Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Google Maps VS Plus Codes by Google

Compare Google Maps VS Plus Codes by Google and see what are their differences

Google Maps logo Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

Plus Codes by Google logo Plus Codes by Google

Street addresses for places that don't have one 🗺️
  • Google Maps
    Image date //
    2024-01-08
  • Plus Codes by Google Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-05

Google Maps features and specs

  • Detailed Information
    Google Maps provides extensive details about locations, including photos, reviews, operating hours, and contact information.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The platform boasts an intuitive design that is easy to navigate for both casual users and professionals.
  • Real-Time Updates
    Offers real-time traffic updates, accident reports, and road closures to help users avoid delays.
  • Multi-modal Directions
    Supports directions for driving, walking, cycling, and public transportation, offering flexibility for different commuting needs.
  • Street View
    Provides 360-degree panoramic views of streets, enabling users to virtually explore neighborhoods before visiting.
  • Offline Maps
    Allows users to download maps for offline use, which is useful in areas with poor or no internet connectivity.
  • Integration with Other Services
    Easily integrates with other Google services like Google Calendar, making it convenient to plan trips and appointments.

Possible disadvantages of Google Maps

  • Privacy Concerns
    The service collects extensive user data, raising privacy issues regarding how this information is used and shared.
  • Battery Consumption
    Real-time features and GPS usage can significantly drain the battery life of mobile devices.
  • Inaccuracies
    Despite frequent updates, some information may be outdated or inaccurate, such as business hours or road conditions.
  • Data Usage
    Uses a considerable amount of data, which can be problematic for users with limited data plans.
  • Overreliance
    Users may become overly dependent on the service for navigation, potentially reducing their ability to navigate without digital assistance.
  • Ad Integration
    Contains sponsored content and ads, which can sometimes disrupt the user experience.
  • Complexity
    Additional features and layers of information can make it overwhelming for users who just need basic navigation.

Plus Codes by Google features and specs

  • Accessibility
    Plus Codes are accessible to anyone with a smartphone or computer, making it easy to share locations without needing a postal address.
  • Universality
    They work globally and are not dependent on country-specific systems or infrastructure, ensuring a consistent addressing solution anywhere in the world.
  • Offline Functionality
    Plus Codes can be generated and used without an internet connection, which is beneficial in remote areas with limited network access.
  • Integration with Google Maps
    Since they are a Google initiative, Plus Codes are well-integrated into Google Maps, enhancing convenience for users within this ecosystem.
  • Simple Format
    The format of Plus Codes is simple and easy to remember compared to traditional GPS coordinates, facilitating easier communication of locations.

Possible disadvantages of Plus Codes by Google

  • Adoption Challenge
    The widespread adoption of Plus Codes can vary as users and organizations may prefer traditional addressing systems they are accustomed to.
  • Dependence on Digital Platforms
    While offline functionality exists, the use and awareness of Plus Codes heavily rely on digital platforms, which may exclude non-digital users.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Sharing precise locations using Plus Codes can raise privacy issues if users are not careful about who they share their codes with.
  • Integration Limitations
    Outside of Google applications, the integration of Plus Codes may be limited, which can restrict their functionality in other mapping or navigation services.
  • Learning Curve
    For users unfamiliar with digital location codes, learning how to generate and use Plus Codes may require effort and adjustment.

Google Maps videos

New Apple Maps Features That Beat Google Maps!

More videos:

  • Review - Unhelpful Google Maps Reviews - Sub Safari
  • Review - Epic Google Maps Reviews by Local Guides | The Review Review Episode 3

Plus Codes by Google videos

No Plus Codes by Google videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Google Maps and Plus Codes by Google)
Maps
96 96%
4% 4
Web Mapping
96 96%
4% 4
Mapping And GIS
94 94%
6% 6
Travel & Location
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Google Maps and Plus Codes by Google

Google Maps Reviews

Best Tools for Planning a Vacation to Ireland in 2025
Google Maps has been a popular navigation assistant for many years and offers not just driving directions but help finding local restaurants, accommodation and more.
8 Best Alternatives to Google Travel Trip Summaries
If you appreciated the ability to sync Google Trip Summaries with Google Maps, the closing of Trip Summaries doesn’t mean you can no longer sync itineraries to Google Maps. Wanderlog allows you to export any itinerary you create within the app to Google Maps, allowing you to see the location of every attraction you want to visit and gain information on how to travel between...
Source: wanderlog.com
The 8 Best Bike Navigation Apps Ridden & Rated
UX-wise, we’ve given Google Maps a near-perfect nine. The clutter-free layout and recognisable graphics. How would they score a ten? We’d love Google Maps to expand its immersive view (a flyby 3D model of a given route) beyond major cities like London.
Source: loop.cc
The Best Travel Apps for 2025
My number one go-to travel app is Google Maps. On the ground, it shows you where you are and how to get to where you need to go, whether by foot, public transit, car, or bicycle. Google Maps is equally helpful when you want to explore what's around, including hotels, restaurants, and gas stations. Often, the listing for sites and businesses include hours of operation,...
Source: www.pcmag.com
7 Alternatives to Google Maps for Navigation
Google Maps is often the go-to navigation app for many of us. But what if you’re looking for something a little different? There are many alternatives to Google Maps that provide similar features and functions.

Plus Codes by Google Reviews

We have no reviews of Plus Codes by Google yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Plus Codes by Google seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 8 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Google Maps mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Google Maps yet. Tracking of Google Maps recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Plus Codes by Google mentions (8)

  • A Critical Analysis of the What3Words Geocoding Algorithm
    For more on this, and why I think we shouldn't advocate for W3W, see: https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2019/03/why-bother-with-what-three-words/ for theoretical reasons and https://w3w.me.ss/ for some practical examples. https://plus.codes seems much better, but sadly it uses numbers instead of words, which are much harder for humans to remember ( https://xkcd.com/936/ ), so I don't think it will ever catch on. That's... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Houses having names instead of numbers.
    I wish https://plus.codes/ took off. The benefit compared to what 3 words is that you can use the closest city to give directions and cells next to each other share the bigger cell name. Source: over 2 years ago
  • SpaceX is live with T-Mobile announcement
    And an additional shoutout for https://plus.codes/ from Google. Source: over 2 years ago
  • r/Starlink Questions Thread - March 2022
    New to this so sorry if this is stupid. I've been trying to use https://plus.codes to try to check an address for availability at starlink. Whatever code I put in, it simply tells me afterwards "please enter an address or a plus code". That website seems to give me either a shorter or a longer plus code. Neither of them seems to make the starlink website happy. When I try putting in the address, it doesn't like... Source: about 3 years ago
  • Those of you who won the "get in on another cell" game- how did you systematically go about testing plus codes?
    Https://plus.codes/ is really helpful it allows you to select areas by plus code so you can do fine incrementing once you locate an active cell to locate it's edge. Source: over 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Google Maps and Plus Codes by Google, you can also consider the following products

Mapbox - An open source mapping platform for custom designed maps. Our APIs and SDKs are the building blocks to integrate location into any mobile or web app.

what3words - Geocoding system for the simple communication of locations with a resolution of 3 m

OpenStreetMap - OpenStreetMap is a map of the world, created by people like you and free to use under an open license.

OSGeo - QGIS is a desktop geographic information system, or GIS.

Google Maps Go - Designed to run smoothly on devices with limited memory and on unreliable networks

ArcGIS - ArcGIS software is a data analysis, cloud-based mapping platform that allows users to customize maps and see real-time data ranging from logistics support to overall mapping analysis.