Are you comparing TomTom Amigo vs Waze as your go-to navigation app?
This article will compare a range of essential factors to comprise a winner. I’ll also let you in on my personal favorite.
Waze is by far the best navigation app when compared to TomTom Amigo, due mainly to the depth of user data the platform has combined with how this is shared inside the app.
During my review, I trialed the apps in various settings and conditions to be able to provide you with this detailed review.
The main categories I compared were:
- Navigation
- Traffic & Hazards
- Hands-free Control & CarPlay
- Customization
- Interface & Design
- Non-Motor Vehicle Navigation
I have also used Waze for hundreds of hours before this comparison, so I was interested in seeing if TomTom Amigo could compete.
Category Comparison: TomTom Amigo vs Waze
Navigation
Winner: Waze
Navigation is at the core of these apps and is arguably the essential feature you should care about.
Getting you from A to B in the most convenient and fastest way!
Waze is the best app for all-around navigation due to detailed traffic conditions and incident reporting, intelligently putting you onto the right road.
Unfortunately, TomTom Amigo does a poor job at this, and should you fail to make the right turn, the app wouldn’t correct the route based on the change.
This feels like a critical issue (if not a bug), which is why Waze is the winner in this category.
Traffic & Hazards
Winner: Waze
Finding out about traffic on your route or hazards on the road is critical.
I can personally tell you the importance of this, having been previously alerted to debris on the road that fell off a truck.
Both apps rely on aggregated user info and reported data.
However, the sheer volume of Waze users ensures the data is more accurate and reported quicker.
The same can be said for traffic data, and from my experience, the data appears to be better from Waze and more clearly displayed within the app.
Hands-Free Control & CarPlay
Winner: Waze
Using your phone while you are in charge of your vehicle is a big no-no in most countries in today’s age, which is why most apps are usually accommodating to this.
Waze is a much better app for hands-free use because its CarPlay integration makes it safer and is also compatible with Siri or Google Assistant.
On the other hand, TomTom Amigo is not compatible with CarPlay and doesn’t work with Siri or Google Assistant, making it challenging to use while diving. If you want to use CarPlay and TomTom, opt for the TomTom Go CarPlay app.
If you’re also what the difference between TomTom Amigo vs TomTom GO is, check out my article on the topic.
All you need to do with Waze and Siri is say something like, “get directions home with Waze,” and it will launch your route home. This Siri command also works with CarPlay.
If you want to learn more about the Waze CarPlay settings, see our detailed article and understand why I rated it the 3rd best carplay navigation app.
Customization
Winner: Tie
Allowing yourself to customize a GPS app is extremely handy as not everyone’s preferences are the same.
In most of these categories, Waze dominates.
However, both apps offer much customization for the types of roads, tolls, ferries, speeding, hazards, and speed cameras making them reasonably even in this category.
Although there are several more Waze settings vs TomTom Amigo, it probably doesn’t make the app more useful or “better”, such as changing your driver icon or having a voice command as a cookie monster!
Interface & Design
Winner: Waze
Having a fast and interactive app interface is helpful to allow you to get directions quickly and without hassle.
Both apps are pretty intuitive and have a similar overlay, with search bars and quick navigation options for your home, work, or other saved places.
The main difference is when it comes to the map and view while driving.
I prefer the Waze maps as I feel it’s more inviting, but TomTom has a more old-school look, which some users could also like.
It’s more up to preference than hard facts in this category.
Non-Motor Vehicle Navigation
Winner: None
What if you are on your bike or want to walk somewhere?
Unfortunately, both TomTom Amigo and Waze do not work for walking directions or cycling, so there are no winners here.
However, Waze does have one aspect up its sleeve.
They allow you to change your vehicle type to either private (regular car), Taxi, Motorcycle, or Electic vehicle.
Waze will then optimize a better route based on this information.
Bugs & App Issues
Overall, Waze is a well-polished app, and with millions of users relying on it daily, there are few bugs.
However, I observed many bugs with Amigo, with the app crashing, the map lagging, and display issues, which is a big issue for an app that needs to be reliable.
Hopefully, the developers will fix these issues in the coming updates, but this is a big issue for me.
Comparison Table
As an overview, you can see the winner for each category.
It paints a pretty clear picture.
| Category | Waze | TomTom Amigo |
| Navigation | ✅ | ❌ |
| Traffic & Hazards | ✅ | ❌ |
| Hands-free control & CarPlay | ✅ | ❌ |
| Customization | 🟧 | 🟧 |
| Interface & Design | ✅ | ❌ |
| Non-Motor Vehicle Navigation | ❌ | ❌ |
Where can I Download TomTom Amigo or Waze?
Now you have an overview of the apps; you can download both apps here:
- Waze(My Winner):
- TomTom Amigo:
Conclusion
As I have outlined, Waze is my personal favorite, and I would be confident in recommending it to anyone as a good choice, along with other popular apps like Apple Maps and Google Maps.
The app’s reliability, as well as the surrounding data it provides, makes you understand why taxi drivers LOVE Waze and use it as their primary navigation app.
So maybe you should too!
