In our never ending quest to defund Google by not using it, we continue this week to find alternatives to Google Maps. We usually concentrate on finding alternatives that are “just as good”. Today, we actually found something that is uniquely better. For those who actually like to travel via topo maps, BackCountry Navigator is a great “off the grid” map application!
Google Maps is good. Let’s just get that out of the way first. Google’s ever-updating, ever-improving navigation is popular and robust enough to have more or less brought on the death of the paper map, and it feels like it’s getting more and more accessible by the day.
But there are still reasons why you wouldn’t want to, or can’t, use Google maps. Some countries, like China, run a pretty tight ship when it comes to regulation, making Google Maps over there as good as useless, or maybe you just don’t want Google algorithms profiting off your data. Whatever your reasons, we won’t pry, and instead treat you to five of the best map apps that aren’t prefaced with “Google.” Read more here.