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Fleet Management · head to head

CalAmp vs Ride with GPS

CalAmp logo

CalAmp

Fleet Management

Fleet telematics hardware and software provider that went through Chapter 11 restructuring in 2024 and is now privately held by its former lender

From
On request
Free plan
No
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
Free plan
Yes
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: CalAmp the company underwent Chapter 11 restructuring and a change of ownership in 2024, and any multi-year contract should factor in the risk and uncertainty that follows a recent bankruptcy, even a fast one.; 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: CalAmp covers GPS tracking hardware, 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 CalAmp and Ride with GPS actually diverge.

Attributes where CalAmp and Ride with GPS differ
AttributeCalAmpRide with GPS
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteFreemium, per user per month
Free tierNoYes
CategoryFleet ManagementMaps

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 CalAmp

  • GPS tracking hardware
  • Telematics Cloud platform
  • Driver behaviour monitoring
  • Asset tracking
  • Partner API access
  • Diagnostic alerts

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.

CalAmp

  • A software company or system integrator wanting telematics hardware and a data API to build a custom fleet application on top ofnot Ride with GPS
  • A fleet needing basic GPS tracking, driver behaviour and diagnostic alerting without a full BI-grade analytics suitenot Ride with GPS
  • An asset-heavy operation needing non-powered trailer and equipment tracking alongside vehicle telematicsnot Ride with GPS
  • A buyer specifically wanting a hardware-plus-cloud vendor rather than a software-only platform layered on third-party devicesnot Ride with GPS

Ride with GPS

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

Where each one falls short

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

CalAmp

  • The company underwent Chapter 11 restructuring and a change of ownership in 2024, and any multi-year contract should factor in the risk and uncertainty that follows a recent bankruptcy, even a fast one.
  • Pricing is entirely unpublished and combines hardware and subscription costs, making direct comparison against software-only telematics competitors harder to do cleanly.
  • It has historically leaned on a software partner ecosystem rather than a single polished end-user product, so the buying experience and interface quality vary depending on which partner application sits on top of CalAmp data.
  • Newer, well-capitalised competitors such as Samsara and Motive have captured significant market share with more unified hardware-software products, and CalAmp market position has weakened relative to them.
  • As a private company since 2024, financial transparency that public-market buyers previously had access to (quarterly filings, analyst coverage) is now reduced.

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

CalAmp

On request
  • CalAmp Telematics Cloud$undefined/year
    • Hardware and subscription priced together, no published rate
    • Cost varies by device type, data plan and partner/direct sales channel

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 CalAmp if

  • You need gps tracking hardware.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want telematics cloud platform.
CalAmp 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 CalAmp or Ride with GPS better?
Neither clearly leads. CalAmp 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, CalAmp or Ride with GPS?
Ride with GPS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for CalAmp and Free for Ride with GPS.
Does CalAmp or Ride with GPS run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Ride with GPS for free?
Yes. Ride with GPS has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CalAmp starts at On request.
What is CalAmp best used for?
CalAmp is most often used for a software company or system integrator wanting telematics hardware and a data api to build a custom fleet application on top of, a fleet needing basic gps tracking, driver behaviour and diagnostic alerting without a full bi-grade analytics suite, an asset-heavy operation needing non-powered trailer and equipment tracking alongside vehicle telematics, a buyer specifically wanting a hardware-plus-cloud vendor rather than a software-only platform layered on third-party devices. Of those, a software company or system integrator wanting telematics hardware and a data api to build a custom fleet application on top of and a fleet needing basic gps tracking, driver behaviour and diagnostic alerting without a full bi-grade analytics suite are not what Ride with GPS is typically brought in for.
What can CalAmp do that Ride with GPS cannot?
CalAmp covers GPS tracking hardware, Telematics Cloud platform, Driver behaviour monitoring, Asset tracking. Ride with GPS covers Route builder, Global heatmap, Turn-by-turn navigation, Offline maps.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CalAmp: Is CalAmp still in business?

Yes. It completed a fast Chapter 11 restructuring in 2024, eliminating roughly $230 million in debt, and is now privately held by Lynrock Lake Master Fund LP.

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.

CalAmp: Does CalAmp sell directly to fleets or through partners?

Both, but a significant part of its business is providing hardware and data APIs to software partners who build the end-user fleet application.

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.

CalAmp: Is pricing published?

No. Hardware and subscription costs are combined and quoted, varying by device type, data plan and sales channel.

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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