Comparison

MTB Project vs Paddle Guide

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

Head to head
About

MTB Project

Discover and navigate mountain biking trails with offline maps and detailed GPS route information. Find featured rides, explore local expert insights, and track your location on high-resolution topographical maps. Perfect for planning your next adventure, even without cell service.

Highlights
  • Offline trail maps
  • GPS route information
  • Elevation profiles
  • Featured ride suggestions
  • High-resolution topographical maps
  • Location tracking on trails
Features
Read full description

MTB Project is your comprehensive mountain biking guide to the trails you want to ride - with offline maps, full GPS route info, elevation profiles, interactive features, photos, and more. Like a guidebook, we suggest the best featured rides to explore—either near your current location or in an area you search for. Local experts show you the highlights, challenging features, and insights you need to plan a great ride. • Find more than 77,000 miles of trail to shred with your crew. • New rides and trails are constantly added to our incredibly detailed mountain bike trail and ride database. • Your exact location is shown on the trail. • Downloaded trails work offline for when you’re off the grid. (No cell reception required!) • Enjoy high-resolution photos and detailed topographical trail maps. • We’ll sync with your to-do list and check ins on MTBProject.com. By using GPS, we can show your location on trails and vertical profiles. Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

About

Paddle Guide

Discover launch points, trails, and points of interest for kayaking, canoeing, and paddleboarding. Record your trips with GPS, check conditions, and plan your next adventure on the water.

Highlights
  • Discover 40,000+ launch points
  • Check launch details and conditions
  • Scout and compare routes
  • Record trips with GPS tracking
  • Share live location and save favorites
  • Offline map downloads (Premium)
Features
Read full description

Wondering where to launch, whether a spot gets busy on weekends, or what conditions are like today? Or want to replay that trip you took last week? Paddle Guide is built for the real questions paddlers ask before, during, and after a day outside. Explore launch points, paddle trails, river access, lake launches, quiet coves, campsites, hazards, and points of interest across the US and Canada. Check the details before you load the boat, then use GPS tools to record the trip once you are on the water. ◆ Discover places to paddle Search 40,000+ launch points, ramps, beaches, river accesses, and put-ins by location, waterbody, trail, or map area. Find nearby kayak launches, canoe routes, SUP spots, take-outs, campsites, islands, waterfalls, and more. ◆ Know before you go See useful launch details like parking, fees, ramp type, seasonal notes, ADA access, and photos when available. Check paddling conditions like wind, river conditions, and tides. ◆ Scout your route Look ahead before you leave home. Compare launches and take-outs, browse nearby water trails, review waterbody details, and find a trip that fits your time, skill level, and conditions. ◆ Record the day Track distance, time, speed, and route with GPS. Keep recording during an active trip while your phone is locked, then save the paddle to your logbook with photos and notes. ◆ Share your time on the water Share live location with someone you trust during a paddle, save favorite spots for later, build lists for future trips, and open shared lists from other paddlers. ► Do more on the water with Paddle Guide Premium ► Premium gives paddlers offline map downloads, interactive 3d maps, and speed heat maps for the trips you've taken. Spend less time guessing where to launch and more time enjoying where you are. There is always another place to put in. Let Paddle Guide help you find it. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

MTB Project4 screens
Paddle Guide4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Paddle Guide at 100% against MTB Project's 32%. Paddle Guide also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 5 weeks). MTB Project's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (4.5K vs 10). On price, ads, 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. Paddle Guide sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per year. MTB Project asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Paddle Guide holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MTB Project has 4.5K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 32% of MTB Project's written reviews are positive against 100% of Paddle Guide's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MTB Project ships an update every 5 weeks, Paddle Guide every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
MTB Project versus Paddle Guide: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMTB ProjectPaddle Guide
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (4.5K ratings)5.0 (10 ratings) — better
Positive reviews32.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4.5K — better10
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size86 MB114 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAdventure Projects Inc.Paddle Guide LLC

Customer experience

MTB Project

All ratings4,448 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral3.4%
Negative7.7%
Written reviews232 reviews
Positive32.3%
Neutral14.2%
Negative53.4%

Paddle Guide

All ratings10 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

MTB Project

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes when zooming or panning the map
  • Elevation and distance data inaccuracies
  • Inability to save or export recorded rides
  • Inconsistent user interface and navigation

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more trails, especially in non-US regions
  • Improve app stability and performance
  • Allow offline access to maps and trail data
  • Add more customization and personalization options
  • Integrate with other fitness/tracking apps

Paddle Guide

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

MTB Project

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Paddle Guide

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Annual$29.991 Year
  • Paddle Guide Premium7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • 3-Day Premium Pass$3.99

Questions

Is MTB Project free?
MTB Project is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Paddle Guide free?
Paddle Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, MTB Project or Paddle Guide?
Paddle Guide is rated higher. MTB Project averages 4.6 out of 5 from 4.5K ratings, while Paddle Guide averages 5.0 from 10 ratings.
Do MTB Project or Paddle Guide have ads?
Neither MTB Project nor Paddle Guide shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MTB Project or Paddle Guide?
MTB Project ships an update every 5 weeks, and Paddle Guide every 3 days. Most recently, MTB Project was updated on November 6, 2026 and Paddle Guide on October 31, 2026.

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