RouteDoodle vs Other GPS Art Apps

A few other apps also turn a drawing into a route along real roads. Here is how RouteDoodle compares with them. RouteDoodle is 100% free, including all pro features, with no signup, and it has the most tools for adjusting your drawing until the route looks right.

RouteDoodleGPSArtifyRouteSketcherDrawMyLoopArtTrailsMotera
Price
Free✓ 100% Free✗ $20/year✓ $20 lifetime (very limited free demo mode available)✓ Free to draw;
✗ €0.33 per automatic placement
✗ $15/year✓ 100% Free
Use it without signing up✓✗✗✗ after your first download✓✓
Where it runs
On a desktop✓✓✓✓✗✓
On a tablet✓✓✓✓✓ iPad
✗ Android
✓
On a phone✓✓✓✓✓ iPhone
✗ Android
✓
Kinds of route
Routes for biking✓✓✓✗✓✗
Routes for running✓✓✓✓✓✓
Mix both in one route: biking and running segments in one route✓✗✗✗✗✗
Straight lines between snapped roads, for pause-plot GPS art✓✓✓✗✗✗
Mix both in one route: follow the roads, with the odd straight line where you pause and resume✓✗✗✗✗✗
Freehand routes across open ground, like a park or a field, not snapped to roads✗✓✓✓✓✗
Starting a drawing
Step-by-step tutorials right on the map, to learn as you go✓✓✓✓✓✗
Ready-made shapes✓✓✓✓✓✗
Search for any picture to trace✓✗✗✗✗✗
Make an image with generative AI, for tracing✗✗✓✗✗✗
Load a picture and trace it automatically✓✓✓✓✗✗
Load an SVG drawing✓✗✗✓✗✗
Trace your own picture by hand, drawing over it on the map✓✓✓✓✓✗
Draw by dragging, like a pencil✓✓✓✓✓✗
Draw by clicking point by point✓✗✓✓✓✓
Load a route file from the same app✓✗✓✓✗✗
Load a route file from another app (GPX) and make it editable✓✗✓✓✗✗
Load a route file from another app (TCX/FIT) and make it editable✓✗✗✗✗✗
Load a ride you or someone already rode/ran (GPX/TCX/FIT)✓✗✗✗✗✗
Placing it on the map
Snap your drawing to the roads✓✓✓✓✓✓
Find the best spot for your drawing automatically✗✓✗✓ €0.33 per use✗✗
See every road you can bike or run✓✗✗✗✗✗
Editing
Move the whole drawing✓✗✓✓✓✗
Resize it✓✗✓✓✗✗
Rotate it✓✗✓✓✗✗
Route updates instantly while you draw, move, resize or rotate✓✗✓✗✗✗
Handles big doodles, with hundreds of points, without slowing down✓✗✗✗✗✗
Drag the drawing's points one at a time✓✗✓✓✓✗
Route updates instantly while you drag points✓✗✓✗✗✗
Move, resize, and rotate part of the drawing✓✗✗✗✗✗
Cut a drawing into pieces and join them back up✓✗✗✗✗✗
Undo and redo✓✗✓✓✓✗
Visual undo history✓✗✗✗✗✗
Routing features
Turn-by-turn directions, to review steps and calculate time✓✗✗✗✗✗
Estimated time✓✗✗✗✗✗
Elevation profile, to see the hills✓✗✗✓✗✗
Slide along the elevation profile and see each spot on the map✓✗✗✗✗✗
Exporting and sharing
Turn-by-turn directions in the file, spoken aloud by RideWithGPS, and shown on bike computers✓✗✗✗✗✗
GPX file, for most apps and devices✓✓✓✓✓✓
TCX file, for RideWithGPS and Garmin, with directions✓✗✗✗✗✗
FIT file, for bike computers and watches, with directions✓✗✗✗✗✗
KML file, for Google Earth✓✗✗✗✗✗
Spreadsheet with turn-by-turn directions (CSV file)✓✗✗✗✗✗
Picture of your route without map background✓✗✓✗✗✗
Picture of your route with map background✓✗✗✗✗✗
Video of your route✓✓✓✗✗✗
Save your drawings on your device, to come back to later✓✗✗✓✗✗
Save your drawings to an account, to open on any device✗✗✓✓✗✗
Share an unpublished link to your drawing, ready for others to edit and download✓✗✗✗✗✗
Publish to a public gallery✗✗✓✓✗✗

Strava, RideWithGPS, Komoot, and Garmin

These aren't really alternatives to RouteDoodle; you'll want them too. RouteDoodle draws the route, and they take it from there.

What they're good for: following your route on the ride or run, with turn-by-turn directions on your phone, watch or bike computer; recording your activity; and showing off the finished art to your friends. See Exporting for how to load a RouteDoodle route into each of them.

What they're not good for: drawing. Their route builders are made for getting from one place to another, so a picture has to be built up one click at a time. They can't trace a picture, and once a route is drawn, there's no way to move, resize or rotate the whole thing to see whether it would fit better a few blocks over.


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