Frequently Asked Questions

What are the pros and cons of Google Maps as a route planner?

The advantages of using Google Maps to plan delivery routes are:

  • It’s free and easy to download from an app store, for both Android and iPhone.
  • Most people already know how to use it.
  • It includes turn-by-turn navigation that takes live traffic into account.

The major disadvantages are:

  • You can only plan routes of up to 10 stops.
  • It can’t optimize routes.  
  • You can’t plan around constraints like delivery time windows and driver shift times.
  • It's time consuming

What about Google’s My Maps?

We used to suggest Google’s My Maps as an alternative route planner for multiple stops, but we can no longer recommend it.

My Maps has two advantages: You can upload a spreadsheet with up to 2,000 locations, and you can add extra information like notes, custom icons and colors. This makes it great for mapping attractions or pit stops when you’re planning a road trip — but as a route planner, it’s terrible:

  • You can still only plan routes in batches of 10 at a time, using layers.
  • There’s a limit of 10 routes or layers. So even with 2,000 locations mapped, you can’t plan a driving route for more than 100 of them.
  • It’s not easy to use, and is starting to feel more and more old-fashioned.
  • Even with routes mapped, there’s no information about drive time or total distance travelled.

There’s no way to turn routes into driving directions, so a driver will still have to create their own routes from place to place.

Can Google Maps do route planning?

You can plan a route of up to 10 stops in Google Maps. It's a good, free choice for short driving, biking or walking routes. You can work in batches to plan longer routes. If you’re a delivery business or delivery driver, our recommended method for longer routes is laid out in our Google Maps Route Planner for Deliveries post.