Maps & Navigation · head to head
Apple Maps vs Mapzen
Apple Maps
Maps & Navigation
Web mapping and navigation application developed by Apple Inc
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Mapzen
Maps & Navigation
Mapzen was an open-source mapping platform that provided geocoding, routing, and map rendering services
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Apple Maps live traffic updates, public transit info, and satellite view all require an active internet connection, offline mode (iOS 17+) is limited to pre-downloaded areas for driving, walking, cycling, and transit directions; Mapzen the vendor's own pricing page as captured by the Internet Archive on 2 January 2018 priced its mobility APIs on a free tier plus overage model: Turn-by-Turn navigation free for the first 5,000 requests per month then 50 cents per additional 1,000 requests, and Isochrone and Optimized Route each free for the first 100 requests per month then $1.50 per additional 1,000 requests; Mapzen shut down as a project in 2018 shortly after this capture and this pricing no longer applies to any live service
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Apple Maps and Mapzen actually diverge.
| Attribute | Apple Maps | Mapzen |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iOS, macOS, Web | Web |
| Founded | 2012 | Unknown |
Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (freemium), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Maps & Navigation).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Apple Maps
Nothing recorded that Mapzen does not also cover.
Only in Mapzen
Nothing recorded that Apple Maps does not also cover.
Both cover
- Core Functionality
- User Interface
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Apple Maps
- Turn-by-turn driving, walking, and cycling navigationnot Mapzen
- Public transit directions with real-time schedules (subways, buses, trains, ferries)not Mapzen
- Offline turn-by-turn directions for pre-downloaded areas (iOS 17+)not Mapzen
- Augmented-reality immersive walking directions in supported citiesnot Mapzen
- Saving custom hiking/walking routes, including U.S. national park hikes, for offline accessnot Mapzen
Mapzen
No use cases recorded yet. See the Mapzen review.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Apple Maps
- Live traffic updates, public transit info, and satellite view all require an active internet connection, offline mode (iOS 17+) is limited to pre-downloaded areas for driving, walking, cycling, and transit directions
- Apple Maps for the web is only in public beta, not a full-featured release
- Feature depth (e.g. immersive walking AR directions, detailed transit) is strongest on newer iPhones/iOS versions, leaving older devices with a reduced experience
Mapzen
- The vendor's own pricing page as captured by the Internet Archive on 2 January 2018 priced its mobility APIs on a free tier plus overage model: Turn-by-Turn navigation free for the first 5,000 requests per month then 50 cents per additional 1,000 requests, and Isochrone and Optimized Route each free for the first 100 requests per month then $1.50 per additional 1,000 requests; Mapzen shut down as a project in 2018 shortly after this capture and this pricing no longer applies to any live service
Pricing, plan by plan
Apple Maps
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Apple Maps review.
Mapzen
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Mapzen review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Mapzen if
Nothing in the data separates Mapzen from Apple Maps on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Apple Maps or Mapzen better?
- Neither clearly leads. Apple Maps starts at On request and Mapzen at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Apple Maps or Mapzen?
- Apple Maps starts at On request and Mapzen at On request.
- Does Apple Maps or Mapzen run on more platforms?
- Apple Maps runs on iOS, macOS, Web. Mapzen runs on Web.
- What is Apple Maps best used for?
- Apple Maps is most often used for turn-by-turn driving, walking, and cycling navigation, public transit directions with real-time schedules (subways, buses, trains, ferries), offline turn-by-turn directions for pre-downloaded areas (ios 17+), augmented-reality immersive walking directions in supported cities. Of those, turn-by-turn driving, walking, and cycling navigation and public transit directions with real-time schedules (subways, buses, trains, ferries) are not what Mapzen is typically brought in for.