The downside to Waze's system is that it's reliant on other active users on the road. So if you're the only Waze user for hundreds of miles, the app has no idea what's going on up ahead. Fortunately both services let you save maps offline for later use, though Google Maps is more upfront about it.

Waze describes its application as a community-driven initiative that is free to download and use. The software was originally developed in Israel by Waze Mobile, a company founded by Israeli entrepreneurs Ehud Shabtai, Amir Shinar, and Uri Levine, veterans of the Israeli intelligence unit 8200.

Waze generates revenue through in-app location-based advertising, offering ad formats like Branded Pins, Search Ads, and Zero-Speed Takeover. It also introduced a carpooling service in 2018 and has explored data deals, collecting and selling location-based information.

Waze is a community-driven navigation map app that was acquired by Google (GOOG) in 2013. It is now a subsidiary of Alphabet, Google's parent company. Waze updates its users on the go to avoid traffic snarls, see where other users are on the road, and get recommendations on nearby restaurants and other amenities.