A face-off between Apple Maps and Google Maps is going viral again, with a lot of people convinced that Apple is finally delivering a better experience—as long as you’re in the U.S., at least.
It began with a set of screenshots of how the two services map the White House, throwing the contrast into sharp relief.
The Apple Maps version of the layout has 3D trees, buildings, and other features, including the fence in front of the White House’s South Lawn on the Pennsylvania Avenue side. By contrast, the buildings and features in the Google Maps picture are flat and a little lifeless.
However, the comparison is slightly misleading, as some noted that Google has its own more detailed rendering not for navigation, Google Earth. But Apple Maps, they thought, seemed to surpass it as well.
Posters on X praised the visual features in Apple Maps, but they were divided on whether Apple or Google provided a better navigation service.
“In this comparison, Apple Maps looks much nicer but I think Google Maps seems more practical, as you can clearly the see the road layout,” posted @w_riches. “In general, that seems to be the difference between the two. I default to Apple Maps because it looks nice, but if I’m in a rush or can’t afford to make a mistake then Google Maps seems to be more reliable.”
The Google vs. Apple Maps debate is longstanding, and probably won’t be resolved anytime soon. The internet is littered with reviews comparing the pros and cons of the maps, and you can make solid arguments for either side. Some of those arguments played out in the recent viral thread, with Apple Maps defenders pointing to the clearer layout that the 3D renderings provide, and Google defenders praising the near-global reliability of the service.
Some users in particular pointed to more reliable public transportation mapping from Google as a reason to stick with the service.
“Apple Maps is much better UI, on par UX,” posted @TDHyper. “I’ve always used Google Maps but tried Apple Maps in Paris since they had some slick features. Since you’re mostly using pub transportation there, swapped back after a couple days. Prob 50% mismatch on metro, ren etc…”
“100%,” added @cjmthompson. “Apple Maps looks so nice, and I really want to use it. However, if I *need* to reach my destination reliably Google Maps it is… i don’t even bother doing important trips on Apple Maps.”
“Everytime I make the mistake of using Apple maps they send me to deadends or make me take the wrong way,” wrote @1984_is_today, following up on the idea that Apple just isn’t as reliable.
But @Vroooooooomoom pushed back on the idea that Apple Maps gives misleading directions in Paris.
“I used to live in Paris and used Apple Maps all the time. All maps app are synced to the public transportation system and have the same info,” they wrote.
It’s not the first time the debate has gone viral.
In June, @0xgaut praised Apple Maps on X for its level of detail, highlighting more granular depictions of road lines in the streets and slightly more accurate renderings of buildings along the side of the road, writing that “the difference in details on Apple Maps vs. Google Maps is insane.”
Others recently have been praising updates as well, highlighting Apple’s gains.
But for some, the disastrous, decade-old rollout of Apple Maps, with roads that disappeared into nothing, bridges that had seemingly collapsed, and rendering worse than a 1980s video game, still lingered
Despite praise for Apple on its detail in a few global capitals, the consensus in that thread seemed to also settle on the idea that Google Maps is the most reliable international service, despite a strong performance for Apple in the U.S.
“Google maps is still better in navigation all over the world,” posted @AbdulSbeei. “I think Apple Maps is only good in the USA.”
Apple Maps is mostly limited to Apple products, limiting the user base and making Google Maps far more ubiquitous. Android products are more widely used worldwide as well.
But in July, Apple released a web beta that the public can use for navigation even without an Apple device, as long as they stick to Edge, Chrome, and Firefox.
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