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Maps · head to head

Google Maps vs NexTraq

Google Maps logo

Google Maps

Maps

Consumer navigation and local search app, distinct from the paid Google Maps Platform developer API

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
NexTraq logo

NexTraq

Fleet Management

US small-fleet telematics now absorbed into Michelin Connected Fleet

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Google Maps has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Google Maps location history (Timeline) is stored to the Google account unless disabled, and many users are unaware of how much of their movement is retained by default.; NexTraq the NexTraq brand has been absorbed into Michelin Connected Fleet, so the product name, the account team and eventually the platform underneath you are all subject to a consolidation plan you have no say in.
  • They diverge on capability: Google Maps covers Turn-by-turn navigation, NexTraq covers Vehicle tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Google Maps and NexTraq actually diverge.

Attributes where Google Maps and NexTraq differ
AttributeGoogle MapsNexTraq
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree consumer app, funded by Google's advertising businessquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryMapsFleet Management

Identical on both: 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

  • Turn-by-turn navigation
  • Local search
  • Offline maps
  • Street View
  • Timeline location history
  • Live transit and incident reporting

Only in NexTraq

  • Vehicle tracking
  • Hours of service
  • Fuel and idling reporting
  • Maintenance scheduling
  • Job dispatch
  • Driver scorecards

What people use each for

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

Google Maps

  • Getting turn-by-turn driving or transit directions to a destinationnot NexTraq
  • Searching for and comparing nearby restaurants, shops or services with reviewsnot NexTraq
  • Downloading an offline map before travelling somewhere with unreliable data coveragenot NexTraq
  • Checking real time traffic conditions before or during a drivenot NexTraq

NexTraq

  • A North American trades or field service fleet that wants tracking, dispatch and ELD compliance from one mid-market vendornot Google Maps
  • An operator already buying Michelin tyres and fleet services that can negotiate telematics into a wider commercial agreementnot Google Maps
  • A fleet replacing an ageing tracking system that values an owner with a large corporate balance sheet over a venture-funded challengernot Google Maps
  • A distribution business needing straightforward fuel and idling reporting to justify a driver behaviour programmenot Google Maps

Where each one falls short

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

Google Maps

  • Location history (Timeline) is stored to the Google account unless disabled, and many users are unaware of how much of their movement is retained by default.
  • Local business rankings and prominent ads mix paid placement with organic results, so top results are not purely a relevance ranking.
  • Offline maps expire after a period and must be manually refreshed, which can catch travellers out if they rely on an old download without checking it.
  • Public transit data quality varies significantly by city and country, and is considerably weaker or absent in many smaller or lower-income regions.
  • It is a different product from Google Maps Platform, the paid developer API, and businesses evaluating navigation for their own app need to compare that API's pricing separately rather than assuming free consumer access extends to embedding.

NexTraq

  • The NexTraq brand has been absorbed into Michelin Connected Fleet, so the product name, the account team and eventually the platform underneath you are all subject to a consolidation plan you have no say in.
  • Michelin is merging three separately engineered telematics products, which historically means feature freezes on the older platforms and a migration that existing customers pay for in disruption rather than cash.
  • The feature set is mid-market and unexceptional, so it rarely wins a technical evaluation against Geotab or Samsara on capability alone.
  • Contracts bundle hardware into multi-year terms, so a fleet that shrinks or is acquired continues paying for devices, and early exit triggers hardware recovery costs.
  • The integration ecosystem is small and the API is not a selling point, so connecting telematics data to job costing or payroll usually means custom work or scheduled file exports.

Pricing, plan by plan

Google Maps

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited navigation and local search
    • Offline maps included
    • No subscription tier for the consumer app

NexTraq

On request
  • NexTraq$undefined/year
    • Per vehicle subscription with hardware bundled into the term
    • Multi-year agreements are standard
    • ELD and dispatch modules priced as tiers

Which should you pick?

Choose Google Maps if

  • You need turn-by-turn navigation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want local search.
Google Maps review

Choose NexTraq if

  • You need vehicle tracking.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want hours of service.
NexTraq review

Questions people ask

Is Google Maps or NexTraq better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Maps starts at Free and NexTraq at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Maps or NexTraq?
Google Maps has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Google Maps and On request for NexTraq.
Does Google Maps or NexTraq run on more platforms?
Google Maps runs on iOS, Android, Web. NexTraq runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Google Maps for free?
Yes. Google Maps has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. NexTraq starts at On request.
What is Google Maps best used for?
Google Maps is most often used for getting turn-by-turn driving or transit directions to a destination, searching for and comparing nearby restaurants, shops or services with reviews, downloading an offline map before travelling somewhere with unreliable data coverage, checking real time traffic conditions before or during a drive. Of those, getting turn-by-turn driving or transit directions to a destination and searching for and comparing nearby restaurants, shops or services with reviews are not what NexTraq is typically brought in for.
What can Google Maps do that NexTraq cannot?
Google Maps covers Turn-by-turn navigation, Local search, Offline maps, Street View. NexTraq covers Vehicle tracking, Hours of service, Fuel and idling reporting, Maintenance scheduling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Google Maps: Is Google Maps free?

Yes, the consumer app is free with no subscription for navigation, local search or offline maps.

NexTraq: Is NexTraq still a separate company?

No. Michelin bought it in 2017 and has folded it into Michelin Connected Fleet, together with Masternaut in Europe and Sascar in Brazil.

Google Maps: Is this the same as Google Maps Platform?

No, Google Maps Platform is a separate, metered API product sold to developers embedding map functionality into their own apps and websites, with its own usage-based pricing.

NexTraq: Will my NexTraq system be migrated to a different platform?

Assume so, eventually. Ask directly what the migration timetable is, what happens to historical data, and who bears the cost of re-fitting or re-configuring devices.

Google Maps: Does Google Maps track my location history?

It can, through the optional Timeline feature, which is on by default in some configurations and can be reviewed or disabled in Google account settings.

NexTraq: Does buying Michelin tyres get me a better telematics price?

It is worth testing. The commercial logic of the acquisition is bundling vehicle services, and that is where discounting is most likely to be available.

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