# Avenza Maps vs Footpath Route Planner

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 (#19 vs #85). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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.

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.

Avenza Maps ships an update every 2 months, Footpath Route Planner every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Avenza Maps | Footpath Route Planner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (128K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/avenza-maps-offline-mapping/id388424049/reviews) | **[4.8 (22K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/footpath-route-planner/id634845718/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **128K** | 22K |
| Positive reviews | 51.6% of reviews | **78.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#19** | #85 |
| Size | 335 MB | 155 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Avenza Systems Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/387212805) | [Half Mile Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/634845721) |

## What reviewers say

### Avenza Maps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/avenza-maps-offline-mapping/id388424049)

**Currently charting:** #19 Top Grossing · Navigation, #64 Top Free · Navigation (US App Store)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Avenza Maps Plus | $32.99 | per year |
| Avenza Maps Plus | $34.99 | per year |
| Avenza Maps Pro | $169.99 | per year |
| Forest Service Topo Product | $0.99 | one-time |
| Garmin Tier 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| BaseImage, LLC Map Product | $0.99 | one-time |
| Western Michigan University Map Product | $2.99 | one-time |
| US Forest Service R5 Map Product | $4.99 | one-time |
| US Forest Service R6 Product | $4.99 | one-time |
| Map the Xperience Map Product | $4.99 | one-time |
| US Forest Service R2 Map Product | $4.99 | one-time |
| US Forest Service R4 Product | $4.99 | one-time |
| National Geographic Map Product | $11.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/footpath-route-planner/id634845718)

**Currently charting:** #85 Top Grossing · Navigation, #122 Top Free · Navigation (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Footpath Elite (Monthly) | $3.99 | per month |
| Footpath Elite (Yearly) | $23.49 | per year |
| Single Route Pass | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked 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 23, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Avenza Maps or Footpath Route Planner?

Avenza Maps currently peaks at #19 in the App Store charts, and Footpath Route Planner at #85. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*