Head-to-head

Google Earth vs Google

Google Earth 4.0★ · Free + IAP 40

Winner Google

Google 4.6★ · Free to download 85

For general search and information, Google (App B) is the clear winner due to its broad utility and high user satisfaction, while Google Earth (App A) struggles with significant performance and feature issues.

Full reviews: Google Earth · Google

Google (App B) is a highly-rated, versatile search engine praised for its comprehensive information and helpfulness, despite some recent concerns about AI integration and ads. Google Earth (App A), while offering impressive visualization, is currently plagued by critical issues like blurry imagery, outdated data, and paywalled features, making it less reliable for many users.

Head to head

Features and Functionality edge: Google^R2^R6^R7^R10

Google Earth Google Earth users appreciate its immersive virtual globe, 3D rendering, and educational Voyager stories, with some finding it useful for exploring locations and going back in time ^R2. However, many lament the removal of historical imagery, the lack of current updates, and the hiding of basic features behind a paywall ^R7^R10^R20. Specific requests include showing coordinates and better search for layers ^R6^R10.

Google Google users value its ability to find information on 'anything' and its general helpfulness for research, finding songs, and solving issues . It's seen as a vital resource for small businesses and for checking product information . However, recent updates introducing AI features are a significant point of contention, with users wanting options to remove AI and complaining about inaccuracies and bloatware ^R62^R70^R76. Some also report an increase in ads and links to specific platforms like X/Twitter .

Ease of Use and Reliability edge: Google^R1^R3^R9^R14

Google Earth Many Google Earth users report significant issues with the app's reliability, primarily constant blurriness when zooming in, which makes it unusable after a few minutes or a single zoom ^R1^R3^R9^R23. Users also find the UI oversimplified, making navigation and tool usage complex, and report glitches and memory management problems . Some mention the app not even loading the earth ^R14.

Google Google is generally considered easy to use and reliable, with many users praising its quick usefulness . However, some recent reviews indicate issues like freezing upon opening the app and a decline in quick usefulness due to ads and AI . Some users also find the new interface less intuitive and report issues with notifications and pinned scores ^R74.

Price and Value edge: Google^R4^R7^R20^R34

Google Earth Google Earth, despite being free to download, is heavily criticized for paywalling basic features that used to be free, leading users to feel it's 'monetized to death' and no longer worth it for casual use ^R4^R20^R34. This includes features like street names and historical imagery ^R7^R20.

Google Google is free to download and use, and users appreciate getting news without needing subscriptions ^R55. While there are complaints about ads within the app and on other platforms , the core search functionality remains free and highly valued.

Privacy and Data tie^R16^R55^R58^R60

Google Earth One Google Earth user explicitly states they are deleting the app due to concerns about privacy and data abuse, viewing Google as a 'demon that feeds that monster' ^R16.

Google Google faces criticism for being 'too intrusive' and having 'restrictive and confusing' rules regarding device access ^R60. One user reported losing money due to a scam site linked from their Google feed, raising concerns about content integrity ^R58. Another user complained that the app takes up space even after deletion and interferes with 2FA ^R55.

Pick Google Earth if

Pick Google Earth (App A) if you are looking for an immersive virtual globe experience and are willing to tolerate significant performance issues and potential paywalls for features like 3D rendering and curated stories ^R2.

Pick Google if

Pick Google (App B) if you need a reliable, comprehensive search engine for daily information, research, and general queries, and are comfortable with the recent integration of AI features and occasional ads .

Evidence note: Reviews for Google Earth are heavily skewed negative in recent times, focusing on critical performance issues, which contrasts with its higher lifetime rating. Google's reviews are overwhelmingly positive, but recent negative feedback highlights specific concerns about AI and ads.

Frequently asked

Why is Google Earth blurry?

Many Google Earth users report that the app constantly becomes blurry when zooming in, often after just a few minutes of use or a single zoom, making the app unusable for detailed viewing ^R1^R3^R9^R23. This issue persists even on high-end devices and after reinstalling the app ^R1.

Are features in Google Earth free?

While Google Earth is free to download, many users report that features previously available for free, such as street names, historical imagery, and other basic functionalities, are now hidden behind a paywall or require a premium subscription ^R4^R7^R20^R34.

Does Google (App B) use AI in its search results?

Yes, Google (App B) has integrated AI into its search engine, which generates 'summaries' and AI answers, but many users dislike this feature and report it can be inaccurate or bloatware, with no option to remove it ^R62^R70^R74^R76.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 100 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

[R2] Google Earth 5/5 · US You can Add placemarks measurements paths and More: Best service ever I can do contributions well on Google Maps though I write this a five out of 20 600,000 but this is what my real rating is 2050 out of a 2050 Chapel that’s even bigger than I realized it best app ever five stars
[R6] Google Earth 3/5 · US Great App...Need Coordinates to Show: UPDATE: Wish we could see the coordinates on the screen we’re on when looking around. If I do a screenshot, it used to say the coordinates so I could refer back to the location at a later date. It no longer does this. Please change this part back so coordinates can always be identified.
[R7] Google Earth 1/5 · US No longer useful: Satellite imagery is no longer available. Historical imagery was added about a year a go, which was great, but now it's gone. Most of the available overlays are pretty obscure and not terribly useful.
[R10] Google Earth 1/5 · US Worthless now: Lost all my stuff I had saved… I’m a fireman and can’t find a layer with fires… Can’t search the layers. Someone needs to get fired Leave it to Google to not care about their users…
[R1] Google Earth 1/5 · US Constantly Blurry: I used to love exploring Google Earth but in the last year or so it’s become unusable because it’s always blurry if you try to zoom in at ALL. Deleting and reinstalling the app used to solve this issue for at least several months, but now each fresh install only gives you maybe one clear zoom-in and then it’s blurry and unusable again. Complete trash. Please fix this!!
[R3] Google Earth 3/5 · US Why is it blurry: What is wrong with this app at first you open the app and it perfect then after a few minutes it get blurry I can’t see see the buildings or landmarks
[R9] Google Earth 3/5 · US Great initially: It’s great the first 5min, then the rendering quality falls off a cliff. I’ll set my phone down with google earth open and I can literally watch the polygons disappear and it become unusable. I’m not sure what changed but now the app is only useful for 4-5min before I have to close and reopen it, which is very annoying.
[R14] Google Earth 1/5 · US What happen: I like to look around the world see where things were happening. Friends in the military see where they are. Haven’t used in a while I opened it today. Could not even get the earth to show up. So this app went from usable to worthless. Every company on line QUIT CHANGING FOR CHANGE. Computer programmers must never heard of ain’t broke don’t go messing or adding junk. More bells and wh
[R4] Google Earth 1/5 · US Do you want to pay for a subscription?: Pay for premium to unlock basic features! Monetize everything into a subscription service to milk every last penny out of the underlings! Garbage.
[R20] Google Earth 1/5 · US Paywalled to death: I understand monetization, but Google has hidden all the features that made Google Earth interesting behind a paywall. It’s just not worth it for former casual users like myself. I understand the need for monetization, but hiding street names? The usability gap between what it now is and what it used to be is enormous. For those of you who are considering downloading it based
[R34] Google Earth 1/5 · US Greedy: It used to be an amazing app, but every update they hide something behind a paywall. Ridiculous. Also they called it the Gulf of America just because idiot Trump said so.
[R16] Google Earth 1/5 · US Nope!: I absolutely love google earth. BUT YOU HAVE ABUSED MY PRIVACY & MY DATA for far too long! Nope. Gone from my life as I degoogle my devices, family, and life. Since I live in The US who is only interested in big corporations and using our data against us, I consider google to be one of the demons that feeds that monster. No more.
[R55] Google 5/5 · US More changing news: More news not needing subscriptions
[R58] Google 1/5 · US Wrong move: I like google,but there’s too much scams on a trusted site,I lost money cause I trusted something they showed me while I read current events happening,and it was a scam site,I lost money and I can never forget how I got to that site if it wasn’t for google putting in my feed,I never searched for bikes ever on the site,so I don’t know how it ended up in my feed,but since I was reading g
[R60] Google 1/5 · US How awful is Google: I can’t stand Google. It is the most intrusive application next to Apple. The rules of the app are very restrictive and confusing. The app doesn’t allow you access to your device without permission from Google, that is the problem and Google just doesn’t want you to have access.
[R23] Google Earth 4/5 · US This app is fire: The one prob is I have no clue how to measure using inches and feet Also it’s supa fuzzy so it’s very hard to see the landscape faaah
[R62] Google 1/5 · US REMOVE Ai: I hate this search engine now because it always uses Ai when i type anything and there's no option to completely remove that. we never asked for this feature give us our rights to decline it or face a lawsuit
[R70] Google 1/5 · US AI ruined everything: AI search engine is inaccurate bloatware that’s ruining the internet and the environment. I can’t even search for a recipe without the top result being a “summary”, you can’t just put multiple recipes together and average it out, but computers are soulless and don’t know that! They can’t cook! I hate you all.
[R74] Google 2/5 · US Not as good as the Chrome browser: I feel like the Chrome app leaves tabs open for as long as you want, this one battles between AI answers and regular browser search if it answers via AI it uses an active tab(in use). Not as intuitive. Additionally, notifications..lots of them now. Scores pinned to home screen sometime appear sometimes not, and if I try to pin it, it says it is already set, but
[R76] Google 1/5 · US Gemini keeps saying stuff I said to not talk about: I said to Gemini about not to talk about demon souls and dark souls and instead about my sis raging

Synthesized from 100 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store