When comparing Endomondo vs Google Maps, the Slant community recommends Endomondo for most people. In the question“What are the best MotionX-GPS alternatives for Android?” Endomondo is ranked 7th while Google Maps is ranked 9th. The most important reason people chose Endomondo is:
For those that subscribe to the monthly fee to unlock extra features, you can use data from heart-rate sensors and pedometers.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Can use data from accessories (Paid Feature)
For those that subscribe to the monthly fee to unlock extra features, you can use data from heart-rate sensors and pedometers.
Pro Motivates by giving optional challenges
Endomondo allows competing with others or setting and reaching personal goals. Winners of challenges get prizes.
Pro Analyzes performance
Performance analysis can be viewed on Endomondo's homepage after a workout.
Pro Generous free version
All the necessary features for a basic fitness app can be used without getting the Premium version.
Pro No need for an Internet connection
Once downloaded an Internet connection is not required, except for social features.
Pro Social features
Show routes of other people nearby. You can issues challenges to your friends, record a motivational speech for them and view their progress.
Pro Tracks distance, duration, avg. speed, avg. pace, calories burned and hydration
Endomondo displays your route using Google Maps and tracks distance, duration, avg. speed, avg. pace, calories burned and hydration. It even tracks what music you listen to while exercising (can be viewed on their website).
Pro Has motivational audio messages
Endomondo can interact with you via audio messages giving reports on progress and encouragement.
Pro Offline functionality
You can download offline data per city or parts of cities if you live in an especially large city, but not for states or countries. Points of Interests are generally more relevant & current than the typical stand alone GPS unit.
Pro Best execution of save location feature
Recent updates have made it so you can label a place instead of being stuck with some address or GPS coordinate and forgetting what it represents. Saved places show as stars and are all on one layer as long as you're logged in. There is also the ability to create maps (parallel to groups) for things you might not want to see or have show up all the time whenever you're using google maps from day to day.
This feature is highly helpful for planning, even if you're a person who likes to wing it.
Pro Find your parked car
You save the location of your car and easily find it again
Pro Accurate mapping
Pro Updated constantly
Nearby my house, there is major road construction in progress. Apple maps didn’t show this at all, but google maps did. There was also a new, small road that was finished around 3 days ago. Google maps shows this road. Apple maps still hasn’t shown the major construction.
Pro Most ubiquitous third party app integration
Asides from the stock Apple Maps app, Google Maps is the most commonly supported 3rd party map. 3rd party apps often have links for directions, Google Maps is usually an option whereas other 3rd party GPS apps are not.
Pro Navigation background change based on ambient light
This is great for night driving or even when going through tunnels as the map will be more visible for low light situations.
Pro Secondary routing
Google Maps can now search for and add a route for a second location on the way to the primary location that you are going to and have already routed. Note that it cannot do a third or true multi routing like the desktop webapp can.
Cons
Con Removed features from paying customers in the past
Endomondo used to be a singular priced upfront paid app with no subscription fee, twice. During the first restructuring, the app was changed on the store, leaving out the people who had paid originally, to then require them to pay again for the new app. After this happened, the app changed again to be free-to-play, dropping features that paying customers had paid for and locking them behind a monthly pay wall. So not only did long time users who paid for the app get ripped off once, if they had paid for the newer paid app, they got ripped off again when the app went free-to-play. This is not a great track record for the service, leaving to question, when is the next restructuring going to happen that may potentially take the money of paying customers without delivering the service promised.
Con History Manage
If for some reason you activity gets duplicated, you have to go one by one to delete them, since there is no bulk erase.
Con Features locked behind paywall
Many features of the app are locked behind a monthly or yearly paywall. A single month subscription is $5.99, while the yearly subscription is $29.99. This may be prohibiting for those that want to track exercise, but do not want to commit to the cost.
Con Works only on outdoor activities
Indoor activities can be logged manually, but the app is created to track outdoor activities.
Con No plan-ahead for commuters
Cannot plan trip ahead based on commuter lane.
Con Not very precise traffic information
Depending on a country information might not be very accurate for traffic.
Con Sometimes takes too long to load
Con Saved locations needs online connection and has no visible label
Two negatives about this feature is you have to be online to be able to save a place, but it is stored off line once google map gets on the net and syncs. The other negative is there is no visible label for saved places, you have to click on stars to see the label for them.
Con Maps saved offline can easily wipe your bandwidth cap via auto update
Google Maps offline maps update automatically in the background. Not a problem if you're using a sim card in your phone, but if you connect to a pre-paid hotspot that the phone recognizes and connects to as a wifi device you risk burning through your data allotment. The offline maps can be set to update manually, but this is not default behavior.