When comparing MapFactor vs HERE, the Slant community recommends HERE for most people. In the question“What are the best GPS navigation apps for Android?” HERE is ranked 2nd while MapFactor is ranked 7th. The most important reason people chose HERE is:
HERE maps allows users to download maps from more than 200 countries.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Free
Pro Allows selecting fastest, shortest, or cheapest route
The app offers calculating route by shortest travel time, shortest travel distance or lowest gas cost.
Pro Can be used offline
From the app's settings at the bottom of the screen there's a section that allows downloading new and deleting no longer necessary maps. You can choose between free Open Street Maps or slightly more accurate and feature-rich TomTom maps. Downloading maps locally isgreat for situations when the signal is unreliable or when abroad, since you can use the app without having to consider roaming charges.
Pro Can be installed on an SD card
In addition to installing the app on the device's internal memory, MapFactor can also be installed on an external memory storage device such as an SD card.
Pro Clean, customizable UI
Pro Offers choice between using free Open Street Maps or paid TomTom maps
Pro Day and night switching
Pro 2D and 3D modes
Pro Turn-by-turn voice navigation is available in multiple languages
Pro Searches by address, POI, coordinates and via Google search (allows voice)
Pro Allows recording and replaying travel
MapFactor allows recording travel and replaying back the route later. It also allows exchanging recorded routes with other MapFactor users.
Pro Dedicated routing options for trucks
In truck mode, that requires paid TomTom maps, if you input vehicle's properties such as max speed, height, length, weight, weight per axle, etc, it will take those restrictions into consideration when planning a route.
Pro Has internet based live traffic option
For 9€/year
Pro Wider availability of downloading maps from various countries
HERE maps allows users to download maps from more than 200 countries.
Pro Interactive 3D maps
There are interactive 3D maps for shopping areas and airports for 70 different countries around the world.
Pro Find places near you
You can find places to shop, eat, and almost anything with HERE.
Pro SD card support
Pro Voice-guided navigation
HERE has voice-guided turn by turn direction built into the app and is even usable when offline.
Pro Save maps for offline use
HERE allows users to save maps to their devices storage in order to allow offline usage of the app anytime.
Pro Has multilevel floor layouts for many airports and large shopping centers
Many airports and large buildings have an icon on them which, when tapped, opens up a 3D view of the floor plan with labelled locations of services, shops & transport etc. Includes an index for selecting each level of the building.
Pro Great smartwatch companion app
Excellent companion app allows navigation from your paired Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch. Has clear turn-by-turn instructions, vibration alerts at intersections, and zoomable location map (using rotating bezel). (Smartwatch app works with phone app and is not standalone).
Pro Includes public transport routing & schedules
Has train, ferry, bus etc. routes and schedules for many cities. The routes are overlaid on actual maps (spatially correct, vs the typical simplified diagrams of public transport networks) which I find reassuring and useful when exploring new locations. Also shows the schedules for next few services for any given station/stop. I'm not sure how accurate the schedules are though - they were incomplete for the small town where I live, but seemed more complete for major cities.
Pro Offline transit and walking directions
HERE is probably the only offline navigation app which has transit directions and walking directions when offline.
Cons
Con High battery use
Con Ads
Con Pinch to zoom needs calibrating
Con Lacks alternative routing options
Con Truck mode is not useful without paid TomTom maps
Con GPS location is inaccurate
Con Map file size
Map downloads are huge in size, ranging from a few hundred megabytes, to a couple of gigabytes, depending on the size of the map being downloaded. Luckily, the app can be set to store them on external SD memory.