Best free sat nav apps

We put free sat nav apps through the same tough tests as paid-for apps or standalone sat nav devices. So if we recommend a free sat nav app, you can be confident it's a really good one. 

In the past, apps struggled to keep up – small phone screens made maps difficult to read, and smartphones simply weren’t fast enough to make the instructions useful. There are still some apps that aren’t up to scratch, with such poor audio and visual guidance that they’re useless.

But sat nav apps have improved in the past few years, and the best free sat nav apps will now guide you from A to B with brilliantly clear vocal and visual guidance, as well as advanced features that used to be reserved for pricey devices. 

Below, we reveal some of the best free sat nav apps available, and what they have to offer. We'll also take a look at how sat navs apps with subscriptions and paid-for features match up against free ones. So whatever you’re looking for from a sat nav app, we will help you find the best one for you. 

Only logged-in Which? members can view our recommendations in the table below. If you’re not yet a member, join Which? to get instant access.

Pricing, recommendations and test scores correct as of September 2021.

Not found the right one for you? Browse all of our sat nav app reviews. Think you might prefer a standalone device? See our sat nav reviews.

And here are three free sat nav apps to avoid

We’ve found some sat nav apps just aren’t worth downloading, despite being free. Cluttered mapping, confusing audio and visual guidance, and difficult-to-use menus make some free sat nav apps a nightmare to use. These Don’t Buys are sure to lead you up the garden path.

Which is the best sat nav app?

We’ve found some great free sat nav apps that are easy to download and try, but in our experience even the very best will struggle to provide you with quite the same experience as a really good dedicated sat nav app. The quality of the guidance might depend on the smartphone you have too.

Some sat nav apps require an initial purchase, have ongoing subscriptions, or include pay-to-unlock features. Some of these apps offer a happy medium between free apps and an expensive, bulky dedicated sat nav. 

Here's a round-up of our top paid-for sat nav apps.

Pricing, recommendations and test scores correct as of September 2021.

Unsure whether a sat nav app or dedicated sat nav is for you? Use our interactive tool on our how to buy the best sat nav page.

Is it worth paying for a dedicated sat nav?

Traditional sat navs are built with navigation in mind. This means they usually have good speakers so audio guidance can be easily heard, and have matt screens to avoid car windscreen reflections and ensure visual cues are readable. 

Paying for a dedicated device often means you’ll get a few more features thrown in too, including live traffic updates and speed camera warnings. Some newer models have built-in dashboard cameras too.

To find out which standalone sat navs are worth your money, see which models make our expert pick of the best sat navs.