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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Ride with GPS vs Strava

Ride with GPS 4.7★ · Free + IAP 70
Winner Tie
Strava 4.8★ · Free + IAP 75

For serious cyclists focused on detailed route planning and navigation, Ride with GPS has an edge, while Strava is better for social fitness tracking across multiple sports.

Full reviews: Ride with GPS · Strava

Ride with GPS excels in route planning and navigation for cyclists, but users report issues with app stability and customer support. Strava offers robust activity tracking and a strong social community, though it faces criticism for aggressive subscription prompts and recent app bugs.

Head to head

Features & Functionality tieR23R54R26R17
Ride with GPS Ride with GPS is praised for its superior route planning, mapping, and navigation tools, especially for gravel and complex routes R23R54R26. Users appreciate features like preloaded trails and audible directions R17. However, some find the mobile app clunky and unintuitive . There are also reports of issues with specific features, such as climbs being added as descents R11 and difficulties including certain access points in routes . The 'Explore' function for finding nearby routes is described as awful .
Strava Strava is highly valued for its activity tracking across various sports and its motivating social features . Users appreciate tracking shoe mileage and the ability to see friends' activities . However, some users desire additional features like music playlists and multi-sport tracking for events like triathlons . Recent updates have introduced issues like broken UI elements, inconsistent dark mode , and a perceived bloat with marketing and AI . Some users also report that the app's analysis tools are weak compared to its social focus .
Ease of Use tieR35R17R58R8
Ride with GPS Ride with GPS receives mixed reviews on ease of use. Some users find it easy to use R35R17R58, while others describe it as not intuitive R8. Specific complaints include difficulty ending a ride , a clunky mobile app interface , and a slow, unintuitive route planner . The home screen is also noted as looking outdated R6.
Strava Strava is generally considered simple and easy to use for tracking workouts . However, some users find navigating the app frustrating and unintuitive, requiring extra steps to find basic information . Recent updates have reportedly made the UI clunky and pop-up filled . There are also complaints about the app's flow for editing multiple activities .
Reliability & Performance tieR3R10R7R9
Ride with GPS Ride with GPS has significant reliability issues. Users report the app frequently failing to record heart rate data from Apple Watch R3, not consistently saving rides due to WiFi issues R10, and not syncing with Wahoo devices R7. Navigation can be problematic, with reports of being sent in the wrong direction R9, late turn notifications R19, and being sent off-route without directions to get back R42. The app is also described as freezing, being unresponsive , and rarely working .
Strava Strava also faces reliability challenges. Users report the app stopping recording midway through a run , freezing on startup , and not connecting with Apple Watch . There are issues with inaccurate tracking, such as incorrect distances R79R108 and elevation gains R79. Some users experience a glitch where the app records times when not in use and club stats resetting multiple times a week . Two-Factor Authentication can be problematic in areas with poor signal .
Price & Value tieR34R53R28R6
Ride with GPS Ride with GPS offers a free tier, but many core navigation and planning features are paywalled R34R53R28. Users find the cost high for the features provided R6 and some are immediately charged despite being promised a free trial . While some find the paid membership indispensable for serious route crafting R54, others feel it's too expensive or limited for a subscription-based app .
Strava Strava also has a free version, but users are frequently annoyed by aggressive subscription prompts . Many essential features, like seeing 'best efforts' or detailed activity tracing, are restricted to paid subscribers R114R80. Users find the annual subscription price of around $80 to be outrageous and too expensive . Some long-time paying subscribers have cancelled due to price increases and the removal of features . There are also reports of users being charged for a subscription after a free trial without clear consent .
Customer Support edge: Ride with GPSR23R4R11R64
Ride with GPS Ride with GPS receives positive feedback for its customer service, with users noting that support is responsive and helpful R23. However, there are complaints about bad account support, with no way to manage subscriptions within the app R4. Some users also report issues, like incorrect climb data, remaining unresolved for a long time despite being escalated to developers R11.
Strava Strava's customer support is a major point of frustration for users. Many describe it as atrocious R64, with an AI bot that is unhelpful and closes chats R64R73R97. Users report not being able to reach a human R64R73 and receiving no response for weeks on critical issues like app not working after updates or subscription problems .
Pick Ride with GPS if

you are a serious cyclist or route crafter who prioritizes detailed route planning, mapping, and navigation, especially for complex or off-road adventures R23R54R26. You are willing to overlook occasional app clunkiness and potential bugs for superior routing capabilities R9.

Pick Strava if

you are looking for a comprehensive fitness tracking app with strong social features to motivate you across multiple sports . You value community interaction and are comfortable with frequent subscription prompts .

Evidence note: Both apps have a significant number of negative recent reviews, often related to app stability, subscription practices, and customer support. Ride with GPS reviews lean more towards issues with navigation accuracy and app interface, while Strava reviews frequently highlight customer support failures and aggressive paywalling.

Frequently asked

Which app is better for route planning?
Ride with GPS is generally considered superior for detailed route planning, mapping, and navigation, especially for complex cycling routes and gravel R23R54.
Do these apps have free versions?
Both Ride with GPS and Strava offer free versions, but many core features, especially navigation and advanced analysis, are restricted to paid subscriptions R34R53R114R80.
Which app has better customer support?
Ride with GPS appears to have better customer support, with users reporting responsive and helpful assistance R23, whereas Strava's support is frequently criticized as unhelpful and difficult to reach R64R73R97.
Are there issues with tracking accuracy?
Both apps have reported issues with tracking accuracy; Ride with GPS users mention late turn notifications and being sent off-route R19R42, while Strava users report incorrect distances and elevation gains R79R108.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R23] Ride with GPS 5/5 · US Way better than Strava: Ride with GPS has been excellent. The route planning, mapping, and navigation tools are far better than what I’ve been able to do with Strava, especially for real outdoor riding, gravel routes, and planning bigger rides. The customer service has also been great. They actually respond and help solve problems, which makes a big difference. Dylan’s tutorials are excellent too
  2. [R54] Ride with GPS 5/5 · US Best routing software: RWGPS is incomparable. It is the best routing Software on the planet with the feature set that no one can match. The complete ecosystem of the app and the web-based routing tool, especially with a paid membership is indispensable for a serious route crafter. I’ve tried other tools, and none can compete, especially for complex routing situations.
  3. [R26] Ride with GPS 5/5 · US So good: Wouldn’t leave my house with making a quick and easy route that avoids traffic and google map errors. Always make it an adventure taking the gravel and back alley routes.
  4. [R17] Ride with GPS 5/5 · US Make the ride more enjoyable!: Using this app made our bike ride in Acadia more enjoyable. Easy to use with preloaded trails and audible directions so no stopping to read paper map.
  5. [R35] Ride with GPS 5/5 · US Way better: I love this app way better than all of the other apps. I am almost a Mennonite bike rider and I find it very easy to use
  6. [R58] Ride with GPS 5/5 · US Makes riding easier: It just making keeping track of your riding very easy
  7. [R8] Ride with GPS 4/5 · US Lousy instructions: You people need serious help with intuitiveness
  8. [R3] Ride with GPS 3/5 · US Frequent Apple Watch issues: The app frequently failed to record heart rate data from my watch. This has been an ongoing issue for over a year..
  9. [R10] Ride with GPS 2/5 · US Not what I would like!: The basic app is all I want or need. My biggest disappointment is that I can’t consistently save my rides! The app won’t see my home WiFi. As a result, the ride doesn’t get recorded. This seems to be happening more often. It’s happened twice this month.
  10. [R7] Ride with GPS 1/5 · US Doesn’t actually sync with Wahoo: Doesn’t sync with My Elemnt. Keeps putting me in a loop appwise despite my signing up for a membership. Then online my membership is not showing. Terrible. PS my device DID ack connect new app RWGPS and STILL could not send route to device. WTF. Now I have to download GPX. What friggin year is this, 1999?
  11. [R9] Ride with GPS 3/5 · US Should have more Intelligence: Ride With GPS is my go to app for bike ride navigation. Generally works well. But it will send you in the wrong direction on a figure 8 course. The app doesn’t have built in intelligence to understand whether you are coming or going and it will send you on the return leg rather than sending you in the mapped ride direction. This should be an easy fix but this bug has
  12. [R34] Ride with GPS 1/5 · US Can’t navigate: Have always been able to follow navigation without having to pay. Got started on a sponsored race and found out I had to pay in order to use the navigation. This put me at risk and in danger in the middle of a ride to have to try to figure out how to pay or get lost or worse.
  13. [R53] Ride with GPS 1/5 · US Useless: Literally a brick without subscription. No navigation or planning is possible
  14. [R28] Ride with GPS 1/5 · US Terrible UX: I hate that this app is a necessary evil. The UX is terrible. Dark patterns where you go to do something and find out you have to upgrade to get it.
  15. [R6] Ride with GPS 3/5 · US Needs Update: The Home Screen looks like it was designed a decade ago. The cost seems high for the features provided
  16. [R4] Ride with GPS 1/5 · US Bad Account Support: There is no way to manage your subscription using the app
  17. [R11] Ride with GPS 4/5 · US Climbs are being added as descents: I like this app enough to purchase a year subscription. However, there is an issue that I am hoping can be resolved. Someone with Ride with GPS has escalated a ticket to developers but issue still not resolved. The Climb section isn’t showing climbs. Climbs appear to be added to descents. Curious if anyone else is experiencing this issue.
  18. [R64] Strava 1/5 · US Atrocious customer support!: Their AI bot “Miles” has no ability to solve anything and closes chats with you. There is no way to talk to customer support. Even when the bot says someone will be in touch you just get an email saying they can’t help you. I am a paying subscriber and you are ducking answering any questions or actually helping me with the fact that you are letting another user in a di
  19. [R114] Strava 3/5 · US Too P2W: There’s way too much pay to use in the app, most of them are reasonable but seeing my best effort needs payment, just because of this, I don’t think this is a good recording app, at this point I’ll just use other ones that doesn’t need payment to see my best efforts XD
  20. [R80] Strava 4/5 · US Activity tracing: This is when your ridden map route is fast traced as a Premium member feature when your activity comes up in someone’s feed. I’ve been Premium for a long while when is this upgrade going to appear. Other than that I value Strava daily and like the recovery programs I have access to as a Premium member.
  21. [R73] Strava 2/5 · US Used to be good.: Recently this app has gone downhill. You cannot get a real person to speak to if you’re having issues with the app. Recently the app does not load. It is just a black screen and an error message that says please try again. The only way to contact user support is a chat bot that doesn’t understand you and can’t help you and when it realizes there is no answer to give you it gives
  22. [R97] Strava 1/5 · US App hasn’t been working for a week: Feels like Strava is going all in on vibe coding. My app hasn’t been working for a week. AI support was 30 minutes of going in circles. I really wanted Strava to succeed, been paying used for years. But feels like we might need an alternative now. The Garmin subscription is starting to look attractive.
  23. [R19] Ride with GPS 1/5 · US Bad tracking and late notifications: App does not accurately map tracks and notifies you of turns after you pass the waypoint. Rode over and extra mile for difficult MTB trails due to bad tracking
  24. [R42] Ride with GPS 3/5 · GB Much more work required: I’m being generous by giving this a 3. Out geeks like sat mav in the very early days. It uses Apple Maps rather than Google Maps which are not very good or accurate. It has a really annoying American eoman telling you directions, it bings constantly at you but the worst thing is it sends you off route quite often but then it doesn’t give you any directions of how to get ba
  25. [R79] Strava 1/5 · US Overrated: This is THE most overrated app ever. I manually tracked a mile and Strava says 1 mile is about 0.8 miles. DON’T USE FOR HIKING!! I tracked two hikes on here, the first it didn’t add to hiking stats. The second the elevation gain was more than halved. You cannot change elevation either, so you’re stuck with whatever number they make up. Only get if you want a mile time faster than your r
  26. [R108] Strava 3/5 · US Problem: Sometimes the app doesn’t count the distance, sometimes when i pause and resume it doesn’t calculate the distance after i resume

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store