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Maps · head to head

Trailforks vs What3words

Trailforks logo

Trailforks

Maps

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

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 Trailforks has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Trailforks the free tier only allows one offline region downloaded at a time, which is limiting for a rider visiting multiple trail areas.; What3words the free API plan includes no coordinate conversion, only AutoSuggest, and is rate limited to 5 requests per second
  • They diverge on capability: Trailforks covers Mountain bike trail database, What3words covers Core Functionality.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Trailforks and What3words actually diverge.

Attributes where Trailforks and What3words differ
AttributeTrailforksWhat3words
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFreemium, standalone Pro or bundled with Outside+freemium
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb

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 Trailforks

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

Only in What3words

  • Core Functionality
  • User Interface

What people use each for

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

Trailforks

  • A mountain biker planning a ride on unfamiliar singletrack who needs direction-of-travel and difficulty datanot What3words
  • Someone riding in an area with no signal who needs an offline downloaded trail mapnot What3words
  • A rider checking recent community trail condition reports before heading outnot What3words
  • Someone comparing several mountain bike regions using the usage heatmap before choosing where to ridenot What3words

What3words

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

Where each one falls short

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

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.

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

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

What3words

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the What3words review.

Which should you pick?

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

Choose What3words if

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

Questions people ask

Is Trailforks or What3words better?
Neither clearly leads. Trailforks 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, Trailforks or What3words?
Trailforks has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Trailforks and On request for What3words.
Does Trailforks or What3words run on more platforms?
Trailforks runs on iOS, Android, Web. What3words runs on Web.
Can I use Trailforks for free?
Yes. Trailforks has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. What3words starts at On request.
What is Trailforks best used for?
Trailforks is most often used for a mountain biker planning a ride on unfamiliar singletrack who needs direction-of-travel and difficulty data, someone riding in an area with no signal who needs an offline downloaded trail map, a rider checking recent community trail condition reports before heading out, someone comparing several mountain bike regions using the usage heatmap before choosing where to ride. Of those, a mountain biker planning a ride on unfamiliar singletrack who needs direction-of-travel and difficulty data and someone riding in an area with no signal who needs an offline downloaded trail map are not what What3words is typically brought in for.
What can Trailforks do that What3words cannot?
Trailforks covers Mountain bike trail database, Community trail reports, Offline maps, Premium basemaps. What3words covers Core Functionality, User Interface.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

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.

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