Softwr

Maps · head to head

Citymapper vs Trailforks

Citymapper logo

Citymapper

Maps

The ultimate urban mobility app for city commuters

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Trailforks logo

Trailforks

Maps

Mountain-bike-specific trail database and navigation app owned by Outside Inc

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Citymapper citymapper's own App Store listing states live transit and turn-by-turn features work only in a named list of specific cities (New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and dozens of other listed cities), not globally, per the developer's own description.; Trailforks the free tier only allows one offline region downloaded at a time, which is limiting for a rider visiting multiple trail areas.
  • They diverge on capability: Citymapper covers Multi-modal routing, Trailforks covers Mountain bike trail database.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Citymapper and Trailforks actually diverge.

Attributes where Citymapper and Trailforks differ
AttributeCitymapperTrailforks
Pricing modelfreemiumFreemium, standalone Pro or bundled with Outside+
Founded2011Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Ios, Android, Web), 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 Citymapper

  • Multi-modal routing
  • Real-time departures
  • Live bus tracking
  • Disruption alerts
  • Walking directions
  • Uber
  • Lyft
  • Lime

Only in Trailforks

  • Mountain bike trail database
  • Community trail reports
  • Offline maps
  • Premium basemaps
  • Heatmap overlay
  • Weather and fire overlays

What people use each for

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

Citymapper

  • Daily commutingnot Trailforks
  • City explorationnot Trailforks
  • Trip planningnot Trailforks
  • Mobility as a servicenot Trailforks

Trailforks

  • A mountain biker planning a ride on unfamiliar singletrack who needs direction-of-travel and difficulty datanot Citymapper
  • Someone riding in an area with no signal who needs an offline downloaded trail mapnot Citymapper
  • A rider checking recent community trail condition reports before heading outnot Citymapper
  • Someone comparing several mountain bike regions using the usage heatmap before choosing where to ridenot Citymapper

Where each one falls short

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

Citymapper

  • Citymapper's own App Store listing states live transit and turn-by-turn features work only in a named list of specific cities (New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and dozens of other listed cities), not globally, per the developer's own description.

Trailforks

  • The free tier only allows one offline region downloaded at a time, which is limiting for a rider visiting multiple trail areas.
  • Pro pricing appears to be shifting toward bundling with the wider Outside+ media subscription, making the standalone price less stable and worth checking directly before buying.
  • Its focus on mountain biking means it is a weaker choice than Ride with GPS for road or gravel route planning.
  • Trail data quality depends on community contribution, so newer or less-ridden regions can have sparse or outdated information.
  • Being owned by a media company with a broader outdoor content bundle strategy introduces some uncertainty about how the standalone app product is prioritised long term.

Pricing, plan by plan

Citymapper

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Multi-modal routing
    • Real-time departures
    • Basic navigation
  • Citymapper Premium$4.99/month
    • Live location sharing
    • Weather integration
    • Widgets

Trailforks

Free
  • Trailforks FreeFree
    • Trail database access
    • Basic basemaps
    • One offline region at a time
  • Trailforks Pro$undefined/year
    • Unlimited offline regions
    • Premium basemaps including Gaia and ArcGIS satellite
    • Heatmap, weather and fire overlays

Which should you pick?

Choose Citymapper if

  • You need multi-modal routing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want real-time departures.
Citymapper review

Choose Trailforks if

  • You need mountain bike trail database.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want community trail reports.
Trailforks review

Questions people ask

Is Citymapper or Trailforks better?
Neither clearly leads. Citymapper starts at Free and Trailforks at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Citymapper or Trailforks?
Citymapper starts at Free and Trailforks at Free.
Does Citymapper or Trailforks run on more platforms?
Citymapper runs on Ios, Android, Web. Trailforks runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Citymapper for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Citymapper best used for?
Citymapper is most often used for daily commuting, city exploration, trip planning, mobility as a service. Of those, daily commuting and city exploration are not what Trailforks is typically brought in for.
What can Citymapper do that Trailforks cannot?
Citymapper covers Multi-modal routing, Real-time departures, Live bus tracking, Disruption alerts. Trailforks covers Mountain bike trail database, Community trail reports, Offline maps, Premium basemaps.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Citymapper: Does Citymapper offer paid membership?

Yes, Citymapper offers a CLUB membership tier with exclusive features, including AI-powered route selection. However, specific pricing details for CLUB membership are not disclosed on their main website.

Source
Trailforks: Is Trailforks free?

A free tier exists with trail data and one offline region at a time; Pro removes that limit and adds premium map layers.

Citymapper: Where can I find Citymapper CLUB pricing?

Citymapper CLUB pricing is not published on their website. You would need to check the mobile app (Apple App Store or Google Play Store) or contact Citymapper support directly for current pricing information.

Source
Trailforks: Who owns Trailforks?

Outside Inc, which also owns Pinkbike and CyclingTips, acquired it in 2021.

Trailforks: Is it only for mountain biking?

Mountain biking is the core focus, though it has secondary support for hiking, gravel and motorised trail use.

Share

Related pages

More on Citymapper

More on Trailforks

Keep looking

Other head to heads