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Maps · head to head

Bing Maps vs Ride with GPS

Bing Maps logo

Bing Maps

Maps

Web mapping services with street maps, aerial imagery, and APIs for developers

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ride with GPS logo

Ride with GPS

Maps

Cycling route planning and navigation with a genuinely usable free tier and two paid tiers above it

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Ride with GPS has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bing Maps bing Maps for Enterprise is deprecated and will be retired by 6/30/2025 for free accounts and 6/30/2028 for enterprise accounts; Ride with GPS turn-by-turn navigation and offline maps are locked behind the paid tiers, so the free tier alone is not enough for navigation in an area without signal.
  • They diverge on capability: Bing Maps covers Core Functionality, Ride with GPS covers Route builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bing Maps and Ride with GPS actually diverge.

Attributes where Bing Maps and Ride with GPS differ
AttributeBing MapsRide with GPS
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelfreemiumFreemium, per user per month
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Maps).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Bing Maps

  • Core Functionality
  • User Interface

Only in Ride with GPS

  • Route builder
  • Global heatmap
  • Turn-by-turn navigation
  • Offline maps
  • Garmin sync
  • Extra map layers

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Bing Maps

  • Driving directions and turn-by-turn navigation guidancenot Ride with GPS
  • Real-time traffic monitoring and road condition updatesnot Ride with GPS
  • Commuter route planning with live traffic intelligencenot Ride with GPS

Ride with GPS

  • A cyclist planning a multi-day touring route who needs offline maps for areas without signalnot Bing Maps
  • Someone who wants turn-by-turn voice navigation on unfamiliar roads rather than checking a screennot Bing Maps
  • A rider who wants to see popular local routes via the heatmap before committing to a paid tiernot Bing Maps
  • A cyclist syncing custom routes directly to a Garmin computer for a big ridenot Bing Maps

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Bing Maps

  • Bing Maps for Enterprise is deprecated and will be retired by 6/30/2025 for free accounts and 6/30/2028 for enterprise accounts
  • All implementations must migrate to Azure Maps to avoid service disruption

Ride with GPS

  • Turn-by-turn navigation and offline maps are locked behind the paid tiers, so the free tier alone is not enough for navigation in an area without signal.
  • There are two separate paid tiers rather than one, and some navigation-adjacent features are split between Basic and Premium in ways that are easy to misjudge before subscribing.
  • It is general cycling focused, not mountain-bike trail specific, so a trail rider is better served by Trailforks for singletrack detail.
  • The web-based route builder is more capable than the mobile app for planning, so serious route creation is awkward to do purely from a phone.
  • Exact free-tier limits, such as any cap on saved routes, are not clearly published, so a heavy free-tier user may hit an undocumented limit unexpectedly.

Pricing, plan by plan

Bing Maps

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Bing Maps review.

Ride with GPS

Free
  • StarterFree
    • Route creation
    • Ride recording
    • Global heatmap access
  • Basic$7.99/month
    • Turn-by-turn navigation
    • Offline route maps
    • ETA and advanced route planning
  • Premium$9.99/month
    • Everything in Basic
    • Extra map layers: wind, air quality, cell coverage

Which should you pick?

Choose Bing Maps if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You also want user interface.
Bing Maps review

Choose Ride with GPS if

  • You need route builder.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want global heatmap.
Ride with GPS review

Questions people ask

Is Bing Maps or Ride with GPS better?
Neither clearly leads. Bing Maps starts at On request and Ride with GPS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bing Maps or Ride with GPS?
Ride with GPS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Bing Maps and Free for Ride with GPS.
Does Bing Maps or Ride with GPS run on more platforms?
Bing Maps runs on Web. Ride with GPS runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Ride with GPS for free?
Yes. Ride with GPS has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Bing Maps starts at On request.
What is Bing Maps best used for?
Bing Maps is most often used for driving directions and turn-by-turn navigation guidance, real-time traffic monitoring and road condition updates, commuter route planning with live traffic intelligence. Of those, driving directions and turn-by-turn navigation guidance and real-time traffic monitoring and road condition updates are not what Ride with GPS is typically brought in for.
What can Bing Maps do that Ride with GPS cannot?
Bing Maps covers Core Functionality, User Interface. Ride with GPS covers Route builder, Global heatmap, Turn-by-turn navigation, Offline maps.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bing Maps: What happened to Bing Maps for Enterprise?

Bing Maps for Enterprise is deprecated and will be retired. Free account customers can continue using the service until 6/30/2025, while enterprise account customers can continue until 6/30/2028. Microsoft recommends migrating implementations to Azure Maps to avoid service disruptions.

Source
Ride with GPS: Is Ride with GPS free?

A free Starter tier exists with route creation and the heatmap, but turn-by-turn navigation and offline maps require the Basic or Premium paid tier.

Bing Maps: When will Bing Maps for Enterprise be discontinued?

Bing Maps for Enterprise retires 6/30/2025 for free accounts and 6/30/2028 for enterprise accounts. All implementations using Bing Maps for Enterprise REST APIs and SDKs must be updated to use Azure Maps before the retirement dates.

Source
Ride with GPS: What is the difference between Basic and Premium?

Premium includes everything in Basic plus extra map layers such as wind, air quality and cell coverage.

Bing Maps: What should I use instead of Bing Maps?

Microsoft is transitioning customers to Azure Maps, which provides consumption-based pricing with volume-based discounts and pay-only-for-what-you-use cost structure. Azure Maps offers all mapping features without throttling.

Source
Ride with GPS: Is it mountain-bike specific?

No, it is general road, gravel and touring focused; Trailforks is the mountain-bike trail specific option.

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