Honestly, it feels like forever ago that we were all debating whether Waze was actually better than Google Maps. But if you're looking for the exact moment the world of navigation changed, it was June 11, 2013. That is the official date when Google announced they had closed the deal to buy the Israeli startup.
It wasn't just a quiet corporate acquisition. It was a massive, $1.1 billion middle finger to Facebook and Apple.
At the time, Waze was the "cool" alternative. It was messy, colorful, and built by a community of people who hated traffic as much as you do. Google, on the other hand, was the giant. When they swallowed Waze, people were convinced the app would be killed off within a year. It's now 2026, and Waze is still here, though the relationship between the two apps is... complicated, to say the least.
The 1.1 Billion Dollar Question
So, why did Google drop over a billion dollars on an app that basically did what Google Maps already did?
Simple. They didn't want anyone else to have it.
Back in early 2013, Waze was the "it" girl of Silicon Valley. Facebook was reportedly deep in talks to buy them for around $1 billion. Apple was sniffing around too, desperate to fix the disaster that was the original Apple Maps launch. Imagine if Facebook had integrated Waze's social data into your feed. Or if Apple had used Waze to finally make Siri's directions not suck.
Google couldn't let that happen.
They swooped in with an all-cash offer and, crucially, promised the Waze team they could stay in Israel. Facebook wanted them to move to Menlo Park. Google said, "Stay where you are, keep your culture." That was the clincher.
What the Deal Actually Looked Like
While the headlines screamed $1.1 billion, the SEC filings later showed the "base" price was actually around $966 million. The rest of that billion-plus figure came from "retention payments"—basically a massive bag of money meant to keep the 100 or so Waze employees from quitting the second their checks cleared.
Each of those early employees walked away with roughly $1.2 million. Not a bad day at the office.
Why the Government Almost Blocked It
You might not remember this part, but the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) almost blew the whole thing up.
Since Google already owned the dominant mapping software, buying their biggest "maverick" competitor looked a lot like a monopoly move. The UK’s Office of Fair Trading and the Israel Antitrust Authority also poked around.
Why did it go through?
Regulators basically decided that because Apple Maps and Microsoft's Bing Maps existed, there was still "competition." Also, Waze was technically a foreign company with relatively low U.S. revenue at the time, which helped them skip some of the stricter pre-merger hurdles. In hindsight, many economists now point to this as one of the "ones that got away" for antitrust hawks.
The Waze We Have Now
If you use Waze today, you’ve noticed it’s changed.
Initially, Google kept the two teams completely separate. They were like two siblings living in the same house who refused to talk to each other. But slowly, the walls came down.
- The Data Swap: Google Maps started showing "Reported Accident" icons—that's Waze data.
- The Search Engine: Waze started using Google's massive search database to find locations.
- The Merger: In late 2022, Google finally merged the Waze and Google Maps teams under one leadership umbrella (specifically under Christopher Phillips, who heads the Geo division).
Some old-school "Wazers" hate it. They say the app has become buggier or that it’s lost its soul. There’s a constant fear that Google will eventually "sunset" Waze and just port the features over to Maps. But as of 2026, Waze still has over 150 million monthly active users. That’s a lot of people to piss off if you shut the lights out.
Actionable Insights for Users
If you're wondering which one you should actually be using right now, here is the breakdown from someone who has followed this deal since day one:
- Stick with Waze if you are an aggressive commuter. Its "re-routing" logic is still way more aggressive than Google Maps. It will send you through a residential alleyway to save 45 seconds. Google Maps is "polite" and tends to keep you on main roads.
- Use Google Maps for discovery. If you need to know if a restaurant is open or what the menu looks like, Waze is useless. Google Maps is a directory; Waze is a tool for beating the clock.
- Privacy Check: If you were hoping Waze was more private than Google, I have bad news. Since 2013, your Waze data is Google data. If you're logged in, they know where you're going.
The 2013 acquisition wasn't about making a better map. It was a strategic land grab that defined the next decade of how we get from point A to point B. Whether that's a good thing depends on how much you value having two different icons on your phone that essentially report to the same boss.
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Check your app settings today to see how much of your "Waze" data is being shared with your broader Google account; you might be surprised at how much the two have synced up in the last couple of years.