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Maps · head to head

Google Maps vs SW Maps

Google Maps logo

Google Maps

Maps

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SW Maps logo

SW Maps

Maps

Free Android GIS data collector that pairs with external RTK GNSS receivers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; SW Maps android only. There is no iOS version and no sign of one, which rules it out for organisations that issue iPhones and iPads to field staff.
  • They diverge on capability: Google Maps covers Turn-by-turn navigation, SW Maps covers Custom feature layers.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Google Maps and SW Maps differ
AttributeGoogle MapsSW Maps
Pricing modelFree consumer app, funded by Google's advertising businessOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebAndroid

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Maps).

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 SW Maps

  • Custom feature layers
  • External GNSS support
  • Offline basemaps
  • Geospatial PDF layers
  • Vector import
  • Photo and media capture
  • Export formats
  • NTRIP client

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 SW Maps
  • Searching for and comparing nearby restaurants, shops or services with reviewsnot SW Maps
  • Downloading an offline map before travelling somewhere with unreliable data coveragenot SW Maps
  • Checking real time traffic conditions before or during a drivenot SW Maps

SW Maps

  • An NGO or municipal utility mapping water points, pipe networks or road assets on a budget that cannot absorb per-user GIS subscriptionsnot Google Maps
  • A survey team pairing a low-cost RTK receiver with Android tablets to collect centimetre-accurate attributed features without buying field software seatsnot Google Maps
  • A university field course teaching GNSS data collection where every student needs the tool on their own devicenot Google Maps
  • A consultant doing a one-off asset inventory who needs shapefile or GeoPackage output and does not want to start an annual subscription for a three-week jobnot 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.

SW Maps

  • Android only. There is no iOS version and no sign of one, which rules it out for organisations that issue iPhones and iPads to field staff.
  • There is no back end: no user management, no central project sync, no audit trail. Data lives on the device until someone exports it, and a lost tablet is lost data.
  • No commercial support contract exists, so an organisation with a compliance requirement for vendor support cannot use it for regulated work regardless of technical fit.
  • It is maintained by a small consultancy as a side product of its own project work, so the roadmap follows Softwel’s needs and a feature you depend on may never be prioritised.
  • Form logic is basic compared with dedicated survey platforms: no meaningful skip logic, validation or multi-user assignment, so complex questionnaires quickly outgrow it.

Pricing, plan by plan

Google Maps

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

SW Maps

Free
  • SW MapsFree
    • All features included
    • External RTK GNSS support
    • Unlimited layers and exports

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 SW Maps if

  • You need custom feature layers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Android.
  • You also want external gnss support.
SW Maps review

Questions people ask

Is Google Maps or SW Maps better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Maps starts at Free and SW Maps at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Maps or SW Maps?
Google Maps starts at Free and SW Maps at Free.
Does Google Maps or SW Maps run on more platforms?
Google Maps runs on iOS, Android, Web. SW Maps runs on Android.
Can I use Google Maps for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 SW Maps is typically brought in for.
What can Google Maps do that SW Maps cannot?
Google Maps covers Turn-by-turn navigation, Local search, Offline maps, Street View. SW Maps covers Custom feature layers, External GNSS support, Offline basemaps, Geospatial PDF layers.

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.

SW Maps: Is SW Maps really free?

Yes. It is free with no advertising and no paid tier. There is no subscription and no feature paywall.

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.

SW Maps: Does it support RTK receivers?

Yes, over Bluetooth or USB serial, with NTRIP correction support, antenna height and per-point fix quality recording.

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.

SW Maps: Is there an iOS version?

No. Android only.

SW Maps: Who maintains it?

Softwel, an engineering consultancy in Kathmandu, Nepal, which built it for its own infrastructure projects.

SW Maps: Can we get support?

Not contractually. There is no commercial support agreement, which is the main reason organisations with compliance obligations choose a paid alternative.

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