HERE Maps vs Google Maps

Why Switch from Google Maps to HERE Maps?

Google Maps dominates the mapping space with an estimated 1 billion monthly active users, but that dominance comes at a cost. Google uses Maps as one of its most powerful data collection tools, tracking your location history, commute patterns, places you visit, and businesses you search for. This data feeds directly into Google’s advertising profile for every user. For businesses using Google Maps Platform APIs, the pricing can be unpredictable and expensive at scale, and all data flows through US infrastructure under the CLOUD Act.

HERE Technologies, headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, offers a fundamentally different model. Majority-owned by European automotive and industrial companies — Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Bosch and Aumovio (ex-Continental) — with Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation and NTT jointly holding 30% since 2020 (plus Intel Capital and Pioneer), HERE does not operate an advertising business. The company makes money by licensing high-quality mapping data and location services to enterprises, automakers, and developers — not by surveilling users. HERE powers the navigation systems in millions of European vehicles and is used by major logistics companies for fleet management and route optimization.

For developers, HERE provides a full suite of location APIs with a generous free tier. For consumers, the HERE WeGo app offers free turn-by-turn navigation with offline maps. For enterprises, HERE delivers fleet telematics, indoor positioning, and real-time traffic data — processed under GDPR by a Dutch-headquartered company, though its cloud infrastructure runs on AWS.

Feature Comparison

Feature	HERE Maps	Google Maps
Consumer navigation app	✅ HERE WeGo (free)	✅ Google Maps (free, ad-supported)
Offline maps	✅ Full country downloads	✅ Area downloads
Developer APIs	✅ Geocoding, routing, traffic, fleet	✅ Comprehensive API suite
Free API tier	✅ Free monthly limits per API (e.g. 30,000 geocoding/routing)	✅ Free monthly usage per SKU (10,000 Essentials / 5,000 Pro / 1,000 Enterprise)
Street View	❌ Not available	✅ Comprehensive
Business reviews	⚠️ Limited POI data	✅ Extensive user reviews
Fleet management	✅ Enterprise-grade telematics	⚠️ Google Maps Fleet Routing
Automotive OEM integration	✅ BMW, Audi, Mercedes, others	⚠️ Android Auto
Ad-free	✅ No advertising	❌ Ads in search results
Data location	⚠️ AWS (US cloud provider); Dutch HQ, no US parent	United States 🇺🇸
GDPR compliant	✅ Full (EU entity)	⚠️ Partial (US entity)

Pricing

Pricing as of October 2026:

• HERE Base Plan: free monthly allowance set per service — e.g. 30,000 free transactions/month for Geocode & Reverse Geocode and 30,000 for Routing
• HERE Pay-As-You-Go: per-1,000 prices vary by API — e.g. about $0.83 per 1,000 geocoding or routing transactions beyond the free allowance
• HERE Enterprise: Custom pricing for high-volume, fleet management, and automotive OEM use cases
• HERE WeGo Consumer App: Completely free with no ads
• Google Maps Platform: since 1 March 2025 the former $200 monthly credit has been replaced by free monthly usage per SKU — 10,000 billable events for most Essentials SKUs, 5,000 for Pro and 1,000 for Enterprise SKUs
• Google Maps Pricing: $7/1,000 map loads, $5/1,000 geocode requests, $5-10/1,000 routes

Both providers now use per-service free allowances, so which one is cheaper depends on the APIs you call and your volumes — model your expected usage against both price lists. HERE’s main draw for many teams is less the free tier than a business model that does not depend on advertising.

Who Should Switch?

HERE Maps is ideal for:

• Developers building location-based applications who need a GDPR-compliant mapping API with a generous free tier
• Logistics and fleet management companies that need enterprise-grade telematics and route optimization in Europe
• Automotive companies integrating navigation and location services into vehicles
• European businesses that need location services without feeding data into Google’s advertising ecosystem
• Privacy-conscious travelers who want offline navigation without location tracking

The European Advantage

HERE Technologies represents European digital sovereignty in one of the most strategically important technology sectors: location data. Maps and location services are critical infrastructure — they power navigation, logistics, urban planning, autonomous driving, and countless everyday applications. Allowing a single US company to control this data creates both a privacy risk and a geopolitical dependency.

HERE’s majority ownership by European automotive companies helps keep the platform’s priorities aligned with European industrial needs rather than advertising revenue. The company’s mapping data covers over 200 countries, with particularly deep coverage in Europe where its automotive partners operate. HERE’s investment in high-definition maps for autonomous driving, indoor positioning for buildings and airports, and real-time traffic analytics positions it as a strategic European technology asset.

For developers, the practical benefits are clear: a competitive API with predictable pricing, no user tracking to complicate privacy compliance, and processing under GDPR by an EU-headquartered company (on AWS infrastructure). For consumers, HERE WeGo provides a capable, ad-free navigation app with excellent offline support. For enterprises, HERE offers a depth of fleet management and logistics tooling that Google Maps cannot match.

The honest trade-off is the consumer experience. Google Maps has richer POI data, more extensive user reviews, and Street View — features that matter for everyday consumer use. But for developers, enterprises, and anyone who cares about where their location data goes, HERE Maps is the most credible European alternative — backed by the automotive industry, compliant with EU law, and free from the surveillance-capitalism model that defines Google’s approach to mapping.

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Looking for more European alternatives in this category? See also: Magic Earth, OsmAnd, and Organic Maps.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who owns HERE Technologies?

HERE has nine direct and indirect shareholders: Audi, BMW Group, Mercedes-Benz, Bosch, Aumovio (ex-Continental), Intel Capital, Mitsubishi Corporation, NTT and Pioneer. Since 2020, Japan's Mitsubishi Corporation and NTT have jointly held a 30% stake through their Dutch holding company COCO Tech Holding B.V.; the German automotive companies remain the core shareholders. HERE is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and operates as a European entity under EU law — with no US parent company. Note that its core cloud infrastructure runs on AWS (see the privacy FAQ).

Is HERE Maps only for enterprise use or can consumers use it too?

Both. HERE offers a free consumer app called HERE WeGo for iOS and Android with turn-by-turn navigation, offline maps, and public transit routing. The platform also provides enterprise-grade APIs for developers, fleet management tools for logistics companies, and location services for automotive manufacturers.

How does HERE Maps compare to Google Maps for developers?

HERE offers a comprehensive set of location APIs including geocoding, routing, map tiles, fleet telematics, and traffic data. HERE's Base Plan sets a free monthly allowance per service (for example 30,000 free geocoding and 30,000 free routing transactions per month), with pay-as-you-go prices per 1,000 transactions that vary by API. Google Maps Platform replaced its $200 monthly credit on 1 March 2025 with free monthly usage per SKU (10,000 events for most Essentials SKUs, 5,000 for Pro, 1,000 for Enterprise). Which is cheaper depends on the APIs and volumes you use. Data is processed under GDPR by a Dutch-headquartered company, but on AWS cloud infrastructure.

Does HERE Maps work offline?

Yes. The HERE WeGo consumer app supports full offline navigation with downloadable maps for entire countries or regions. Offline maps include turn-by-turn voice navigation, POI search, and route calculation — all without internet connectivity. This is particularly useful for travel in areas with limited mobile coverage.

How does HERE handle location data privacy compared to Google?

HERE does not operate an advertising business, so there is no incentive to collect and monetize user location data. HERE is headquartered in the Netherlands and processes data under GDPR. Its core cloud infrastructure and data platform have run on AWS for about a decade (renewed with a 10-year, $1 billion AWS agreement in January 2025): no US parent company, but hosted on AWS → indirect CLOUD Act exposure via a US sub-processor. Google Maps, by contrast, uses location data to build detailed profiles for advertising targeting, tracking where users go, how long they stay, and what they search for.