Brandwave

Organic Maps vs Waze:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Waze had more branded searches than Organic Maps among navigation apps worldwide. Waze had about 1.8 million branded searches, while Organic Maps had 90,500. Waze made up 0.96% of all navigation app searches we track, and Organic Maps accounted for 0.05%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about navigation apps, Waze appeared in four of the five answers and Organic Maps in three. Waze was mentioned before Organic Maps in four out of five answers.

Among navigation apps worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Waze, about 20 searches for every 1 for Organic Maps

Waze 1.8M searchesOrganic Maps 90.5K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Waze, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Organic Maps in 3

Waze in 4 of 5Organic Maps in 3 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Waze, named ahead of Organic Maps in 4 of 5 answers

Waze first in 4Organic Maps first in 1

Follow Organic Maps vs Waze and get free monthly updates on what changed

By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy

Track your brand against a rival →

Top navigation apps in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Waze was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Organic Maps was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Waze was listed before Organic Maps in four out of five answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Google Maps1st
  2. Waze2nd
  3. Apple Maps3rd
  4. HERE WeGo4th
  5. Organic Maps5th
  6. MapQuest–
  7. TomTom–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Google Maps5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Waze4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Apple Maps4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • HERE WeGo4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Organic Maps3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • MapQuest0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • TomTom0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about navigation apps

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.

Is Organic Maps or Waze more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Organic Maps and Waze by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven navigation apps we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

Organic Maps and Waze among navigation apps worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Waze, Organic Maps. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthGoogle MapsMapQuestWazeApple MapsTomTomHERE WeGoOrganic Maps
Oct 202597.6%0.64%1.2%0.35%0.16%0.07%0.01%
Nov 202597.7%0.53%1.2%0.36%0.13%0.07%0.01%
Dec 202597.4%0.64%1.4%0.29%0.16%0.09%0.01%
Jan 202697.7%0.53%1.2%0.36%0.13%0.09%0.02%
Feb 202697.1%0.64%1.4%0.53%0.16%0.09%0.02%
Mar 202697.5%0.64%1.2%0.43%0.13%0.07%0.06%
Apr 202697.6%0.64%1.2%0.35%0.16%0.07%0.03%
May 202697.7%0.53%1.2%0.36%0.16%0.09%0.03%
Jun 202697.7%0.53%1.2%0.36%0.13%0.11%0.03%
Jul 202697.4%0.53%1.2%0.29%0.43%0.11%0.04%
Aug 202697.5%0.64%1.2%0.35%0.16%0.13%0.05%
Sep 202697.4%0.96%0.96%0.43%0.13%0.09%0.05%

How has the Organic Maps and Waze comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Waze was ahead of Organic Maps in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Organic Maps’ share of searches among navigation apps worldwide moved from 0.01% to 0.05%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 27.1K to 90.5K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Waze’s share of searches among navigation apps worldwide moved from 1.2% to 0.96%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.2M to 1.8M.

How did search popularity change for navigation apps worldwide in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, Waze fell from 2nd to 3rd among navigation apps worldwide.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Organic Maps worldwide rose 233.9% over 12 measured months, from 27.1K to 90.5K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Organic Maps’ and Waze’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

Organic Maps

1 branded search term

  • organic maps

Waze

1 branded search term

  • waze

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

Put your own brand in this comparison

Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.

Start free