Google Maps vs. Apple Maps – Tourist-Friendly Design, Utility and Other Features

If you’re a smartphone user, the Maps app you use generally depends on the operating system your phone runs on. Android-powered devices will naturally come with an integrated Google Maps app, while iPhones and other iOS devices naturally come with Apple Maps. However, Google Maps is also available on iOS devices for a while now.

However, regardless of that, both Maps apps have their own devoted fan bases, even though they’re basically the same thing. However, they also have some differences between them, which is to be expected due to their two drastically different and sometimes competing developer. So, what is the main difference between Google Maps and Apple Maps?

Utility vs. Tourist-Friendly Design

The main difference is that one is more focused on utility, while the other brings a more tourist-oriented design to the table. Can you guess which is which? If you’ve used both, you probably can. Google Maps is more minimalistic when it comes to displaying tourist objectives and other establishments, focusing mainly on displaying every single street (even the tiniest ones). On the other hand, Apple Maps displays a lot more landmarks and points of interest. In fact, Google Maps only shows 15% of what Apple does in this department.

The bottom line is that both apps are useful in their own way, it just depends on what your personal needs are. After all, they provide users with two completely different worldviews. Therefore, Google Maps might be a bit more useful for driving and overall transport planning, while Apple Maps can be excellent if you’re on vacation in a new city and want to find everything you need in the same place, especially if you’re walking around a lot.