The Google Maps Platform is a set of APIs and SDKs that allows developers to embed Google Maps into mobile apps and web pages, or to retrieve data from Google Maps.

Google owns both mapping apps as they acquired Waze in 2013 but kept it as a separate app with separate developers that focused on different features. While both apps provide the same basic functionality and utility, significant differences may appeal to you based on how you use a mapping app.

Like most of Google's products, Google Maps makes money off of advertising. Businesses can list their ads on Google Maps, even creating profiles that allow their businesses to be found more easily. In addition, Google Maps allows businesses to use APIs for navigation, tracking, and mapping, all of which it charges for.

Google may use or save location information to provide people with useful services when they interact with Google products, such as providing locally relevant and faster search results, traffic predictions for people's daily commutes, and suggestions that take into account a person's context.