Comparison

GPSmyCity vs Backroads

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

Head to head
About

GPSmyCity

Explore over 1,500 cities worldwide with self-guided audio tours and travel articles. Discover attractions at your own pace, offline, and at a fraction of the cost of guided tours. Enjoy free access to basic features with optional upgrades for full functionality.

Highlights
  • Thousands of self-guided walking tours
  • Travel articles for trip planning
  • Offline city maps
  • FindMe feature for location tracking
  • Voice guided turn-by-turn directions
  • Create custom walks
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Thousands of self-guided walking tours and travel articles in 1,800+ cities around the world are included in this handy app. No need to hop on a tour bus or join a tour group; now you can explore all the city attractions on your own, at your own pace, and at a cost that is only a fraction of what you would normally pay for a guided tour. The app is designed to be used offline so No Data Plan or Internet is Needed, and No Roaming either. The app is free to download. Afterwards, you can evaluate the walking tours - see the attractions and use the fully functional offline maps included in each of the city walk guides, all for free. A small payment – fraction of what you would normally pay for a guided group tour or tour bus tickets – is needed for accessing the walk route maps and activating turn-by-turn navigation functions. The highlights and features of the FREE app include: * Thousands of self-guided walking tours that show you what to see in the destination. * Thousands of travel articles make planning a trip really easy. * Offline city maps. * The "FindMe" feature displaying your exact location on the map. After upgrade, you have access to the following advanced features: * Walking tour maps. * Voice guided turn-by-turn travel directions. * Create your own walks to see the attractions you like. * No advertisement. This app supports subscription which allows you to access all the walking tours and articles in this app at one low price. How The Annual Subscription Works: * Option 1. For $14.99 you will get access to the full version functions in all the 670+ city walks guides (London, Rome, Paris, Tokyo, etc.) included in this app for one year. Travel articles are not included in this subscription. * Option 2. For $14.99, you will get access to the full version functions in all the travel articles in 1,300+ cities worldwide (London, Rome, Paris, Tokyo, etc.) included in this app for one year. City walks guides are not included in this subscription. * Option 3. For $20.99, you will get access to all travel content inside the app and covers over 1,800 cities worldwide. * A 3-day Free Trial is provided under each subscription upgrade offer. Your account will not be charged anything as long as you cancel the subscription at least 24 hours before the end of the Free Trial. * Your annual subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renewal is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. * Payment will be charged to your Apple App Store Account at the confirmation of the subscription purchase or after the Free Trial has completed. * You may turn off the auto-renewal at any time from your Apple App Store Account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.gpsmycity.com/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://www.gpsmycity.com/privacy-policy.html Note: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. This app gives you the option to turn off the GPS tracking in the background to prolong the battery life. It is also suggested that you bring with you an external battery. Note: This app relies on GPS for its navigation functions. For best experience, it is recommended to use the app on iPhone and iPad cellular+WiFi models. It is not recommended to use the app on iPad WiFi-only models due to lack of built-in GPS support in these models. Tutorial videos for using this app can be found on our website at https://www.gpsmycity.com/mobile-app.html

About

Backroads

This app provides detailed information and daily route options for active travel adventures like biking and hiking. It offers helpful tips and regional information to enhance your journey. Your trip leaders are also available through the app for guidance.

Highlights
  • Daily route options
  • Trip schedules
  • Helpful tips
  • Regional information
  • Trip leader access
Read full description

Backroads is the leader in active travel, offering Biking, Hiking and Multi-Adventure Trips in 55+ countries worldwide. This Trip Companion app, and a unique log-in code, will be available to you just before your trip starts. You’ll find daily route options, schedules, helpful tips and other regional information. Of course, your incredible Trip Leaders are available every day of your trip to guide you through some of the most beautiful places in the world. We look forward to seeing you out there!

Screenshots

GPSmyCity4 screens
Backroads4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: GPSmyCity at 4.0 against Backroads's 3.3. GPSmyCity also leads on review sentiment (71% vs 52%) and update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months). Backroads's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. GPSmyCity sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. Backroads asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

GPSmyCity holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GPSmyCity has 1.3K ratings behind it against 62, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of GPSmyCity's written reviews are positive against 52% of Backroads's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GPSmyCity ships an update monthly, Backroads every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and August 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
GPSmyCity versus Backroads: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGPSmyCityBackroads
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (1.3K ratings) — better3.3 (62 ratings)
Positive reviews71.2% of reviews — better52.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1.3K — better62
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 4 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#46 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size107 MB173 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGPSmyCity.com, Inc.Backroads

Customer experience

GPSmyCity

All ratings1,257 ratings
Positive74.5%
Neutral4.5%
Negative21.0%
Written reviews531 reviews
Positive71.2%
Neutral4.5%
Negative24.3%

Backroads

All ratings58 ratings
Positive51.7%
Neutral8.6%
Negative39.7%
Written reviews25 reviews
Positive52.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative44.0%

Bugs and requests

GPSmyCity

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Frequent crashes
  • Subscription issues
  • Unreliable offline functionality

Requested features

4 requests
  • Human-narrated audio tours
  • Integration with other mapping apps
  • More city coverage
  • Ability to combine walks

Backroads

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

GPSmyCity

Subscriptions3
  • Tips Articles Annual Subscription3 Days trial$14.991 Year
  • City Walks Yearly Subscription3 Days trial$14.991 Year
  • Walks and Articles Yearly Subs3 Days trial$20.991 Year
One-time7
  • New York Guide$4.99
  • Savannah Guide$4.99
  • Palm Springs Map$4.99
Show 4 more
  • Rome Guide$4.99
  • Barcelona Guide$4.99
  • Paris Guide$4.99
  • Venice Guide$4.99
None

Backroads

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is GPSmyCity free?
GPSmyCity is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Backroads free?
Backroads is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, GPSmyCity or Backroads?
GPSmyCity is rated higher. GPSmyCity averages 4.0 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Backroads averages 3.3 from 62 ratings.
Do GPSmyCity or Backroads have ads?
GPSmyCity shows ads; Backroads does not.
Which is updated more often, GPSmyCity or Backroads?
GPSmyCity ships an update monthly, and Backroads every 4 months. Most recently, GPSmyCity was updated on September 24, 2026 and Backroads on August 31, 2026.

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