Softwr

Maps · head to head

Ride with GPS vs What3words

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
What3words logo

What3words

Maps

What3words has divided the world into 3m squares and given each one

From
On request
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: 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.; What3words the free API plan includes no coordinate conversion, only AutoSuggest, and is rate limited to 5 requests per second
  • They diverge on capability: Ride with GPS covers Route builder, What3words covers Core Functionality.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ride with GPS and What3words actually diverge.

Attributes where Ride with GPS and What3words differ
AttributeRide with GPSWhat3words
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFreemium, per user per monthfreemium
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb

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 Ride with GPS

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

Only in What3words

  • Core Functionality
  • User Interface

What people use each for

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

Ride with GPS

  • A cyclist planning a multi-day touring route who needs offline maps for areas without signalnot What3words
  • Someone who wants turn-by-turn voice navigation on unfamiliar roads rather than checking a screennot What3words
  • A rider who wants to see popular local routes via the heatmap before committing to a paid tiernot What3words
  • A cyclist syncing custom routes directly to a Garmin computer for a big ridenot What3words

What3words

  • Referring to a 3 metre square location with three wordsnot Ride with GPS
  • Adding location entry to a delivery or dispatch appnot Ride with GPS
  • Converting between coordinates and what3words addresses via APInot Ride with GPS

Where each one falls short

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

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.

What3words

  • The free API plan includes no coordinate conversion, only AutoSuggest, and is rate limited to 5 requests per second
  • Converting to and from what3words addresses starts on the Basic plan at $9.99 per month for 1,000 conversions
  • Priority and developer support require the Standard plan at $45 per month
  • 24/7 phone support requires the Plus plan at $125 per month
  • Custom invoicing and annual payment require the Premium plan at $300 per month
  • Overage pricing is not published; the page states only that a fair usage policy applies
  • The three word address scheme is proprietary and licensed rather than open data

Pricing, plan by plan

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

What3words

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the What3words review.

Which should you pick?

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

Choose What3words if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You also want user interface.
What3words review

Questions people ask

Is Ride with GPS or What3words better?
Neither clearly leads. Ride with GPS starts at Free and What3words at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ride with GPS or What3words?
Ride with GPS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Ride with GPS and On request for What3words.
Does Ride with GPS or What3words run on more platforms?
Ride with GPS runs on Web, iOS, Android. What3words runs on Web.
Can I use Ride with GPS for free?
Yes. Ride with GPS has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. What3words starts at On request.
What is Ride with GPS best used for?
Ride with GPS is most often used for a cyclist planning a multi-day touring route who needs offline maps for areas without signal, someone who wants turn-by-turn voice navigation on unfamiliar roads rather than checking a screen, a rider who wants to see popular local routes via the heatmap before committing to a paid tier, a cyclist syncing custom routes directly to a garmin computer for a big ride. Of those, a cyclist planning a multi-day touring route who needs offline maps for areas without signal and someone who wants turn-by-turn voice navigation on unfamiliar roads rather than checking a screen are not what What3words is typically brought in for.
What can Ride with GPS do that What3words cannot?
Ride with GPS covers Route builder, Global heatmap, Turn-by-turn navigation, Offline maps. What3words covers Core Functionality, User Interface.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

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.

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.

Share

Related pages

More on Ride with GPS

More on What3words

Keep looking

Other head to heads