# Route Maker vs Route Optimize

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Route Optimize at none against Route Maker's 1. Route Optimize also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 11 days vs every 2 months). Route Maker's advantage is review sentiment (51% vs 42%). On price, rating, ratings volume and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Route Maker sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Route Optimize asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.2 for Route Maker against 3.1 for Route Optimize. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14 and 16 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 51% of Route Maker's written reviews are positive against 42% of Route Optimize's.

Route Maker ships an update every 2 months, Route Optimize every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Route Maker | Route Optimize |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.2 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/route-maker-route-planner/id966111128/reviews)** | [3.1 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/route-optimize/id1573304062/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 14 | **16** |
| Positive reviews | **50.9% of reviews** | 41.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 5 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **14.5** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TAIKI HIRATA](https://appshunter.io/developer/719880632) | [CHRIS HODGE](https://appshunter.io/developer/903916651) |

## What reviewers say

### Route Maker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/route-maker-route-planner/id966111128)

Easily plan multi-stop trips for travel or business. Optimize routes, calculate total time and distance between waypoints, and even share your plans with others. Includes basic navigation features.

**Highlights:** Create routes with multiple waypoints, Optimize route order for up to 30 points, Calculate total and segment time/distance, Register points with facility details, Group and manage points, Basic navigation with current location, Share routes via app file or KML

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Additional Functions | $2.99 | one-time |


### Route Optimize

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/route-optimize/id1573304062)

Plan and optimize your travel routes by distance. Get turn-by-turn directions, estimated travel times, and street view information. Easily share your planned journeys with others.

**Highlights:** Route optimization by distance, Turn-by-turn directions, Estimated travel time, Street view integration, Route sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Route Maker free?

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

### Is Route Optimize free?

Route Optimize is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Route Maker or Route Optimize?

Route Maker is rated higher. Route Maker averages 3.2 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Route Optimize averages 3.1 from 16 ratings.

### Do Route Maker or Route Optimize have ads?

Route Maker shows ads; Route Optimize does not.

### Which is updated more often, Route Maker or Route Optimize?

Route Maker ships an update every 2 months, and Route Optimize every 11 days. Most recently, Route Maker was updated on October 13, 2026 and Route Optimize on October 4, 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.*