Google Maps vs Sygic: Difference and Comparison

People love travelling. Some travel as their hobby, while others use travel as a vacation reward for themselves from their busy and hectic life.

But what is common is that everyone loves travelling because it enables us to see new places, different cultures, and just leave the current life behind for a couple of days or months.

One thing that helps enhance our travel journey is navigation tools. They provide us with routes to follow to arrive at a particular place, traffic status, and whatnot, but most importantly, they provide us with the freedom and security to travel alone.

Google Maps and Sygic are two of the most popular navigation tools used by people to travel to different localities, states, or even countries. 

Key Takeaways

1. Google Maps is a free service, while Sygic offers free and paid versions with additional features.
2. Sygic provides offline navigation, while Google Maps requires an internet connection for real-time directions.
3. Google Maps relies on various data sources, while Sygic utilizes map data from TomTom, a leading map provider.

Google Maps vs Sygic 

Google Maps is a free web service that provides directions of geographical regions and sites worldwide that supports all kinds of vehicles, including cars, bikes, motorbikes, public transport, etc. Sygic is a paid GPS navigation app that only supports private cars. It works seamlessly offline.

The Google Map is a navigation tool launched by Google on February 8, 2005. The navigation tool helps users get from point A to point B without much hassle after the user inputs the required data for “start location” and “destination”.

These maps provide us with routes to take, alternative routes available, nearby locations, traffic in a particular area, etc. Today, Google Map is one of the most widely used navigation maps, with a whopping 154.4 million monthly users. 

Sygic is another navigation tool launched by a Slovak company in the year 2004. Sygic, however, is not a free navigation tool, and users have to pay to use this particular app.

Even though Sygic is a paid app, what makes it worth buying is its amazing offline map facility that seems to work seamlessly. The app uses the TomTom service, which updates traffic in real-time after an interval of every 2 minutes.

This app also has an amazing feature called SOS that displays the user’s current location and hospitals, pharmacies, and petrol pumps near them. 

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Google Maps	Sygic
Rank	Google Maps ranks in 9th place in terms of offline use by global users.	Sygic ranks in 6th position in terms of offline use by global users.
Voice command	Google Maps gives voice control whenever needed. For example, during turns, changes of lanes, etc.	Sygic uses voice command, but every now and then, unlike Google Maps.
Transit options	Google Maps works for all kinds of vehicles, i.e., private and public transport.	Sygic works only on private vehicles.
SOS feature	Google Maps does not have any features called “SOS.”	Sygic has a SOS feature that displays information about emergency services such as police stations, pharmacies, etc.
Parking feature	Google Maps does not have any features such as a parking feature.	Sygic has a parking feature that shows empty parking places available and also remembers where the car was parked for the user.
Businesses	Google Maps has a feature called the “Businesses” feature that helps users identify information about various businesses.	Sygic does not have any features as such.
Offline	Google Maps does not work well in offline mode.	Sygic is well known for its offline mode and works seamlessly offline.
Customer support	Google Maps does not have a well-developed customer care facility.	Sygic has developed a well developed customer service with mobile numbers and emails that are handled by professionals.
Traffic service	Google Maps has moderate traffic service updates in their app.	Sygic has a real-time update facility that updates every 2 minutes.

What is Google Maps?  

Google Maps is a navigation programme that Google introduced on February 8, 2005. After entering the relevant data for “start location” and “destination,” the navigation tool assists users in getting from point A to point B with minimal effort. These maps show us possible routes, alternate routes, nearby locations, traffic in a specific area, and so on.

With 154.4 million monthly users, Google Maps is now one of the most widely used navigation maps.  

What makes Google Maps unique is its business feature that shows users various kinds of businesses available nearby, along with the particular business’s photos, reviews, information, and ratings. Google Maps ranks in 6th position in terms of offline maps used globally.

This app allows users to download offline maps of particular places, but it can consume a huge amount of storage.  

What is Sygic? 

Sygic is a navigation tool developed by a Slovak company and released in 2004. Sygic, on the other hand, is not a free navigation application, and users must pay to use it.

Even though Sygic is a premium app, its fantastic offline map feature that seems to perform effortlessly makes it worthwhile to purchase. The software makes use of the TomTom service, which provides real-time traffic updates every two minutes.

This app also has a fantastic function called SOS, which shows the user’s current location as well as nearby hospitals, pharmacies, and gas stations.  

The unique feature of Sygic is that it has a parking feature that shows users empty parking spots in the area. It also remembers the place where the user’s car was parked.

Due to the various functions of Sygic, it has become the 6th most widely used offline navigation tool globally. 

Main Differences Between Google Maps and Sygic  

1. In the criteria of ranking, Google Maps comes in 9th place in terms of offline use by global users. Whereas Sygic ranks in 6th place. 
2. Google maps facilitate voice communication on various turns or when changing various lanes, whereas Sygic commands on every change while driving. 
3. Where Google Maps works on all types of vehicles, ranging from private to public, Sygic works only on private ownership of vehicles. 
4. Google Maps does not facilitate users with showing parking availability, whereas Sygic has parking features that show empty parking places available in nearby areas. Sygic also tends to keep records of where the vehicle is parked. 
5. Google Maps has an add-on that allows users to identify business complexes or associations, whereas Sygic does not. 
6. Google Maps requires a strong network bond or connection to work. On the other hand, Sygic is well known for its operations in offline mode as well. 

References

1. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-90321-3_41
2. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Omar-Aldabbagh-2/publication/341993195_Design_and_Implementation_an_Online_Location_Based_Services_Using_Google_Maps_for_Android_Mobile/links/5ee64002a6fdcc73be7b965c/Design-and-Implementation-an-Online-Location-Based-Services-Using-Google-Maps-for-Android-Mobile.pdf

Last Updated : 13 July, 2023