GridPoint GB vs Footpath Route Planner
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
GridPoint GB
Locate yourself on a paper Ordnance Survey map using your iPhone's GPS and compass, even without mobile reception. It provides your grid reference and heading, with accurate coordinate conversions. Features include Apple Watch integration, location sharing, and sunset/sunrise times.
- GPS and compass for location
- Accurate coordinate conversions
- Apple Watch app and complication
- Location sharing
- Sunset and sunrise times
- Distress signal
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If you have a paper Ordnance Survey (OS) map, GridPoint GB makes it easy to locate yourself — even when you've got no mobile reception. The app uses your iPhone's GPS and compass to provide your current grid reference and heading, and illustrates how to use this to locate yourself on the map. Coordinate conversions are implemented via OS's OSTN02, accurate to within 1m. The app also: * Includes an Apple Watch app and associated complication * Reports full numerical easting and northing, tetrad, raw latitude/longitude, a nearby postcode, and various heading parameters * Has a sharing facility so you can share, copy or store your location * Calculates next sunset and sunrise times * Can emit a distress signal, just in case All features are free to use — the in-app purchase is simply a tip you can give the developer to show appreciation. For details and instructions, please see http://mackerron.com/gridpointgb/ Please note: this app works ONLY in Britain (i.e. England, Scotland or Wales). It does not operate in other parts of the UK or British Isles and cannot provide coordinates in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland, since a different coordinate system is used.
Footpath Route Planner
Easily plan and navigate custom routes for any outdoor activity. Draw your path with a finger and the app snaps to roads and trails. Measure distances, elevations, and get turn-by-turn directions, even offline.
- Snap to roads and trails
- Measure distance and elevation
- Turn-by-turn navigation
- Offline map downloads
- Route sharing
- GPX/TCX/FIT export
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Map routes with your finger and Footpath will snap to roads and trails. Measure distances and elevations in seconds, then navigate along with turn-by-turn directions. Footpath is the ultimate companion for planning and navigating custom routes. Join millions of adventurers and plan out your perfect route. SNAP TO MAP Quickly measure distances by tracing a map with your finger or Apple Pencil. Footpath will snap to roads and trails on the map. MEASURE DISTANCE AND ELEVATION Know exactly how far and how high you'll travel with elevation profiles. Plan routes that match your goals. SAVE ROUTES FOR LATER Plan out your week or trip. Keep up to 5 routes on hand for reference, or save unlimited routes with Footpath Elite. SHARE ROUTES Send your routes to friends or workout partners to open on their device. Footpath is designed to work for pretty much any activity or adventure, in any country: • Running • Cycling and mountain biking • Hiking and mountaineering • Walking • Motorcycling and driving • Backcountry skiing • Kayaking and standup paddleboarding • Sailing • And many more! FOOTPATH ELITE Ready to go the extra mile? Upgrading to Footpath Elite unlocks the following powerful features: TURN-BY-TURN NAVIGATION - Footpath will tell you when to turn with turn-by-turn audio cues on your iPhone and Apple Watch - Save your route and cues in advance for voice guidance that works completely offline - Double tap your AirPods or use the playback controls button on your headphones to replay your next cue PREMIUM OFFLINE MAPS - 3D and topographic maps including Footpath Outdoors (Worldwide), USGS Topo Maps (U.S. and Canada), OpenCycleMap (Worldwide), and many more - Cycling lanes, avalanche slope shading, and elevation contour lines - Download maps for use offline - Save places as favorites to customize your maps ORGANIZE - Create and edit unlimited saved routes - Duplicate, merge, and split routes - Organize and sort routes into custom lists ANALYZE - Record GPS tracks of your activities - Use HealthKit display and log extra health and fitness metrics such as heart rate during a GPS activity - View a calendar log and weekly summary of your activities - Analyze splits, speed, elevation, and heart rate - View a heatmap of your speed during your activity EXPORT - GPX import and export - TCX and FIT course export for turn-by-turn navigation on Garmin and Wahoo GPS devices - Export cue sheets to a spreadsheet app for customization and printing - Export your routes and workouts to Apple Health You can purchase a Footpath Elite monthly or yearly subscription through your iTunes account. Your subscription will automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Auto-renew can be turned off anytime by going to the Manage Subscriptions page in settings after purchase, and your features will remain active until the end of the subscription period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period at the same cost as your original purchase. TIPS FOR MAPPING ROUTES • For longer routes, try zooming in and mapping your route in multiple segments. • Tap and hold the map to quickly route between waypoints and POIs. • Did Footpath snap to the wrong roads? Trace over the incorrect segment to edit, or use the eraser tool. • Turn off snap to roads (magnet icon) and zoom in to manually trace the map. (Try switching to a satellite layer). • Displaying maps and continuously running GPS in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. Navigate without maps or with the screen off for all day battery life. CONTACT US We've got a lot planned for Footpath. If you have any suggestions or feedback, or if you run into any issues, please contact us at support@footpathapp.com Terms of Service: https://footpathapp.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://footpathapp.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Footpath Route Planner at weekly against GridPoint GB's every 16 months. Footpath Route Planner also leads on chart position (#72 vs unranked). GridPoint GB's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. GridPoint GB sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Footpath Route Planner sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
GridPoint GB ships an update every 16 months, Footpath Route Planner weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | GridPoint GB | Footpath Route Planner |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.8 (22K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 72.3% of reviews | 78.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 22K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 16 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #72 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 23 MB | 152 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | George MacKerron | Half Mile Labs LLC |
Customer experience
GridPoint GB
Footpath Route Planner
Bugs and requests
GridPoint GB
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Footpath Route Planner
Reported bugs
14 issues- No more free turn by turn
- Buggy and unreliable
- Seems to no longer recognize footpaths
- Offline maps fail
- Only selects roads
Show 9 moreShow fewer
- GPS not helpful at all
- Confusing and difficult to use
- Useless without paying
- Degraded my paid for membership
- Crashes and loses data
- Doesn't map footpaths well
- Inaccurate and not reliable
- Difficult to edit routes
- Double counting steps
Requested features
11 requests- Add ability to make notes on routes
- Add ability to create folders within folders
- Add ability to change alerts to be earlier
- Add ability to display more run data
- Add ability to store notes against a route
Show 6 moreShow fewer
- Add ability to search/view good walks
- Add ability to import existing GPX files
- Add ability to easily move start/mid points
- Add ability to automatically snap imported GPX
- Add ability to share routes
- Add ability to track steps
In-app purchases
GridPoint GB
- Magnificent tip$2.99
- Majestic tip$4.99
- Monumental tip$8.99
Footpath Route Planner
- Footpath Elite (Monthly)7 Days trial$3.991 Month
- Footpath Elite (Yearly)7 Days trial$23.491 Year
- Single Route Pass$1.99
Questions
Is GridPoint GB free?
Is Footpath Route Planner free?
Do GridPoint GB or Footpath Route Planner have ads?
Which is updated more often, GridPoint GB or Footpath Route Planner?
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