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Maps & Navigation · head to head

Google Maps Platform vs NAVTOR

Google Maps Platform logo

Google Maps Platform

Maps & Navigation

Comprehensive set of APIs and SDKs that allow developers to embed Google

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
NAVTOR logo

NAVTOR

Maritime & Shipping

Digital navigation and maritime compliance

From
$200/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Google Maps Platform free allowances are per service rather than pooled, at 10,000 events a month for dynamic maps, geocoding and autocomplete; NAVTOR specialized product focused only on maritime industry, not suitable for other domains
  • They diverge on capability: Google Maps Platform covers Core Functionality, NAVTOR covers Digital chart services.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Google Maps Platform and NAVTOR actually diverge.

Attributes where Google Maps Platform and NAVTOR differ
AttributeGoogle Maps PlatformNAVTOR
Starting priceOn request$200/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
CategoryMaps & NavigationMaritime & Shipping
Founded20052011

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Google Maps Platform

  • Core Functionality
  • User Interface

Only in NAVTOR

  • Digital chart services
  • Passage planning
  • Compliance management
  • Fleet monitoring
  • ECDIS systems
  • Fleet management
  • Classification societies
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Google Maps Platform

  • Embedding dynamic maps, Street View and photorealistic 3D tiles in an applicationnot NAVTOR
  • Route computation, navigation and fleet route optimisationnot NAVTOR
  • Geocoding, place autocomplete and address validationnot NAVTOR
  • Environmental data including weather, solar, air quality and pollennot NAVTOR
  • Geospatial analytics through Earth Enginenot NAVTOR

NAVTOR

No use cases recorded yet. See the NAVTOR review.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Google Maps Platform

  • Free allowances are per service rather than pooled, at 10,000 events a month for dynamic maps, geocoding and autocomplete
  • Dynamic Maps cost $7.00 per 1,000 calls at the entry tier
  • Geocoding and the Directions API both cost $5.00 per 1,000 calls at the entry tier
  • Pricing is tiered by volume, so the effective unit price depends on total monthly usage and is hard to predict in advance
  • Billing is usage based with no flat plan, so a traffic spike is a cost spike

NAVTOR

  • Specialized product focused only on maritime industry, not suitable for other domains
  • Requires subscription to PRIMAR or IC-ENC chart sources

Pricing, plan by plan

Google Maps Platform

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Google Maps Platform review.

NAVTOR

$200/month
  • NavStation$500/month
    • Digital charts
    • Passage planning
    • Compliance tools

Which should you pick?

Choose Google Maps Platform if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You also want user interface.
Google Maps Platform review

Choose NAVTOR if

  • You need digital chart services.
  • You also want passage planning.
NAVTOR review

Questions people ask

Is Google Maps Platform or NAVTOR better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Maps Platform starts at On request and NAVTOR at $200/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Maps Platform or NAVTOR?
Google Maps Platform starts at On request and NAVTOR at $200/month.
Does Google Maps Platform or NAVTOR run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Google Maps Platform best used for?
Google Maps Platform is most often used for embedding dynamic maps, street view and photorealistic 3d tiles in an application, route computation, navigation and fleet route optimisation, geocoding, place autocomplete and address validation, environmental data including weather, solar, air quality and pollen. Of those, embedding dynamic maps, street view and photorealistic 3d tiles in an application and route computation, navigation and fleet route optimisation are not what NAVTOR is typically brought in for.
What can Google Maps Platform do that NAVTOR cannot?
Google Maps Platform covers Core Functionality, User Interface. NAVTOR covers Digital chart services, Passage planning, Compliance management, Fleet monitoring.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

NAVTOR: What are Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs)?

ENCs are official digital charts used for maritime navigation. NAVTOR distributes ENCs from PRIMAR and IC-ENC in S-63 format and NAVTOR SENC format, covering over 15,800 official charts.

Source
NAVTOR: What is NAVTOR's PAYS pricing model?

PAYS (Pay As You Sail) charges vessels only for the chart cells they pass through during a voyage, while allowing navigators free access to any ENC for planning purposes before sailing.

Source
NAVTOR: What is NavStation used for?

NavStation is NAVTOR's voyage planning software that integrates official ENC charts with overlays of navigational data to assist in route planning and voyage optimization.

Source
NAVTOR: What platforms does NAVTOR serve?

NAVTOR focuses on the maritime shipping industry, serving vessel operators, fleet managers, and navigation professionals with e-Navigation solutions and digital logbooks.

Source
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Related pages

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