The 7 Leading Mapquest Alternatives in 2024
Relying on Mapquest for daily deliveries? It might be time to consider a more reliable alternative.
Despite its simplicity and a loyal user base, Mapquest's inaccuracies and ads have started to become a headache for even the most dedicated users.
This guide offers small business owners a better Mapquest alternative for route planning, with options for individual drivers as well.
The 7 best Mapquest alternatives
To help navigate the evolving landscape of route optimization, here is an overview of the top 7 Mapquest alternatives in 2024:
- Circuit for Teams: for small retailers and couriers
- Google Maps: for its overall familiarity to many users
- Waze: for individuals driving in the city who want a free option
- Apple Maps: for Apple users only
- RoadWarrior: for the flexibility of adding features
- Route4Me: for field service management
- Zeo route planner: for large fleets
We've researched a few free route planner picks if you're keen on sticking to the no-cost route, and we've even written a dedicated review of the top 11 free route planner apps here.
However, if you're still navigating the limitations of Mapquest for your business deliveries – grappling with its 26-stop limit, outdated features, and lackluster support – it might be time for a change.
💡Meet Circuit for Teams: your solution in advanced route planning and optimization. Say goodbye to pesky ads, stop limits and inaccurate route planning. With just a click, you can import a spreadsheet of all your delivery stops and let Circuit work its magic to create the fastest route. Plus, proof of delivery and live driver tracking keeps you and your customers in the loop every step of the way. Small retailers slash their delivery costs by an average of 20% per month with CFT - Try a 7 day free trial today.
The best Mapquest alternative for small retailers and couriers
Circuit for Teams
Circuit for Teams route planning software is made up of two parts.
- The web based dispatcher dashboard which is used to create/assign routes and manage delivery operations
- And the mobile app which is used by drivers to navigate their routes and complete deliveries.
The dispatcher dashboard and driver app are synchronized so that your dispatcher and driver always have access to the same shared information.
At the core of Circuit for Teams is its one-click route optimization.
Simply upload your bulk list of addresses, and Circuit instantly maps out the most efficient route for all your stops, saving you time and hassle.
The thing that sets Circuit apart is how easy it is to use for both drivers and those managing drivers, and how accurate the route optimization is.
Let's take a quick look at some of CFT's other features.
Circuit best features:
- Route optimization: The fastest route at the click of a button, saving your business fuel, wear and tear and driver costs
- Live route tracking: Track your drivers on a live GPS map as they're completing their routes and make edits on the fly
- Flexible proof of delivery: Gather photos and signatures for delivery confirmation, and specify ‘delivered to safe place” or other custom notes as proof of delivery
- Order tracking: reduce the number of customer calls you’ll get by sending your customers order tracking information automatically
- Dynamic customer notifications: Automatically update your customers on the delivery status based on where your driver is on their route
- Priority stops: Easily integrate urgent or end-of-day stops into your routes, ensuring critical deliveries are handled with care
- New API for live event data: Simplify your delivery process with Circuit's new API, which automates everything from adding routes to assigning routes to drivers
- Delivery analytics: Track delivery attempts with success rates, daily averages, and trends. Set unique cost per delivery and much more.
- Live route edits: Adapt to changes as they happen with real-time adjustments to your delivery plans
- Delivery zones: Automatically assign stops within designated areas based on the driver's location
- Toll avoidance: Minimize expenses by routing drivers away from costly toll roads, thanks to Circuit's smart optimization
- Max stops per driver: Set limits based on vehicle capacity to prevent overloading and ensure efficient delivery volumes
Circuit For Teams pros:
- Known for being a best-in-class route planning software with advanced route optimization
- Customer review: “Top Notch Customer Service! Great app that has been vital to my success. The ability to import from a spreadsheet saves SO MUCH time, and the export feature is an excellent analysis tool!"
Circuit For Teams limitations:
- Circuit for Teams does not offer unlimited stops, though the Starter plan begins with 500 stops with $0.20 per stop after that
Circuit for Teams pricing:
Let's take a look at the CFT pricing plans.
- The Starter plan is tailored for small retailers. At $100 a month, you get all the essential features for up to 500 stops, perfect for keeping quality high even at lower volumes. If you need more, additional stops are just 20 cents each.
- The Essentials plan is a great fit for couriers and large retailers. It's priced at $250 a month and includes everything you need to optimize routes and track multiple drivers for up to 1,000 stops, with each extra stop costing only 5 cents
- The Standard plan steps it up to $500 a month, providing capabilities for 2,000 stops. It's built for businesses focusing on customer interaction, offering the ability to collect proof of delivery and send out notifications, with additional stops at 6 cents
- The Pro plan is the most robust option at $750 a month, supporting up to 5,000 stops. It's the ultimate tool for analyzing and enhancing performance and efficiency, with further stops at 7 cents
Each subscription offers a comprehensive set of tools perfect for those looking for a Mapquest alternative: from planning multiple routes and stops, to editing routes on the fly, proof of delivery, dynamic customer notifications, and unlimited delivery data.
Plus, there's a 7-day free trial for each plan, giving you a chance to find the perfect match for your business.
Best Mapquest alternative for familiarity
Google Maps
Google Maps is the go-to for seamless navigation, whether you're heading to a new spot or a favorite haunt.
Just tap in your destination and let the app guide you, offering not only the route but also a glimpse into local rest stops and essential details.
And if it's your first time, the street view feature is super handy to check out the surroundings in advance.
Navigating bustling city roads or cruising through serene countryside landscapes, Google Maps delivers clear routes complete with turn-by-turn directions.
And if your journey needs a few pit stops, you're in luck; you can add up to nine stops along your route, making it a trusty tool for your travels anywhere in the world.
Google Maps doesn't just get you from point A to point B; it enriches your journey.
With route navigation for uncharted territories, voice-enabled guidance to keep your eyes on the road, real-time traffic updates to dodge those jams, and alternative routes at your fingertips, it's all about making your travel smooth.
Plus, the street view feature is like having a virtual walkthrough of your destination before you even get there.
Best Mapquest alternative for city commuters
Waze
Waze is a good option for those who want a free app to get around the city. It’s free of charge to download and use, but you’ll obviously need data to use it, and it comes with a warning that continuous usage could use a lot of data.
It was created as a social navigation tool for private cars, so it’s better for individual drivers and not teams, and it doesn’t support navigating in lanes dedicated to public transportation, bicycles or trucks.
Single drivers may find it useful but Circuit for Teams is superior for teams of drivers, dispatchers, and drivers on the road every day with multiple routes.
Waze pros:
It’s crowd-sourced, so leaving it running while you drive shares information like construction and traffic jams automatically.
In turn, you get real-time information from other drivers, so it might notify you of unknown hazards like a traffic jam or an accident, in particular more quickly than Google maps.
Customer review: “Waze is pretty good for commuting and anything that requires that crowdsource type of input.”
Waze cons:
Recently, Waze has been “hammered” by one-star reviews. Problems mentioned include the app crashing, a faulty interface, planned trips disappearing and bad Android Auto support.
Best Mapquest alternative for Apple users
Apple Maps
Apple Maps is a built-in navigation tool on iPhones, providing features like 3D flyovers and Siri integration, useful for local searches.
It's limited in route customization and requires internet access, lacking an offline mode. Primarily, it's more for navigation than detailed route planning, and it's noted for prioritizing user privacy.
Feedback is mixed, with some citing glitches and routing issues, but recent updates like iOS 16 have introduced improvements such as multiple stops.
Best Mapquest alternative for flexibility
RoadWarrior
RoadWarrior has been making waves as a cloud-based route planning and scheduling tool, earning itself a solid thumbs-up from users across various industries.
With an overall rating hovering around 4.5 out of 5, this route planning software would be a worthy Mapquest alternative.
Folks love how RoadWarrior makes the daunting task of multi-stop route planning a breeze.
Whether you're a solo driver or managing a fleet, this tool seems to have your back, offering both a mobile app for those on the go and a web app for the team strategizing back at base.
It's been a game-changer for businesses in transportation, farming, and even health and wellness, to name a few.
Standout Features:
- User-Friendly Interface: Both drivers and admins find it easy to navigate.
- Integration Galore: Works seamlessly with Google Maps and other navigation tools.
- Efficient Routing: Dynamically adjusts routes based on real-time conditions.
- Responsive Customer Support: Quick to engage and address user feedback.
However, it's not all sunshine and rainbows. Some users are itching for more customization options, especially when it comes to route starts and ends.
And while the mobile app is a hit, the ability to manage and assign routes directly could do with a bit of sprucing up.
Despite these hiccups, the software's responsive customer service is often highlighted as a beacon of hope, promptly addressing concerns and continually enhancing the platform.
When it comes to the pocket pinch, RoadWarrior lays out three plans:
- Basic: It's on the house! Ideal for light users with up to 8 stops per route and 50 optimizations a day.
- Pro: At $10 a month, this plan bumps you up to 120 stops per route and 500 optimizations daily, with added perks like data syncing and backup.
- Flex: For $14.99 per team member per month, this plan is the full monty, designed for teams needing advanced route planning and dispatch capabilities through a web app.
Each tier is crafted to match the evolving demands of its users, scaling from individual adventurers to full-blown enterprises. It's all about finding the right fit for your routing needs and ensuring the investment is a leap towards efficiency, not just another expense
Best Mapquest alternative for field service management
Route4Me
Route4Me is a robust MapQuest alternative with a suite of features tailored for efficient route planning and fleet management.
It's garnered appreciation for its dynamic routing capabilities and intuitive interface, making it a solid choice for businesses in logistics, food delivery, and more.
Standout Features:
- Dynamic Route Adjustments: Optimizes routes in real-time for efficiency.
- Real-Time GPS Tracking: Monitors fleet movements meticulously.
- Custom Data Integration: Enhances operational insights and decisions.
- Flexible Add-Ons: Tailors the service to specific business needs, albeit at an additional cost.
However, some users express a desire for more inclusive pricing, noting that the cost can add up with the addition of essential features.
Moreover, while the software's functionality is generally praised, there's a call for improved customization to cater to unique business requirements without manual tweaking.
In terms of investment, Route4Me presents structured pricing plans that scale with business size but encourages potential users to weigh the comprehensive benefits against the cost, especially considering the additional fees for certain functionalities.
Route4Me offers a tiered pricing plan that caters to various business sizes and needs, with a focus on flexibility and comprehensive features.
- Route Management: Priced at $199 per month, this plan includes essential features for smooth route operations and collaboration across the company, with live map tracking of company personnel.
- Route Optimization: For $249 per month, it builds on the Route Management plan by adding the ability to automatically optimize single-driver routes.
- Enterprise: This plan is designed for larger businesses requiring custom solutions for multi-person route optimization, allowing them to incorporate specific business rules into the route planning process.
Each plan is customizable with add-ons for additional features, offering businesses the ability to tailor the service to their unique requirements.
However, as the number of features grows, so does the potential cost, making it important for companies to consider which functionalities are essential to their operations.
Best Mapquest alternative for large fleets
Zeo route planner
Zeo Route Planner, with its robust capabilities and expansive reach across 150 countries, has positioned itself as a compelling Mapquest alternative, particularly for those needing advanced route optimization and fleet management features.
Catering to over 800,000 drivers, Zeo offers a blend of flexibility and efficiency, allowing for up to 150 stops per route with unlimited route creation, making it a standout choice for diverse logistics needs.
Key Highlights:
- Efficient Route Planning: Beyond MapQuest's offerings, Zeo integrates pickups and deliveries in a single route, ensuring minimal travel distance and time.
- Customization Options: Tailors to specific business needs with customizable preferences such as unit measurements, stop durations, and detailed customer information, enhancing delivery precision.
- Advanced Reporting: Generates insightful daily reports in various formats, providing a deeper analysis of driver performance compared to traditional tools like MapQuest.
- Innovative Features: Introduces parcel tracking and route sharing via URL, offering functionalities that extend beyond the basic capabilities of platforms like MapQuest.
Despite its many advantages, Zeo has areas for improvement, such as limitations in the free trial and a need for enhanced stop customization. Its per-seat pricing model, while flexible, requires careful consideration for larger fleets.
Zeo's distinct features, including real-time multi-route tracking, automatic stop assignment based on geographic proximity, and integration with e-commerce platforms like Shopify, position it as a powerful MapQuest alternative for those seeking a more comprehensive route planning and fleet management solution.
FAQs about Mapquest alternatives
What makes a great Mapquest alternative?
A great Mapquest alternative should offer route planning features like unlimited route planning with high or unlimited stops, flexible proof of delivery options, precise and advanced route optimization, real-time tracking and route editing, along with seamless integrations with platforms like Zapier and Shopify.
Circuit for Teams provides these capabilities and much more, helping countless businesses and couriers slash their delivery costs by over 20% per month.
Which is the best Mapquest alternative software overall?
When you consider all the features, pricing and customer reviews, Circuit For Teams rises to the top as the best Mapquest alternative for route planning. Whether you're a dispatch manager at a courier company, or you have a small business that delivers its own goods, Circuit For Teams will make life easier for you.
What is the best free route optimization app?
A lot of free route planners are available, but they come with limitations. A free route planner might work for people planning road trips or part-time couriers who handle fewer than ten stops at a time. But professional couriers and small businesses offering delivery will need more robust mapping software.
For instance, there isn’t a free route planner that offers free unlimited stops. Most free route planners offer somewhere between 10 and 20 stops per route. Circuit For Teams offers a plan with unlimited routes.
What are the benefits of route optimization?
Planning the best route before heading out on the road is absolutely vital for drivers with multiple stops. Well-planned routes allow drivers to get to each destination in the quickest amount of time, minimizing traffic congestion, road closures and other delays.
This improves delivery speed, overall productivity, and creates happy customers when deliveries arrive when they’re supposed to!
Optimized route planning will also save money in the form of fuel consumption and vehicle wear and tear. It makes for happier drivers, who aren’t frustrated by delays and backtracking.
