Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Ola vs Google Maps

Ola 4.6★ · Free to download 30
Winner Google Maps
Google Maps 4.7★ · Free to download 70

Google Maps is the clear winner due to its broader functionality, global usability, and generally reliable navigation, despite recent search issues, while Ola struggles with fundamental app functionality and customer support, especially for international users.

Full reviews: Ola · Google Maps

Google Maps offers comprehensive navigation and local search, though recent updates have caused frustration with its search functionality. Ola, a ride-hailing app, faces significant issues with account creation, app stability, and customer support, particularly for users outside its primary operating regions.

Head to head

Features & Functionality edge: Google MapsR1R3R5R6
Ola Ola users report significant issues with basic app functionality, such as the app not moving past the map screen, inability to create accounts or receive OTPs, and problems with ride booking and cancellation R1R10R12R16. Some users also note poor map search capabilities and issues with ride details like luggage space R3R5R6.
Google Maps Google Maps is praised for its overall usefulness and navigation . However, many recent reviews highlight a major problem with the search function, where users cannot find nearby restaurants, gas stations, or other points of interest without being redirected to Google Search or AI R64R73R76. Users also report issues with zooming, map calibration, and Apple Music pausing .
Ease of Use edge: Google MapsR1R9R10R16
Ola Many Ola users, especially those with international phone numbers, find the app unusable due to persistent issues with OTP delivery and account creation R9R10R16. The app often gets stuck on the map screen with no interactive elements R1.
Google Maps Google Maps generally offers a user-friendly experience for navigation, but recent updates have made searching for nearby places more difficult and less intuitive, requiring users to scroll or use AI instead of a simple list R76. Some users also report issues with zooming and map responsiveness .
Reliability & Performance edge: Google MapsR1R4R12R13
Ola Ola suffers from significant reliability issues, including rides not ending in the app, false time to arrival, high cancellation rates by drivers, and drivers demanding extra cash or going off-meter R4R12R13R15. The app itself is frequently reported as buggy and non-functional R1.
Google Maps Google Maps is generally reliable for navigation, though some users report it suggesting illegal turns or non-existent roads . Recent updates have introduced glitches like freezing, lagging, and crashing, especially with Apple CarPlay . The core search functionality has become unreliable for many R64R73R76R79.
Price/Value edge: Google MapsR11R13R15R21
Ola Ola is sometimes seen as cheaper than rivals like Uber . However, users frequently complain about drivers demanding additional cash beyond the app's quoted price, overcharging for rides, or charging cancellation fees unfairly R11R13R15R21.
Google Maps Google Maps is free to download and use, providing significant value as a comprehensive mapping and navigation tool. There are no direct pricing complaints, though some users express frustration with the quality of information or features after updates, which could impact perceived value R64R73R76R79.
Customer Support tieR4R7R18R28
Ola Ola's customer support is widely criticized as poor, unresponsive, and unhelpful. Users report automated replies, difficulty reaching a human, and lack of resolution for issues like ride disputes, overcharging, or app malfunctions R4R7R18R28.
Google Maps Google Maps is a free service, and direct customer support is not a primary feature. User feedback is typically addressed through app updates. While there are no direct complaints about customer support, the widespread issues with recent updates suggest that user concerns are not being adequately addressed in a timely manner through product changes R64R73R76R79.
Pick Ola if

you are in a region where Ola is known to work well for you and you prioritize potentially lower ride-hailing costs over consistent app reliability and strong customer support .

Pick Google Maps if

you need a comprehensive mapping and navigation tool for general use, including finding directions, exploring places, and getting traffic updates, and are willing to tolerate recent search functionality quirks .

Evidence note: Reviews for Ola are heavily skewed negative, particularly from users attempting to use the app in regions outside its primary operational areas or with international phone numbers. Many recent reviews for Google Maps also show a strong negative skew due to specific issues with recent search function updates, despite its high lifetime rating.

Frequently asked

Does Ola work for international travelers?
Many international travelers, particularly those from the US, report significant difficulty using Ola due to issues with OTP verification and account creation with non-local phone numbers, making it often unusable for tourists R1R9R16R36.
What are the main issues with Google Maps recently?
Recent Google Maps updates have significantly hampered its search functionality, making it difficult for users to find nearby restaurants, gas stations, or other points of interest without being redirected to Google Search or AI, and often displaying irrelevant photo-based results R64R73R76R79.
Is Ola customer support helpful?
Ola's customer support is widely criticized by users as poor, unresponsive, and unhelpful, often providing automated replies and lacking clear contact options for resolving issues like ride disputes, overcharging, or app malfunctions R4R7R28R43.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 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.

  1. [R1] Ola 1/5 · US Poor app: How the heck this app got 4.6 rating on iOS? Fake reviews and rating. Look at all latest ratings nothing less than poor one star. Downloaded this app on iOS and it doesn’t move past map for Ola. Uninstalled it 3 times and still no work around. Asked AI and was told since Apple ID is from us region the app won’t work. This is sick! Just look at all recent reviews stating same that app won
  2. [R3] Ola 3/5 · US Map search and app UX could be better: 1. Terrible map search - even in big city like Bangalore - search didn’t show prominent places such as SBI branch or Sub Registrar offices in fairly central parts for the city (not remote suburb extensions) 2. Often times, CNG vehicles show up for Prime and the cars don’t have bootspace for luggage. It would be good to indicate luggage space when showing ride
  3. [R5] Ola 4/5 · US Pick up Location changes: Today it changed my pick up location across the street though I selected one on my side. Small update in pick up doesn’t work.
  4. [R6] Ola 3/5 · US Ok app: The app works great, but no recommendations of the address they pick you from. As a tourist, must remember the address of origin to come back. Invert back at the address they pick you from must be added or even tourist mode which will enable automatically.
  5. [R9] Ola 3/5 · US Unable to use for tourist: Hi, I’m coming from USA. I’m trying to go login to the app and I’m trying to put my US number to get OTP so that I can use for Travels and India but I’m unable to do it. Can you please help out
  6. [R10] Ola 1/5 · US No otp code for sign up: Tried 3 times but they never sent out otp code for sign up. Went with Uber
  7. [R16] Ola 1/5 · US App Sucks, Does not send an OTP: App is unusable, it does not send an OTP for the initial setup if you have a US phone number. I just use uber, works great
  8. [R4] Ola 1/5 · US Ride is not ending in app.: My ride is not ending in app even though it ended and I paid for it. There is no option to raise ticket for that as you only give automated replies to set questions. No other support option
  9. [R12] Ola 3/5 · US False time to arrival shown in app. Unable to cancel.: I had booked an Ola. Which showed 2 min for getting a vehicle. After booking, it showed 17 minutes. I cancelled it. I got a notification of being charged 75 rupees towards cancellation. Why should I not be allowed to cancel knowing that the vehicle will be delayed beyond what is falsely shown in your App?? Dr. Deepak Baid
  10. [R13] Ola 1/5 · US Rider app is a scam, not reliable and unprofessional: Auto drivers use the app for customer acquisition and then quote their own price, whats the point of the app? Cabs are unclean, when you book premier cabs, they send you the same used cab, but they charge higher prices, 2x prices and also expect a tip? The cancellation rate is crazy high, you book 6 times to get one confirmed cab. There’s no re
  11. [R11] Ola 5/5 · US Nice app: I like this app but the autos are very overpriced like i can get a local auto for 50₹ but in Ola it’s 116₹ or 120₹?!
  12. [R15] Ola 3/5 · US Booking experience: I am writing to express my disappointment with the auto booking service that I recently used. I found the experience to be quite frustrating, as most of the bookings were either declined or required additional cash. I believe that the auto booking system needs to be improved to avoid such issues in the future. In my opinion, the car booking service is a better alternative, as
  13. [R21] Ola 3/5 · US No way to limit the type of notifications and irritating driver bargaining: I recently downloaded this app on my visit to India. I have two main problems with Ola, one of them about the service itself and the other about this app. 1. Service issue: I am visiting a tier-2 city and so far, I haven’t really been able to book one ride on it just yet because of drivers calling up and asking me to give
  14. [R7] Ola 1/5 · US “Write to us”: I wonder how come this be a big ride hailing service in India, which can’t even provide a good support. For every issues it says “write to us” without even providing any contact on how to reach them. Functionality as simple as creating account has issues in the app. It says that too many accounts in the device when I just installed the app now. 5/17: received review response asking
  15. [R18] Ola 3/5 · US Review: I couldn’t contact ola at Kolkata on n 15.02.2023and the next day too
  16. [R28] Ola 1/5 · US No Support Driver asks for extra money: First of all Ola drivers are unprofessional. Ask to pay offline and go on meter. If you are going to Airport or Train station, make sure you don’t book Ola as driver will cancel the ride or ask for money offline. Report this to Ola Support and below is there response : We are sorry for inconvenience caused. We will continue with rides. So lame! Never try
  17. [R36] Ola 1/5 · US OTP: Damn OTP never arrives to a US phon number even though US phon number is an option. Unnecessarily painful. But I guess in India, people don’t feel accomplished unless it comes with pain & drama.
  18. [R64] Google Maps 2/5 · US New updates disabled some searches: Some of the common searches like restaurants, attractions, gas etc. are not showing on the maps and redirects you to google search. The only time it works is when you’re on incognito mode.
  19. [R73] Google Maps 1/5 · US Something broke recently: I can no longer search for nearby locations without being told to use Google Search or AI. I am not going to do either, and I am going to open up Apple Maps.
  20. [R76] Google Maps 1/5 · US Wtf are you doing Google?: This new update is atrocious. You can’t find anything near you. It makes ZERO sense. I type in the word “food” or “pizza” into google maps and instead of giving me nearby business I’m shown photos based on some obscure ranking that applies to business far beyond my nearby location. This is unacceptable. It goes without saying if they don’t fix this I’m not using their pr
  21. [R79] Google Maps 1/5 · US What happened?: July 2026 Google Maps doesn’t know where anything is anymore and is asking to search Google or Try Ask Mask? Whatever the developers did to search it’s awful. AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL
  22. [R43] Ola 1/5 · US Bad app, poor cutomer support: App is buggy, drivers are rude and cancel trips. Also customer support is really poor and not well responsive

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store