When getting from A to B, you're likely to call upon a map. But, is the integrated navigation in your car better than a third-party option?

Navigation is a service available in most modern vehicles, providing a map and directions for you, the driver. They help you not get lost in new areas, and they also help you navigate without worrying if you took the right turn or not.

With these systems, you can skip having to stop every now and then to ask people for directions or the distraction of looking at a huge map on the passenger seat.

Some cars come with an integrated GPS and navigation system, but you can also buy a standalone navigation system and mount it in your car. This then begs the question: what's the difference between integrated and standalone navigation systems?

Global Positioning System (GPS) uses satellites and radio signals to locate your position on the globe. It is a specific wireless communication technology owned by the United States government. This technology allows small electronic receivers to determine their location with information such as geographical latitude and altitude.

Like many other useful technologies, the GPS was originally designed for military use during the Cold War, but the US government eventually decided to let (nearly) everyone use this technology. GPS has been around for a long time, but it took the tech manufacturers a couple of years to develop a way to make these receivers small enough to put inside other devices. Or inside a car.

Related: Best Handheld GPS Devices You Need When Out in the Wild

With almost every useful feature, luxury auto manufacturers were the first to get their hands on this technology and use it in their cars. Gradually, as GPS modules became more affordable, navigation systems started showing up everywhere, even in economy cars.

Navigation systems use GPS to pinpoint your location on a map and then use algorithms to guide you to any given destination. Right now, the GPS is so prevalent that no one can deny the importance of the role it's playing. This is especially true regarding self-driving cars, which rely heavily on GPS, along with an arsenal of other sensors.

There's a wide variety of navigation systems used in cars, but regardless of their features, they fall into two categories: integrated and standalone.

Integrated navigation systems come installed into your car, and you can access them through the car's infotainment system.

On the other hand, standalone navigation systems are devices not integrated into the car. These include portable navigation systems that you can mount on your dash, as well as Android Auto and Apple Carplay. Though these two exist to provide the same services, they vary in their features, and each has its pros and cons.

The built-in navigation system in your car already has all the maps it needs. Sure, your standalone navigation system or smartphone can also have offline maps, but that comes at the price of storage, and downloading an offline map of the entire country is going to cost you some storage, along with data charges.

This means that most standalone navigation systems rely on cellular data to download maps. So, if you're ever in an area with a spotty connection, you're might be in trouble as your navigation system won't be able to download a map for that area.

Though infotainment displays are available on nearly all modern vehicles, you have to pay extra money to the manufacturer to have them put a navigation system in your car.

In some cars, navigation systems are a standard feature. In others, the integrated navigation system is only available on the highest trim. This means that you'll have to pay more money to get a navigation system, potentially including extra features that you don't really want.

On the other hand, you can buy a standalone navigation system for a much cheaper price and mount it yourself. This way, you get the car you want, along with the navigation you want.

Related: 3G Shutdown: Is Your Car About to Become Obsolete?

Integrated navigation systems are free of any further charge. You don't need to pay a subscription fee to keep using the navigation system (although there are some cases where you'll need to pay for an upgrade to its maps, roads, and routes).

Most of the time, this is also true for standalone navigation systems. But what makes the standalone navigations a bit more taxing on your pockets is that they rely on cellular data to receive information. Some navigation software is subscription-based, meaning that you'll have to pay a monthly fee to keep using them.

If you're someone who gives extra value to privacy, then the integrated navigation system is for you.

Standalone navigation systems utilize multiple third-party services to improve their services, and these third-party services could record and collect your data for various uses.

On the other hand, the integrated navigation system is built to work as it is and already has everything it needs built into it, so it doesn't require the services of a third party, sparing you from the grasp of data collectors.

Related: What Are the Risks of Cloud-Connected Vehicles?

Integrated navigation systems draw power directly from the car. Most portable standalone navigation systems, and of course your smartphone, use batteries to power themselves.

These battery consumers also require more power as they often use cellular data to download maps and navigation information. If you're stranded far from home and in need of directions, the last thing you'd want is for your navigation system to run out of battery and die.

Integrated systems stay on as long as you have fuel in your tank, and even if you run out of fuel the navigation system will work as long as your car's battery endures.

While some newer luxury cars have voice command systems installed in the infotainment device, in most cars, you're forced to type in your destination letter by letter. This becomes frustrating when the touch screen on your car's infotainment isn't even all that good, and you have to tap a letter multiple times for a response.

With standalone navigation systems, however, you get one with the features and specifications that you want. In addition, most standalone navigation systems are universal and you can dismount it from one car and put it in another one so that you're always familiar with the system you're using—no need for trial and error all over again.

Integrated navigation systems are hard to update as they usually come with an SD card containing the maps and other data. To update the maps and routes, you'll have to either buy a new SD containing the fresh data or connect it to a computeSD and install the new maps on it. Keep in mind that the manufacturer might discontinue the updates for your car's navigation systems after a couple of years. An outdated navigation system quickly loses its efficiency as it won't show new roads or roads that have been closed.

Conversely, standalone navigation systems are almost always connected to the internet, meaning that they're always up to date. Even if that's not the case, most of them have an operating system on them that eases the updating process, so you always have up-to-date maps and navigation.

Related: How to Use Android Auto

All that being said, it's obvious that both integrated and standalone navigation systems come with their advantages and disadvantages. Integrated navigation systems are pricier, but they're more reliable in terms of hardware. Standalone systems are cheaper to install and are always up to date, but require internet and consume battery.

The choice ultimately falls on to you, as you have to decide which parameters in a navigation system are more important to you and which pros outweigh the cons.

Looking to deck your car out with the latest gadgets? We've rounded up some of the best hardware to make commuting and road trips more pleasant.

Amir is a pharmacy student with a passion for tech and gaming. He likes playing music, driving cars, and writing words.

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