Phenquestions
Online mapping websites comes next to the social networking websites when we talk about popularity and usability. An online mapping service is a utility which provide the detailed graphical information in the form of maps. People use such websites to plan their trips, to find a certain location, landmarks, addresses and more.
While there are a lot of map services currently running on the web, but not all of them are trustworthy and user-friendly. Some of them fail to provide accurate maps and directions and some of them are too clumsy to understand. Today I will be listing some best free online mapping services which are absolutely reliable when it is about finding an address or planning your trip.
Free Online Map Services
Bing Maps
Bing Maps provides feature rich mapping service and helps users to get detailed information about any location, localized driving or exact walking directions using the familiar landmarks. Bing Maps also comes with a feature to zoom into the map to get the exact location. Furthermore, it also lets users check the traffic flow in a particular area and avoid traffic jams. The mapping service uses multiple geocoders and provides comprehensive information about a location.
Google Maps
Google Maps is one of the most commonly used online mapping services worldwide. It provides desktop as well as mobile web mapping service which includes street view maps, satellite imagery, route planner and directions for public transport, own vehicle or even for those traveling on foot. Google keep updating their database to give an accurate information to the users. While Google provides high-resolution pictures for the urban areas of the world but the less popular areas are not so clear. The feature which makes Google Maps the most popular mapping application is that it gives the accurate driving directions along with the small details like one-way streets, turning lanes and parking slots. It is world's most popular app for smartphones and works on Android and iOS platforms. Take a look at this Google Maps Tips and Tricks post.
HERE Maps
HERE is a navigation service which works on cloud computing model and stores all its location and mapping data on remote servers allowing the users to access the maps from any device. With HERE you can get the information like turn-by-turn navigation, popular landmarks, traffic patterns, societies, parks etc. The features like offline availability, voice guided navigation for personal as well as public transportation, visual and audio speed limit warnings, and 3D landmarks is what makes it one of the best free online mapping services. It supports the most common platforms like Windows Phone, Android, and iOS.
Yahoo Maps
Powered by HERE Maps, Yahoo Maps is one of the best free online mapping services. Along with the street maps, local driving directions and navigation service, Yahoo Maps provides the local weather information as well as local reviews. Users can check the nearby local businesses and services also to get help in navigation. Yahoo Maps also has the feature of zoom-in which helps users getting the exact location ideas. Other salient features include draggable maps and markers, satellite imagery, international coverage, and live traffic.
OpenStreetMap
Unlike the other popular online mapping services, the mapping data in OpenStreetMap is collected by professionals doing systematic ground surveys with the mapping tools like GPS, voice recorder and digital camera etc. The data is manually entered into the database of OpenStreetMap. It provides navigation using static images, map tiles and other data collected by the ground surveys. It also specifies the postcode data, transport routes, buildings, areas and other important data. The features like OpenCycleMap and ÖPNVKarte helps users getting the navigation for bicycles and public transport respectively.
Let us know which one you prefer.
