Google Maps
The map most of us use, and one that also learns where we go.
Benchmark review. Giants are reviewed rarely, to show what the tools in the directory are measured against. This one is not listed in the directory, and it is an example, not a recommendation. Scores are our opinion on the six questions, based on public sources and dated October 2026.
Image from maps.google.com, taken 2026-10-23, shown to help you recognise the tool. It belongs to its maker. Ask us to remove it.
Google Maps is used by over a billion people a month and is hard to beat for routes, businesses, reviews and live traffic, so Delivery is a 5. You can download maps for offline use, and Google has been moving Timeline data onto your device: Timeline is off by default, stored on the device, with an optional encrypted backup. Its traffic data is built from crowdsourced locations, which Google says are anonymous.
The map itself is built on data you cannot take with you, and Google raised prices sharply for developers in 2018 with six weeks' notice, so anyone building on it has felt the lack of control. Compare it with the offline, community-run maps in the directory.
- Used by over a billion people a month, strong on routes and live traffic
- Offline maps are possible, and Timeline is off by default
- The map data is something you can't take with you
