Skip advert
Advertisement

Best navigation apps 2025

We reveal the best ways to find your way around with the latest smartphone navigation apps

It doesn’t feel too long ago that we had to rely on paper maps and road signs to find our way around when we were driving. Now we have an enormous choice of navigation systems to choose from, guiding us by satellites and even telling us how to avoid traffic jams and hold-ups.

Advertisement - Article continues below

While the sat-nav systems built into most modern cars will do the job reasonably well, they find it difficult to compete with the software that’s loaded on your smartphone. Their connectivity means the maps are instantly updated with traffic information and road closures, and they can call on search engines to help you find destinations. Some will also use data from other users to help spot congestion and other problems, such as potholes and accidents. 

The best part of all is that most of these navigation apps won’t cost you a penny to use. Which of these seven apps would we direct you towards?

How we tested

We chose the most popular navigation apps on the Apple App Store and downloaded them onto a trio of iPhones ranging from a 12 to a 14. We tasked them with finding directions to a small business using just its name, and then a residential address using a postcode. 

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Used - available now

Kuga

2019 Ford

Kuga

57,633 milesManualDiesel2.0L

Cash £13,197
View Kuga
Range Rover Evoque

2021 Land Rover

Range Rover Evoque

55,636 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L

Cash £20,197
View Range Rover Evoque
Sportage

2023 Kia

Sportage

39,111 milesManualPetrol1.6L

Cash £17,697
View Sportage
A1 Sportback

2025 Audi

A1 Sportback

53,901 milesAutomaticPetrol1.0L

Cash £17,597
View A1 Sportback

While out and about, we pulled over and asked the app for the nearest petrol station and electric car charger. 

Points were given for the search function, mapping and instructions along the route. We also added to the score for extras such as live traffic info, downloadable maps to be used offline, and speed camera alerts. We also preferred apps that had Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration

Verdict

Most drivers will stick with Google, and we can see why. It has the best search and directs well. Waze is second – and the best choice for anyone keen to avoid traffic. TomTom’s AmiGO was the surprise of the test and works best with EVs, but isn’t CarPlay-compatible yet. 

Google Maps

  • Price: Free  
  • Rating: 5 stars
  • Apple CarPlay/Android Auto: Yes/yes  
  • Contact: google.co.uk/maps
Advertisement - Article continues below

Even though it’s native to Android, Google works brilliantly on iPhones too, which makes it the default choice for millions. The power of its search means it found our business using basic terms rather than a full name. It then offered several routes so we could avoid motorways or choose a more economical road, for example. 

It quickly and easily detoured to find a charging station and warned us of traffic too, although some functions are easier to operate on the phone itself than through CarPlay. 

Waze

  • Price: Free  
  • Rating: 4 stars
  • Apple CarPlay/Android Auto: Yes/yes  
  • Contact: waze.com
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Waze is the first choice for many professional drivers because of its ruthless ability to cut through snarl-ups. It does this by using data and feedback from other ‘Wazers’ ahead of you, automatically reporting traffic speeds and adding manual warnings for issues. Sometimes Waze seems too keen to choose minor roads though, which means they became clogged, presumably with other Wazers.

It works well with CarPlay and we liked the speed display, which remains on even when there is no route planned. 

TomTom AmiGO

  • Price: Free  
  • Rating: 4 stars
  • Apple CarPlay/Android Auto: No/yes  
  • Contact: tomtom.com

The TomTom AmiGO’s search function was as good as Google’s, finding our business with scant information. The app also lets you set the type of vehicle you drive, so it will suggest the best route and refuelling options. It found EV charge points efficiently too.

Advertisement - Article continues below

We really liked the safety camera alerts, which warn you if
you are drifting over the limit in an average speed check zone.
But the main problem is that the app doesn’t yet have Apple CarPlay integration, although it works with Android Auto.

TomTom GO

  • Price: £3.99/month, £19.99/year  
  • Rating: 3.5 stars
  • Apple CarPlay/Android Auto: Yes/yes  
  • Contact: tomtom.com

With plenty of excellent alternatives available for free – including TomTom’s own AmiGO (left) – the GO app needs to be good. Luckily it is, as well as including a couple of unique features which might make it worth spending your money on. 

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

The first is that it can be set to show routes suitable for trucks and larger vehicles. The second is the benefit of downloadable maps, which work in areas of low reception and when you have low data. 

Apple Maps

  • Price: Free (Apple devices only)
  • Rating: 3.5 stars
  • Apple CarPlay/Android Auto: Yes/no
  • Contact: apple.com

Apple’s answer to the mighty Google Maps is native to all Apple devices, but won’t work with an Android phone. 

It’s easy to use and the instructions are clear, but the search function isn’t nearly as sophisticated, and it struggled to find our business without a precise name. On the plus side, it did integrate with our car’s head-up display to show basic mapping, unlike Google. 

Sygic Car Navigation

  • Price: £17.99/year (seven-day free trial)  
  • Rating: 3.5 stars
  • Apple CarPlay/Android Auto: Yes/yes  
  • Contact: sygic.com
Advertisement - Article continues below

Sygic’s app gets better every time we try it, with improved mapping and new features such as a head-up display projector from your phone’s screen, or traffic-sign recognition. But they require you to mount your phone carefully, and eat through the battery’s charge. 

The phone’s screen can become too crowded with icons, and the app also loses points because of the cost.

MyRoute-app

  • Price: £3.95/month, £19/year
  • Rating: 3 stars
  • Apple CarPlay/Android Auto: Yes/yes 
  • Contact: myrouteapp.com

Although MyRoute will happily navigate you from work to the nearest supermarket using the free version of the app, there are others that will do it better. 

Instead, this is aimed at the leisure user who might want to drive or ride a scenic route in a classic car or on a bike. You can then record and share the routes, a bit like Strava for drivers. Using the premium features costs extra though.  

Yandex NAVI

  • Price: Free  
  • Rating: 2.5 stars
  • Apple CarPlay/Android Auto: Yes/yes 
  • Contact: yandex.com

While the Yandex app is designed for Eastern Europe rather than the UK, it finds routes well enough, and the maps are clear and uncomplicated. Larger businesses such as supermarkets are listed with opening times and other handy information. There’s no EV charge point finder, but petrol stations are listed.

However, it wouldn’t find a route when connected via CarPlay and won’t allow an address search by postcode. 

How much is your car worth? Find out with our free car valuation tool...

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Polo

RRP £15,255Avg. savings £1,848 off RRP*Used from £7,250
Nissan Qashqai

Nissan Qashqai

RRP £27,415Avg. savings £5,924 off RRP*Used from £12,275
Kia Sportage

Kia Sportage

RRP £28,065Avg. savings £2,391 off RRP*Used from £16,797
Toyota Yaris Cross

Toyota Yaris Cross

RRP £26,495Avg. savings £2,028 off RRP*Used from £12,500
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Flawed hybrid car efficiency data to stifle UK EV sales and propagate pollution
Connecting charger to Hyundai Tucson PHEV

Flawed hybrid car efficiency data to stifle UK EV sales and propagate pollution

Half a million extra PHEVs could reach UK roads by 2030 in place of cleaner EVs due to changes surrounding the ZEV Mandate
News
19 May 2025
New Ford Fiesta: latest details on supermini’s potential return
Ford Fiesta exclusive image

New Ford Fiesta: latest details on supermini’s potential return

The Ford Fiesta could be coming back as an electric car, and here’s everything we know so far
News
20 May 2025
Kia is returning to its 'Keeping It Affordable' roots
Opinion - Kia

Kia is returning to its 'Keeping It Affordable' roots

Mike Rutherford thinks new cars are simply too expensive, but some manufacturers are starting to do something about it
Opinion
19 May 2025