pictures and videos, answering questions, and rating and reviewing places.
The service also uses a level system, where the level increases after certain points. The points can help you go to Google Maps events across the world.
Video
Still not sure? Watch the Google Maps vs. HERE WeGo video to see both on the road.
Which one is for you?
Both do a good job. HERE WeGo is popular in Europe, so if you live in Europe, you must try HERE WeGo. Google Maps is the ultimate stop if you don’t like HERE WeGo.
Both countries will work fine for other countries, but I believe that Google Maps may perform better in more situations. The final score in HERE WeGo vs Google Maps is 3 against 6.
Wrap up
The end of the HERE WeGo vs. Google Maps article is here. I hope the blog post helped. The comparison covered the essential features, but please leave it in the comments below if you have any doubts or feedback.
