Comparison

Avenza Maps vs Footpath Route Planner

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Avenza Maps

Navigate any terrain with offline GPS maps, even without cell service. Explore a vast Map Store for hiking, biking, and travel, or import your own custom maps. Record tracks, add notes, and identify your location precisely.

Highlights
  • Offline GPS navigation
  • Real-time GPS position and direction
  • Record GPS tracks
  • Add photos and notes to locations
  • Import custom maps
  • Map Store with professional maps
Features
Read full description

New Description: Avenza Maps is a powerful offline navigation app for professional field work. Use offline maps with GPS navigation to stay on track anywhere—no signal required, so you can navigate confidently with precise location awareness. Discover and download trail, topographic, land use, utility, nautical, and survey data from trusted publishers, or import your own maps. Avenza supports custom map import, letting you work with PDF maps, GeoPDF®, and GeoTIFF files for reliable navigation both on and off the grid. Explore trusted outdoor & professional data Access the largest mobile Map Stores featuring content from: National Geographic National Park Service US Forest Service (USFS) US Geological Survey (USGS) NOAA, FAA, BLM, and more Avenza is widely used by professionals worldwide for surveying, land management, environmental work, GIS field operations, and more. Make your own maps? Import your custom maps and never get lost off the grid. Maps are available for free or purchase from the in-app Map Store. Plus subscription is available for unlimited custom map imports. Pro subscription is available for professional users with full access to all features and mapping tools. ENHANCE YOUR MAPS WITH THESE FEATURES - Locate your realtime GPS position and find direction, even when offline - Record GPS tracks during your activities - Navigate to features using compass tools - Add photos and notes to any location - Add placemarks to your map and style them with recreational symbols - Measure distances and estimate times - Supports KML, GPX, and CSV Formats GET MORE WITH AVENZA MAPS PLUS For users who need more - Up to 20 custom PDF, GeoPDF®, and GeoTIFF imports - Create geofences for up to 50 individual features and up to four geofence layers GET EVEN MORE WITH AVENZA MAPS PRO For professionals and organizations who require an offline mapping solution with location awareness with more features and tools - Unlimited import of your own geospatial PDF, GeoPDF®, and GeoTIFF maps - GPS averaging, additional coordinate display formats, custom symbol sets - Connect high-accuracy GPS devices via Bluetooth - Created unlimited geofences and get global geofence notifications - Convert tracks to areas - Map orientation lock - Import and export Esri® Shapefiles - Import and manage custom symbology sets - Priority technical support Avenza Maps Pro subscription required for commercial, academic, government, and professional use. Avenza Maps Plus and Pro are available as annual subscriptions. You can subscribe and pay through your Apple ID. Subscriptions are 12 months in duration and will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period at the rate of your selected plan. Auto-renewal can be turned off in your iTunes Account Settings. If you didn’t use iTunes to subscribe, you can manage your subscription through Avenza. SUPPORT We can help! Go to support.avenzamaps.com LEGAL Privacy Policy: avenzamaps.com/legal/privacy-policy.html Terms of Use: avenzamaps.com/legal/terms.html CONNECT WITH US avenzamaps.com facebook.com/avenzamaps twitter.com/avenzamaps instagram.com/avenzamaps

About

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.

Highlights
  • Snap to roads and trails
  • Measure distance and elevation
  • Turn-by-turn navigation
  • Offline map downloads
  • Route sharing
  • GPX/TCX/FIT export
Features
Read full description

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

Avenza Maps4 screens
Footpath Route Planner4 screens

Verdict

The call

Avenza Maps and Footpath Route Planner both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 79% of Footpath Route Planner's written reviews are positive against 52% of Avenza Maps's. Footpath Route Planner also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). Avenza Maps's advantage is ratings volume (128K vs 22K) and chart position (#21 vs #73). On price, rating, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Avenza Maps sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $32.99 per year 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Avenza Maps against 4.8 for Footpath Route Planner. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Avenza Maps has 128K ratings behind it against 22K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 52% of Avenza Maps's written reviews are positive against 79% of Footpath Route Planner's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Avenza Maps ships an update every 2 months, Footpath Route Planner every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 22, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Avenza Maps versus Footpath Route Planner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAvenza MapsFootpath Route Planner
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (128K ratings)4.8 (22K ratings) — better
Positive reviews51.6% of reviews78.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings128K — better22K
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#21 — better#73
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS18.018.0
Further details — not scored
Size335 MB155 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAvenza Systems Inc.Half Mile Labs LLC

Customer experience

Avenza Maps

All ratings128,071 ratings
Positive96.4%
Neutral2.9%
Negative0.8%
Written reviews884 reviews
Positive51.6%
Neutral6.8%
Negative41.6%

Footpath Route Planner

All ratings22,220 ratings
Positive96.0%
Neutral2.2%
Negative1.8%
Written reviews848 reviews
Positive78.5%
Neutral7.8%
Negative13.7%

User reviews

Avenza Maps

From 128K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 🗺️ Accurate GPS tracking
  • 📥 Offline maps
  • 💾 Ability to download maps
  • 🗺️ Detailed topographic maps

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Poor search functionality
  • 🗺️ Inaccurate map placement
  • 💰 Expensive maps
  • 🔋 Battery drain
  • 🤔 Confusing interface

Footpath Route Planner

From 22K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Full-featured outdoors app
  • 👍 Nice app
  • 👍 Excellent for discovering routes
  • 👍 Useful for run planning
  • 👍 Great mapping and graphics

Room to improve

  • 🐛 No more free turn by turn
  • 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
  • 🐛 Seems to no longer recognize footpaths
  • 🐛 Offline maps fail
  • 🐛 Only selects roads

Bugs and requests

Avenza Maps

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Maps disappearing after updates
  • Airdrop functionality issues
  • Compatibility problems with newer devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to stitch/overlay multiple maps
  • Apple CarPlay integration
  • Improved map search and discovery
  • Easier map management and organization
  • Ability to export/share recorded tracks

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 more
  • 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 more
  • 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

13 purchases

Avenza Maps

Subscriptions3
  • Avenza Maps Plus$32.991 Year
  • Avenza Maps Plus1 Month trial$34.991 Year
  • Avenza Maps Pro1 Month trial$169.991 Year
One-time10
  • Forest Service Topo Product$0.99
  • Garmin Tier 1$0.99
  • BaseImage, LLC Map Product$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Western Michigan University Map Product$2.99
  • US Forest Service R5 Map Product$4.99
  • US Forest Service R6 Product$4.99
  • Map the Xperience Map Product$4.99
  • US Forest Service R2 Map Product$4.99
  • US Forest Service R4 Product$4.99
  • National Geographic Map Product$11.99
3 purchases

Footpath Route Planner

Subscriptions2
  • Footpath Elite (Monthly)7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Footpath Elite (Yearly)7 Days trial$23.491 Year
One-time1
  • Single Route Pass$1.99

Questions

Is Avenza Maps free?
Avenza Maps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Footpath Route Planner free?
Footpath Route Planner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Avenza Maps or Footpath Route Planner?
Footpath Route Planner is rated higher. Avenza Maps averages 4.8 out of 5 from 128K ratings, while Footpath Route Planner averages 4.8 from 22K ratings.
Do Avenza Maps or Footpath Route Planner have ads?
Neither Avenza Maps nor Footpath Route Planner shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Avenza Maps or Footpath Route Planner?
Avenza Maps ships an update every 2 months, and Footpath Route Planner every 2 weeks. Most recently, Avenza Maps was updated on October 22, 2026 and Footpath Route Planner on October 22, 2026.
Which is more popular, Avenza Maps or Footpath Route Planner?
Avenza Maps currently peaks at #21 in the App Store charts, and Footpath Route Planner at #73. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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