Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

what3words VS Plotaroute

Compare what3words VS Plotaroute and see what are their differences

what3words logo what3words

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

Plotaroute logo Plotaroute

Plotaroute is an application that enables you to plan an accurate and powerful outdoor route.
  • what3words Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-12-11
  • Plotaroute Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-02-19

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 companyโ€™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.

Plotaroute features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Plotaroute offers an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, making it accessible for users of all experience levels to plan routes effectively.
  • Comprehensive Route Planning
    The platform provides a wide range of options for creating and customizing routes, including elevation profiles and different map views, catering to various activities such as running, cycling, and walking.
  • Route Sharing and Export
    Users can easily share routes or export them in different formats for use with GPS devices or other applications, enhancing the platform's versatility.
  • Community Features
    Plotaroute allows users to discover routes created by others, fostering a community of route-sharing enthusiasts and providing inspiration for new routes.

Possible disadvantages of Plotaroute

  • Limited Free Features
    The free version of Plotaroute has limited features, which may require users to upgrade to a paid subscription to access more advanced functionalities.
  • Occasional Performance Issues
    Some users report that the platform can experience slow loading times or glitches, especially when dealing with complex or long routes.
  • Dependency on Internet Connection
    Plotaroute is a web-based tool, which means that users must have a stable internet connection to utilize its features, potentially limiting access in remote areas.

Analysis of what3words

Overall verdict

  • Overall, What3words is considered useful and innovative, particularly in scenarios where traditional addressing falls short. It offers significant advantages for navigation, delivery services, and emergency response. However, its adoption depends on industry uptake and user awareness, and it is sometimes critiqued for being a proprietary system.

Why this product is good

  • What3words divides the world's surface into 3m x 3m squares and assigns a unique three-word address to each square. This system provides an easy-to-remember way to specify locations precisely, especially in areas with no formal addressing or for delivering exact coordinates in emergencies or logistics.

Recommended for

    What3words is recommended for use cases such as logistics and delivery services needing precise locations, outdoor activities and adventure travel where traditional addresses are impractical, emergency services requiring quick and exact location data, and individuals or organizations operating in developing regions with poor address infrastructure.

what3words videos

What3words navigation app reviewed

More videos:

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

Plotaroute videos

plotaroute.com - Quick Start Tutorial

More videos:

  • Tutorial - plotaroute.com - Editing Routes Tutorial
  • Tutorial - plotaroute.com - Make Me A Route Tutorial

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to what3words and Plotaroute)
Maps
77 77%
23% 23
Travel & Location
0 0%
100% 100
Mapping And GIS
100 100%
0% 0
Web Mapping
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 what3words and Plotaroute

what3words Reviews

Best cycling apps 2023 |ย 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 |ย 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

Plotaroute Reviews

We have no reviews of Plotaroute yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, what3words should be more popular than Plotaroute. It has been mentiond 125 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.

what3words mentions (125)

  • Japan Post launches 'digital address' system
    IBAN for home addresses. Yawn. Nothing beats the What Three Words system and would be much more fun if not routeable at scale. https://what3words.com/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • 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 / over 1 year 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 / about 2 years 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 / over 2 years ago
  • No rapid numbers on driveways
    Iโ€™m waiting for these guys to make a breakthrough here. Source: over 2 years ago
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Plotaroute mentions (16)

  • Technical question: Is there a GPX editor software (or web-service) that has functionality to export a track file with automatically added "turn after turn" notifications?
    The track in the picture was exported from gpsies, then imported into plotaroute.com Thanks! Source: almost 4 years ago
  • How do you plan and train for long runs?
    My watch is a basic Garmin Forerunner 35 with my map functionality or turn/directions capability. If I'm running somewhere new (somewhere I need to drive to or in a different city) I'll occasionally use plotaroute.com to plot my route and either write the turns down on a small piece of paper I'll carry and glance at periodically or download the GPX file and upload it to use in the rungo app. That app gives audible... Source: almost 4 years ago
  • iwtl how to run a 12 min mile
    2: work towards walking ~2 miles in those 30 minutes (see plotaroute.com or strava to find distance). Consider adding 1-3x per week strength training, such as the minimal routine at r/bodyweightfitness. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Apps to plan hiking/trail running routes to follow with a smartwatch (Garmin Fenix)
    In other post I've been sugested to use plotaroute.com and I'm really liking it, a lot. Source: about 4 years ago
  • GPS accuracy
    Short of using a physical tool to measure the route, your best option is to use an online tool like plotaroute.com to plot the route you took. Hopefully one of the apps is consistently more accurate than the other. Different apps on the same phone may indicate slightly (or significantly) different routes. That's because of differences in how each app gathers GPS coordinates at different times and frequencies, how... Source: about 4 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing what3words and Plotaroute, you can also consider the following products

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

Hiking Project - Better Data. Better Maps. Better Hikes

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

Trekarta - Trekarta is an application that is designed for travelers, hikers, and tourists to provide guidelines related to hiking, off-roading, boating, cycling, geocaching, and all the activities related to the outdoors.

Clearip - Clearip provides the IP intelligence and fraud detection API in the market.

PeakVisor - Your private mountain guide