Best 7 Bike Route Planners in 2026: Compare Your Options

Introduction

Bikemap stands out as an all-around bike route planner, with route discovery, planning, navigation, and ride recording in one app. This roundup covers seven options for city rides, finding routes, offline navigation, and planning on a larger screen. Check each app listing for iOS or Android availability.

Quick comparison table

All seven apps offer route planning or route options. Several also include navigation and ride recording, while RouteYou focuses on finding routes across different cycling styles. Ride with GPS specifically lists offline maps. Both VeloPlanner apps pair route planning with map details, and the Android version syncs with its website. Check current listings for prices and available features.

1. Bikemap: Bicycle Tracker & GPS

Best for: Cyclists who want route planning and ride recording in one iOS app.

Bikemap: Bicycle Tracker & GPS combines ride discovery, route planning, navigation, and recording. Its planner can tailor routes to a bike type and create round trips or multi-day tours, so it can handle more than a simple ride from A to B.

Planning by bike type is a useful feature. But a route label or setting can’t guarantee that a ride suits your ability or the conditions. Review the route details before you head out.

2. Ride with GPS: Bike Navigation

Best for: iOS riders who want route discovery and navigation alongside planning.

Ride with GPS: Bike Navigation brings route planning, route discovery, navigation, and ride recording together. You can find a route, follow it, and keep a record of the ride in one app.

Offline maps may be handy if your connection drops along the way. Check map coverage and download what you need before setting off, especially if your route passes through areas with limited service.

3. Naviki – Bike navigation

Best for: Android cyclists who want route planning, navigation, and activity documentation.

Naviki – Bike navigation offers bicycle route planning and navigation, plus tools for documenting cycling activities. It’s a practical option for riders who want directions and a record of their outings without using a separate activity-logging app.

Its main distinction is that route guidance and ride documentation are in the same app. Check the route details and settings for your planned ride. The listed features alone won’t tell you whether a particular route suits your bike or preferences.

4. Bike Citizens Cycling App GPS

Best for: Android riders planning and tracking trips around town.

Bike Citizens Cycling App GPS offers route planning, navigation, and ride tracking, with a focus on city cycling. It’s worth considering for urban trips when you want to plan a route and follow it through town.

The city focus sets it apart. It may suit everyday urban rides better than mountain biking or multi-day tours. Check the route options for your area before relying on it.

5. RouteYou - walking and cycling

Best for: iOS cyclists comparing routes across different cycling styles.

RouteYou - walking and cycling offers a collection of cycling routes and an in-app route planner. You can explore routes for mountain biking, road cycling, and gravel riding.

That variety is the main draw. A route’s category is only a starting point, though. Check the distance, elevation, and other details to see whether it suits you, your bike, and the day’s conditions.

6. VeloPlanner: Bike Route & GPX

Best for: Android cyclists who prefer planning routes on a larger screen before riding.

VeloPlanner: Bike Route & GPX lets you create and save routes in a cycling map app. It also syncs with the VeloPlanner website, so you can plan on a computer or tablet and then open the route in the Android app.

Planning on a larger screen may be easier for riders who want more room to edit a route. The app supports that workflow, but it’s still worth checking the saved route before you set out.

7. VeloPlanner: Cycle Route & GPX

Best for: iOS riders who want cycling routes and route details in one map app.

VeloPlanner: Cycle Route & GPX pairs a bike route planner with a cycling map. It includes official cycling routes and details such as elevation profiles, which can help you judge a route before choosing it.

Elevation profiles add context that distance alone can’t provide. Compare the profile with the ride you have in mind, and check the other route details before relying on it.

How we picked these apps

This list focuses on apps built for bike route planning, rather than general map apps that happen to show roads. We looked at the practical tasks cyclists may need help with: planning and finding routes, navigating, recording rides, and saving routes for later.

The selection includes apps for both iOS and Android, though some are available on only one platform. It also covers different needs, including city cycling, multi-day touring, offline maps, and planning on a larger screen before syncing a route to a phone.

We’ve stuck to the features described for each app. Those features don’t show whether every route suits every rider, and we don’t make claims about speed, accuracy, popularity, or performance that aren’t supported by the information available.

Frequently asked questions

What should I look for in a bike route planner?

Start with the kind of riding you do, then check whether the app has suitable route options and navigation. Ride recording is useful if you want to document your trips. If not, route planning or offline access may matter more.

Which bike route planner is right for me?

That depends on your phone and the rides you take. City cyclists, gravel riders, and people planning tours may want different route options. You’ll also need an app that’s available for your iPhone or Android phone.

When are offline maps or website planning useful?

Offline maps can help if your ride passes through areas with an unreliable connection. Check that maps are available for your planned route before you go. Planning on a website may suit riders who prefer a larger screen, then want to sync the route to a phone. Either way, review the distance, elevation, and route details before leaving.

The verdict

Bikemap combines route discovery, planning, navigation, and ride recording. Ride with GPS is another option for iOS riders who want offline maps. Android riders who prefer planning on a larger screen and syncing routes to a phone may want to look at VeloPlanner. The right fit depends on your phone and the kind of rides you plan.