# Footpath Route Planner vs Garmin Explore™

The clearest difference is rating: Footpath Route Planner at 4.8 against Garmin Explore™'s 4.1. Footpath Route Planner also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 45%) and ratings volume (22K vs 1K). Garmin Explore™'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price, ads, chart position and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Footpath Route Planner sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Garmin Explore™ asks for nothing beyond the download.

Footpath Route Planner holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Footpath Route Planner has 22K ratings behind it against 1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Footpath Route Planner's written reviews are positive against 45% of Garmin Explore™'s.

Footpath Route Planner ships an update every 2 weeks, Garmin Explore™ monthly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Footpath Route Planner | Garmin Explore™ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (22K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/footpath-route-planner/id634845718/reviews)** | [4.1 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/garmin-explore/id1276675721/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **22K** | 1K |
| Positive reviews | **78.7% of reviews** | 45.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#69** | #98 |
| Size | 152 MB | 449 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 18.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Half Mile Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/634845721) | [Garmin](https://appshunter.io/developer/411046952) |

## What reviewers say

### Footpath Route Planner

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

**Currently charting:** #69 Top Grossing · Navigation, #101 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


### Garmin Explore™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/garmin-explore/id1276675721)

**Currently charting:** #98 Top Free · Navigation (US App Store)

Navigate off-grid with this app, which pairs with a compatible Garmin device for trip planning, mapping, and navigation even without Wi-Fi or cellular service. Plan routes, download maps for offline use, and sync data to the cloud.

**Highlights:** Off-grid navigation, Trip planning, Offline map downloads, Pair and sync with Garmin device, Activity library, Cloud storage, LiveTrack location sharing

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Excellent for planning routes and activities
- 💡 Great for offline navigation with downloaded maps
- 👍 Seamless integration with Garmin devices
- 👍 Useful for tracking and sharing adventures

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sync issues with Garmin devices
- 🔍 Lacking detailed map options in some regions
- 🔍 Confusing interface and terminology
- 🐛 Crashes and performance issues
- 🔒 Requires login and internet connection for full functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Sync failures between app and Garmin devices
- Disappearing or corrupted user data
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS/Android versions
- Unreliable offline map downloads

**Requested features**

- Ability to edit waypoint coordinates
- More customization options for map layers and displays
- Improved route planning and navigation features
- Better syncing and data management between app and devices
- Support for more Garmin device models


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Footpath Route Planner free?

Footpath Route Planner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Garmin Explore™ free?

Garmin Explore™ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Footpath Route Planner or Garmin Explore™?

Footpath Route Planner is rated higher. Footpath Route Planner averages 4.8 out of 5 from 22K ratings, while Garmin Explore™ averages 4.1 from 1K ratings.

### Do Footpath Route Planner or Garmin Explore™ have ads?

Neither Footpath Route Planner nor Garmin Explore™ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Footpath Route Planner or Garmin Explore™?

Footpath Route Planner ships an update every 2 weeks, and Garmin Explore™ monthly. Most recently, Footpath Route Planner was updated on September 24, 2026 and Garmin Explore™ on September 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Footpath Route Planner or Garmin Explore™?

Footpath Route Planner currently peaks at #69 in the App Store charts, and Garmin Explore™ at #98. 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.*