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Plus Codes by Google VS what3words

Compare Plus Codes by Google VS what3words and see what are their differences

Plus Codes by Google logo Plus Codes by Google

Street addresses for places that don't have one 🗺️

what3words logo what3words

Geocoding system for the simple communication of locations with a resolution of 3 m
  • Plus Codes by Google Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-05
  • what3words Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-12-11

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.

what3words features and specs

  • Precision
    what3words divides the world into 3m x 3m squares, providing very precise location information. This can be more specific than traditional street addresses and helpful in areas with limited addressing.
  • Ease of Use
    Three-word combinations are generally easier to remember and communicate than long strings of GPS coordinates, making it user-friendly for the general public.
  • Global Coverage
    what3words provides an addressing solution for the entire world, including areas that do not have formal street addresses or those that are difficult to map with conventional systems.
  • Integration
    The system can be easily integrated into various applications and services, such as delivery services, emergency response, and navigation apps, increasing its utility.
  • Language Support
    what3words is available in multiple languages, which helps in overcoming language barriers and can be a valuable tool for international use.

Possible disadvantages of what3words

  • Dependency on Technology
    To decode and use what3words addresses, an internet connection or the company’s app is generally required, which can be limiting in areas without robust technology infrastructure.
  • Privacy Concerns
    The precise nature of what3words could raise privacy issues, as it can pinpoint exact locations of residences or individuals if misused.
  • Proprietary System
    what3words is a proprietary system, which means users are dependent on a private company. This can lead to potential concerns about data ownership and longevity of the service.
  • Ambiguity in Pronunciation
    Certain word combinations may be difficult to pronounce or may sound similar to other combinations, leading to potential errors in communication.
  • Complexity in Error Correction
    A mistake in one of the three words could lead to an entirely different and possibly distant location. Unlike traditional addresses, there's less redundancy to aid in error correction.

Plus Codes by Google videos

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what3words videos

What3words navigation app reviewed

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to use What3Words
  • Review - what3words in 2020 - Year in Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Plus Codes by Google and what3words)
Maps
32 32%
68% 68
Web Mapping
34 34%
66% 66
Mapping And GIS
31 31%
69% 69
Developer Tools
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 Plus Codes by Google and what3words

Plus Codes by Google Reviews

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what3words Reviews

Best cycling apps 2023 | 21 of the best iPhone and Android apps to download
The What3words app takes a simple and unique approach to locating and navigating to specific places. What3words
Best cycling apps | 18 of the best iPhone and Android apps to download
The What3words app takes a simple and unique approach to locating and navigating to specific places. What3words

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, what3words seems to be a lot more popular than Plus Codes by Google. While we know about 124 links to what3words, we've tracked only 8 mentions of Plus Codes by Google. 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.

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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what3words mentions (124)

  • Reverse Geocoding Is Hard
    What 3 words (https://what3words.com/) solves this problem, but it doesn't seem to be popular. If anyone has experience, I would be curious to know why. - Source: Hacker News / 8 days ago
  • Government report proves that we need to liberate the Postcode Address File
    Or we can just start using https://what3words.com/ and geolocation. I disagree with the report, I think it's feasible with a bit of creativity. The government also has this: https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/091feb1c-aea6-45c9-82bf-768a15c65307/open-postcode-geo We could also start with an imperfect solution, offer it as a free API (maybe even self-hosted and communicating with other services p2p) and wait for users... - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • I Know What Your Password Was Last Summer
    Something to add to their list of common passwords is the What3Words database of locations https://what3words.com It's something like 50trillion sets of looks-random strings. That's quite a lot, but if the list could be narrowed very significantly to get some likely results by selecting locations in: 1) cities where a company is physically located 2) large capital & global cities 3) significant landmarks I see... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • No rapid numbers on driveways
    I’m waiting for these guys to make a breakthrough here. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Unique Challenges of Geocoding in India
    I assume this is the problem that https://what3words.com/ is trying to solve. But I guess it being in English makes it a less good solution. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Plus Codes by Google and what3words, you can also consider the following products

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

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

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

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.

Mapme - Build smart and beautiful maps within minutes with no coding.