Since its initial release in 2005, Google Maps have, and are still continuing to dominate the internet mapping market. Nobody, however, loves to be put in a tight spot. Everybody wants alternatives! Owing to this, Microsoft has introduced Bing Maps for Google haters.
However, the question is, is Google Maps still the leasing player that it once was, especially with Bing Maps growing in popularity since its launch in 2005, or has it lost its catch? Well, here is a blog post that lists a brief of Google Maps vs Bing Maps. Let’s contrast the features of Bing Maps and Google Maps, in brief, to assist you better in making an informed decision!
1. Google Maps vs Bing Maps: Description
Google Maps
Google Maps is a mapping application that has comprehensive data on global geographic areas and travel routes. It was initially launched in 2005. Google Maps, which provides a range of services through its application and website, has developed into a helpful resource for a wide range of users, including both regular people and those in the corporate world.
Bing Maps
On the contrary, in order to compete with Google Maps, Microsoft developed Bing Maps. This map uses the Bing search engine to determine a user’s position in order to plot their location and path on a map. Bing Maps has become one of the most widely used services today. This is because it is offering directions, traffic data, and aerial photos of many prominent cities in North America, Australia, Europe, and Africa, thereby going neck to neck with the Google map service.
2. Google Maps vs Bing Maps: Features
Google Maps
Google Maps offers a variety of travel-related services, such as satellite images, street maps, traffic patterns, and route planning for traveling by foot, vehicle, bicycle, or public transit. The platform offers a lot more services besides travel and navigation, including;
- 360-degree panoramas of buildings and streets
- Restaurant and hotel evaluations
- Street Views to thoroughly explore any location
- Details about businesses, parks, as well as other attractions
- Favorite locations can be saved, and sharing with others is possible
- Integrated Maps
- Indoor Mapping
- Modification and sharing of locations
Users can also run offline maps in case they don’t have internet service with an Android handset.
Bing Maps
Similar to Google Maps, Bing Maps offers a variety of functions and resources, such as notifying about
- Traffic Situations
- Public Transportation Schedules and Routes
- Street View
- Directions
- Earth and terrain pictures captured through satellite imagery
- Results for Local Search
- Driving Mode
- Details about businesses, parks, and other attractions
The “Along the Route” option on Bing Maps is one of its distinctive features. Users will receive notifications while traveling at any points of interest (POI) along their intended path that they might want to visit. Unlike Google’s “Search Nearby” feature, which can only find POIs in one category, Bing’s “Along the Route” can find POIs in numerous categories. This distinguishes it from Google’s service.
3. Google Maps vs Bing Maps: Display
Google Maps
The most significant graphic redesign of Google Maps since its launch has just taken place. With this new layout, you can distinguish between cities and forests and fields much more easily while also getting a sense of the local geography. However, the wordings and letters are pretty tiny on the display, which makes it more challenging to read. Sadly, there is presently no legitimate option to magnify the text provided by Google.
Bing Maps
Similar to Apple Maps, Bing Maps makes use of a readable, large fonts. This is a crucial element for users who are blind or visually impaired. Nevertheless, while viewing a vast area, Bing Maps appear to be unsure about whether to prioritize exhibiting bigger or smaller town names. On closer exploration, it became apparent that numerous London areas, Bangor, Wrexham, Caernarfon, Whitchurch, and Holyhead, were oddly missing.
4. Google Maps vs Bing Maps: Directions
Google Maps
Google Maps will always attempt to direct you along the shortest path while considering all the potential traffic, detours, and accidents that could have occurred along the way. Any traffic or delays to your trip are immediately alerted to you. Furthermore, Google maps suggests alternate routes whenever practical.
Bing Maps
Bing Maps provides easy-to-follow directions for getting to your location. It also offers the opportunity to add numerous locations and change your itinerary. Under events when it’s possible, Bing Maps also provide precise traffic information.
5. Google Maps vs Bing Maps: Local shops and Eateries
Google Maps
To make their restaurants and shops stand out, Google Maps uses various colors and iconography. While Apple Maps performs the same function, Google’s icons are brighter and easier to distinguish from Apple’s choices. Additionally, Google’s listings are typically reliable and even let you know if a business is set to close.
Bing Maps
Bing Maps seems to be largely outdated even if it is generally accurate. A brief search of McDonald’s revealed a location that had been shuttered for more than 2 years, despite there being no indication of it on the internet. Even closed businesses from the middle of the 2000s were found when searching for Burger King. This pretty much states it has update issues.
6. Google Maps vs Bing Maps: Look Around vs. Street View
Google Maps
When Street View was first introduced, it was intended to aid individuals in getting directions and familiarizing themselves with their surroundings. But let’s face it, we’ve all enjoyed exploring Street View to see all the bizarre and interesting places throughout the world. While this feature is available all over, Street View is generally inaccessible in several countries, such as Germany and Austria.
Bing Maps
A limited Street View-like function on Bing Maps is called Streetside. By tapping Streetside after hovering over the “Road” option in the top-right corner, you can access this functionality. However, due to its restricted availability, poor photo quality, and imagery that didn’t appear to have been modified since 2009, this function typically receives a score of 2 out of 5
7. Google Maps vs Bing Maps: Mobile Device Portability
Google Maps
Since the introduction of the very first iPhone in 2007, Google Maps has indeed been accessible on every smartphone. Initially, they were Apple’s primary map provider, until they parted ways and Apple built their own navigation application. However, Google Maps is immediately accessible on Android smartphones and is way too simple to install for any handset available in the marketplace.
Bing Maps
It doesn’t appear that Bing Maps actually has an application of its own. Furthermore, any attempts to launch it in a phone’s web browser just seemed to take users to the Bing homepage.
8. Google Maps vs Bing Maps: Other Widgets
Google Maps
To maintain its status as a trustworthy mapping tool, Google Maps is continually being updated. Any map can be downloaded by users for offline use as long as your phone has enough capacity. Users who have mobility challenges will be glad to hear that they can choose “Route options” under “Public transportation” to locate a wheelchair-accessible option. Following that, all public transportation options that can accommodate people with disabilities will be displayed. When using Google Maps on a computer, right-clicking any area of the maps will let you calculate the distance between any two locations (in kilometers). If the 3D option is selected in the bottom right corner of the satellite option, users can see major cities and well-known landmarks in 3D form.
Bing Maps
Users using a separate plugin can explore well-known locations in 3D on Bing Maps. Furthermore, Bing Maps has included a function that allows users to view layouts of indoor locations like hospitals, malls, museums, and shopping centers. Nonetheless, the findings of a detailed test of these attributes have been conflicting. For example, Bing Maps was capable of mapping out Manchester Royal Infirmary more clearly as compared to Google Maps. But, the Trafford Center was being more challenging to identify and spot.
9. Google Maps vs Bing Maps: Privacy
Google Maps
One of the terrible consequences of utilizing any of Google’s services is that they use a lot of data. Although it may seem impressive, their “Places” tool can show you precisely where you have been on whatever day you’ve been carrying around Google Maps. This illustrates the breadth of how much data about you Google can store/keep. Nevertheless, users can disable this feature.
Bing Maps
In order to make recommendations as you use their service, Microsoft keeps track of your search history. Yet, users can easily disable this feature if required.
Wrapping It Up
Unquestionably, two of the most well-known map services available worldwide, include Google Maps and Bing Maps. Although both has their own set of advantages and features, there are some significant distinctions between them. Due to the usage of satellites, Google Maps features higher-resolution satellite and aerial imagery that include more locations. Additionally, Google offers extra services including traffic statistics, embedded maps, interior maps, and maps of indoor locations.
On the contrary, despite its limited coverage, Bing Maps does offer a simpler interface for customers who seek POI. Even if Bing might be more widely used and successful than most people know, Google is just unbeatable. All in all, in the Google Maps vs Bing Maps battle, Google Map services will keep maintaining a competitive edge over its rivals since it is one of the primary sources of data for almost everything, practically anywhere around the globe.
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