# Shortest Path vs THE ROUTE

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shortest Path at none against THE ROUTE's 2. Shortest Path also leads on ads (none vs shown). THE ROUTE's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. THE ROUTE sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. Shortest Path asks for nothing beyond the download.

Shortest Path ships an update every 3 months, THE ROUTE weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shortest Path | THE ROUTE |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Weekly** |
| Size | 3 MB | 104 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yue Pu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1797037988) | [Kosuke Kiyodo](https://appshunter.io/developer/6782374572) |

## What reviewers say

### Shortest Path

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shortest-path-route-planner/id6758914232)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### THE ROUTE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-route-multi-stop-planner/id6801981417)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| THE ROUTE Pro | $0.49 | per month |
| THE ROUTE Pro (Yearly) | $5.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shortest Path free?

Shortest Path is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is THE ROUTE free?

THE ROUTE is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Shortest Path or THE ROUTE have ads?

THE ROUTE shows ads; Shortest Path does not.

### Which is updated more often, Shortest Path or THE ROUTE?

Shortest Path ships an update every 3 months, and THE ROUTE weekly. Most recently, Shortest Path was updated on October 15, 2026 and THE ROUTE on October 25, 2026.

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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.*