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Head-to-head Β· Maps

Google Maps vs Qwant Maps

Which one to pick in 2026 β€” comparing πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ Google Maps with the European alternative πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Ί Qwant Maps on the things that actually decide who can read your data.

πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ Google MapsvsπŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Ί Qwant Maps

Verdict

  • Who has stronger privacy guarantees by law?

    Qwant Maps β€” GDPR-native and outside the US CLOUD Act / FISA 702 reach.

  • Which one encrypts your data end-to-end by default?

    Neither ships full E2E by default β€” check the table for nuance.

  • Which one tracks you for ads?

    Google Maps relies on ad tracking. Qwant Maps doesn't.

  • Which one is open source?

    Qwant Maps is not fully open source β€” check details.

Side-by-side

Google Maps vs Qwant Maps β€” full comparison

Criteria
πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Ί Qwant Maps
πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ Google Maps
Headquarters
Paris, France
Mountain View, CA, USA
Jurisdiction
France
USA (CLOUD Act, FISA 702)
Data location
France
Global, US-controlled
GDPR-native
Yes
No
CLOUD Act / FISA exposed
No
Yes
Ad tracking
No
Yes
End-to-end encryption
No
No
Open source
No
No
Ownership
Qwant SAS
Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL)
Founded
2018
2005

Make the switch

Try Qwant Maps instead of Google Maps

Privacy-respecting map of the world.

Other European alternatives to Google Maps

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πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Ί European & decentralised