Licenses explained

The HERE SDK for iOS is available in two different licenses (formerly known as editions):

1. Explore license: A subset of the Navigate license with features such as online search and routing for multiple transport modes including car, bus, truck and electric vehicles.
2. Navigate license: The most feature-rich license that includes online / offline turn-by-turn navigation and other advanced features.

A few of the features that are available exclusively as part of the Navigate license:

• Turn-by-turn-navigation.
• Offline map data as downloadable countries or regions, offline search and offline routing.
• HERE Positioning

While each license provides a tailored map experience, both licenses feature the integration of the HERE Rendering Engine:

• The HERE Rendering Engine offers visually appealing true 3D maps that provide a smooth map experience and highly performant map.
• Benefit from features such as multiple map view instances, an integrated tool chain for map customization, full 3D camera control and seamless map scheme switches.

Internally, each license of the HERE SDK 4.x shares a set of common modules. For example, the SearchEngine is part of a module that is used by all licenses. Therefore, such functionality and the related APIs are the same for both licenses. On top, all features of the Explore license are also available for the Navigate license. However, the HERE SDK (Explore) uses a more light-weighted map data format.

If you are still unsure what license you should choose, try to answer the following questions:

• Do you want to offer the best and most advanced map experience, but you do not need any of the advanced features such as navigation? Then you might want to choose the Explore license.
• Does your app rely on any of the available advanced features? Choose the Navigate license.
• The Navigate license is only available for customers who have signed a contract with HERE Technologies. Are you waiting for your license? Consider starting with the Explore license, which offers a subset of the same APIs available with the Navigate license.

Note

Consider to use the Explore license for any app that does not require the advanced features offered by the Navigate license.

A more detailed overview of the available features can be found in the feature list.

In addition, the 4.x version of the HERE SDK is available for Flutter to build apps for iOS and Android from a single codebase written in Dart. You can learn more about all available HERE SDKs here.

For more information, see the following video.