Lots of you are looking for a free route planner with unlimited stops. 

But there’s one problem - they don’t exist! 

Sure there are free solutions that can help you plot routes with multiple stops such as Google Maps and Apple Maps. The problem with these tools is that you are limited to the amount of stops you can add. The more stops you need to add to your route, the more likely you are going to need to invest in a paid route planner.

I’ve gone out into my car and personally tested more than 30 route planners, keeping in mind the different use cases they will be used for and that not all route planners are the same. I’ve whittled that list down, while doing my best to include tools that offer free plans. If you want a tool to create unlimited stops, you’re going to have to commit to a paid route planner. 

Sometimes a free route planner just won’t be enough for you if you have complex routing needs. 

So what are complex routing needs? 

If you are going on a road trip that consists of five or six stops, a free route planner such as Google Maps or Apple Maps will work well for you. However, if you work in industries such as field sales, delivery services, or trucking, the situation is entirely different. 

Planning and managing routes in these professions can be a slog as they often involve dozens or even hundreds of stops per day. Free route planners lack the advanced features required to handle that volume efficiently. You will end up spending too much time planning and plotting your routes, which will prove detrimental to your bottom line. Also free route planners don't tend to offer route optimization capabilities, something that will prevent you from saving money on gas.

Paid route planners offer features such as advanced route optimization, real-time traffic updates, customer data integration, and multi-stop route planning, making them essential for professionals who rely on efficiency and cost savings. While free route planners may work on a very small scale, they simply don’t provide the level of functionality needed to keep up with the demands of a high-volume, fast-paced job.

Upgrading to a paid route planner isn’t just a convenience—it’s an investment in time, money, and productivity.

Check out our guide that provides you with 6 ways to improve your sales performance when using a route planner!

Google Maps vs Apple Maps: Which is the best free route planner?

When it comes to free route planners, Google Maps and Apple Maps are the clear frontrunners. 

The Google Maps route planner continues to be the most widely used navigation app globally, known for its extensive compatibility across nearly every device - Android, iOS, desktop, tablets, and even smartwatches. Its key strengths include excellent user-friendliness, accurate real-time traffic and incident updates, automatic rerouting, and live ETA sharing.

Google's cutting-edge Immersive View, powered by AI, allows you to explore locations in rich 3D detail, previewing sidewalks, bike lanes, intersections, and even parking spaces. Additionally, Google Maps caters increasingly well to electric vehicle users by offering real-time charger availability and details.

However, Google Maps does have limitations. It only allows up to 10 stops per route, lacks true route optimization capabilities, has no CRM integration, and has clear user privacy concerns. Heavy usage can also quickly drain battery life, and offline functionality remains limited.

The Apple Maps route planner, on the other hand, has significantly improved its capabilities in recent years. The route planner supports up to 15 stops, five more than Google Maps.

Apple is known for its commitment to user privacy, offering users peace of mind compared to Google's data-driven model. Its elegant, distraction-free design makes it particularly appealing for everyday navigation. Features such as Look Around offer vivid, 360-degree panoramic street views, complemented by a visually appealing 3D flyover mode.

Yet, Apple Maps also has its limitations. It's exclusive to Apple devices, lacks route optimization, does not allow adjustment of route start times, and generally provides less crowdsourced real-time information compared to Google Maps.

My verdict:

For versatility, compatibility, and advanced navigation features: Google Maps is your best choice, despite the limitation on stops.

For simplicity, privacy, more stops per route, and seamless Apple integration: Apple Maps emerges as the better choice.

Ultimately, what you want in a free route planner depends on your specific needs, devices, and how deeply you value factors like privacy, multi-stop functionality, or advanced location exploration features.

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Sales Route Planners

Badger Maps - Best route planner for field salespeople

Main benefits: Route optimization, route planning, territory management, lead generation, CRM integration

Capterra Rating: 4.7

Pricing: Free 7 day trial, Business - $58/month, Enterprise - $95/month (Free 7-day trial)

Get it: Android  | iOS 

Badger Maps is the best route planner with unlimited stops as it allows you to automatically plan, route, and maximize your time in the field, cutting down driving time by 20%. It can help you save time on your daily planning, maintain better relationships with your customers, and be more productive.  

Although not necessarily free, you can avail of a flexible free trial period and team pilot programs where you can see if it works for your team before you commit to a purchase. The app will even pay for itself through the gas savings you make, with sales teams reporting that they sell 22% more and drive 20% less when using Badger Maps. The average team of 10 reps sells $936k more the year they start using the app.

Badger Maps offers great features for field teams like lead generation, territory mapping, photo check-ins, and advanced reporting that allow you to discover new leads in your territory, keep track of key customer information, and stay on top of your most important accounts.  

The colorize and filtering capabilities Badger Maps offers allow you to effortlessly plan your days. You can filter your customers to segment them into different groups, helping you target specific accounts and plan your day more strategically. You can also set your map pins as different colors which will help you to quickly visualize the locations of your most valuable customers compared to lower-priority accounts.

Using Badger Maps can mobilize your CRM software, giving you instant access to your important customer information as you work your territory. You can easily sync and leverage data in your CRM, all from your mobile device.

You can enable a two-way, real-time integration with the most common CRMs such as Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics, Zoho, Insightly, NetSuite, and many more, transforming your current CRM into a mobile CRM solution to keep all of your data in sync on-the-go.

If you’re part of a field team and looking to make the most of every day on the road, the best sales route planner with unlimited stops is Badger Maps. You can create routes with 100+ stops with turn-by-turn directions powered by Google Maps, Apple Maps, or Waze. The mobile app can also integrate with Carplay.

On average, sales teams using Badger Maps save 8 hours a week, drive 20% less, and sell 22% more.

Sign up for a free trial today or schedule a demo and see for yourself!

Sales Rabbit - Best route planner for door-to-door sales teams

Main Benefits: Lead management, gamification

Capterra Rating: 4.2

Pricing: Team - $195/mo, Pro - $245/mo,

Get it: Android | iOS

SalesRabbit is a route planner that is particularly popular among door-to-door field sales professionals, providing tools that streamline lead management and customer interactions. 

The platform offers features such as digital lead tracking, real-time team communication, e-contracts, and reporting analytics.

One of SalesRabbit’s standout features is its ability to provide sales teams with real-time insights and performance tracking. Sales managers can monitor team progress, track individual sales rep activity, and analyze data to refine sales strategies. The app also includes motivational tools such as gamification elements that encourage sales reps to meet their goals.

Badger Maps, the Highest Ranked App in the B2B Sales Mapping Apps Category

Image credit to MatrixPlace, a sales consulting firm that wrote an Analyst Report on Sales Mapping Software

Delivery services

Circuit - Best route planner for delivery services

Main Benefits: Shareable routes, route optimization

Capterra Rating: 4.8

Pricing: 10 stops: free, Standard - $20/mo

Get it: Android | iOS 

Circuit is a route planner designed specifically for delivery drivers that allows you to input 10 multiple delivery addresses for free and automatically calculates the most efficient route, minimizing the time you spend on the road. If you are looking to get unlimited stops, you will need to upgrade to their Standard subscription that costs $20 a month. This is considerably cheaper than its competitors, something to keep in mind if you are thinking of committing to a paid route planner.

So what makes Circuit a better fit for delivery services over other route planners like Route4Me, or OptimoRoute? For starters, its user-friendly interface is easy to navigate and easy to eye, something a lot of its competitors have not latched on to yet. Delivery drivers tend to have a high-stress work environment and they don’t need unnecessary distractions, something Circuit does pretty well.  

An essential part of any route planner for delivery drivers is a Proof of Delivery (POD) feature and Circuit can collect electronic signatures, photos, and notes as proof of delivery, enhancing accountability and customer satisfaction. You can organize your stops by priority and create time windows for stops which can help you easily communicate delivery ETAs to your customers.

Routific - Best route planner for delivery services

Main Benefits: Lead management, gamification

Capterra Rating: 4.9

Pricing: Essential - $49/mo, Professional - $69/mo, Professional + - $93/mo

Get it: Android | iOS

Routific is route planner app that specializes in planning and optimizing routes for delivery drivers.

Routific has easy-to-use API and features beyond planning and optimization designed specifically for delivery teams. Management can download routes prior to dispatch, or send them directly to drivers' phones via their app while on the go. 

It has a notification feature that allows you to inform customers of the ETA, or completion of their delivery. They can even provide a custom message for their customers regarding their drop-off. 

Management will find the driver tracking feature very useful. It tracks drivers on a map based on their completions. It doesn’t track their physical location via GPS, but it does provide ETAs for future stops. It also allows management to view and track multiple drivers at once on the same map, with a corresponding bar graph to provide an accurate view of both the territory and estimated route completion. 

Every delivery service needs a signature capture for proof of delivery. Routific has one built into the app to improve accountability. 

If traffic gets heavy, or stops change unexpectedly, you can change drivers' routes on-the-fly, optimize them for efficiency, and dispatch the route from home base. Data is captured within the app such as missed deliveries and completions. This gives team leaders the information they need to create more successful routes over time. 

One of the best things about Routific’s route optimization is that it accounts for factors specific to delivery fleets, like time windows, vehicle capacities, delivery types, driver speeds, priority stops, driver shift times, and driver breaks. More accurate optimization means more accurate ETAs, completions, and happier drivers. 

RouteXL - Best route planner for delivery services

Main Benefits: Shareable routes, route optimization

Capterra Rating: 3.5

Pricing: Limited stops: free, Unlimited stops: starts at $41.43/month

RouteXL is a great route planner for small business delivery drivers, as it allows you to easily plan trips with multiple destinations. It helps save time and fuel by ensuring drivers take the most efficient routes. When users input a series of destinations, RouteXL puts them in the quickest order, automatically optimizing the route. This reduces unnecessary mileage and improves overall delivery efficiency.

A useful RouteXL feature is its ability to import a spreadsheet with all your destinations. It allows you to share your route and save it for the future, making it easy to reuse frequently traveled paths. It’s free to use for up to 20 destinations. This makes it an excellent option for small businesses or independent drivers who need a cost-effective solution.

One drawback is that it can be confusing to new users, as its interface is not very user-friendly. This can be frustrating for professionals who want to quickly get to their destinations rather than battling the technology's learning curve, especially during busy work hours.

The good news is there is a tutorial available within the app to onboard new users to RouteXL. This step-by-step guide helps users understand the features and optimize their experience.

If you’re looking for a free route planner to create delivery routes of 20 stops or less, RouteXL is one of the best options on the market. Its combination of efficiency, cost savings, and ease of access makes it a valuable tool for delivery drivers.

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Trucking Route Planners

MyRouteOnline - Best route planner for logistics, trucking (North America only)

Main Benefits: Simplicity, allows you to save routes

Capterra Rating: 4.6

Pricing: Starts at $29.95

Get it: Android | iOS

MyRouteOnline is one of the most popular tools in professional transportation. 

It’s a great route planner option for truck and logistic drivers looking for a mapping software with multiple stops. MyRouteOnline helps manage the logistics of selling and delivering on the road.

It’s not only capable of mapping up to 350 stops per route, MyRouteOnline also optimizes routes by either time or distance. Once the addresses are exported to GPS systems or mobile devices, you no longer need to worry about juggling many stops — it’s all planned and organized by MyRouteOnline.

You can save an unlimited number of routes for future use and assign territories to manage your workload.

While MyRouteOnline is not completely free, it is a practical and affordable resource for drivers looking to spend less time behind the wheel. It eliminates all the back and forth driving between a disorganized collection of destinations.

For those looking for a simple and reliable for their mapping software needs, MyRouteOnline is a dependable choice.

TruckRouter - Best route planner for trucking (North America only)

Main Benefits: Trucking routes, regulation information, trip cost calculator

Pricing: Free

Available on: Website

Trucking is a complex industry with a specific set of needs. TruckRouter is a free route planner designed to address these needs and is one of the best free options available for people who make their living driving trucks across North America.

Features such as truck-specific routes, weight/height restrictions, and trip cost calculator are just some of the capabilities TruckRouter provides. In an industry dependent upon speed and reliability, TruckRouter is an invaluable tool to stay ahead of schedule. 

Truck warnings, toll roads and costs, and route elevation information keep drivers informed of what to expect and how to prepare accordingly. It makes the rough hours on the road just a little easier — and a little safer. 

One drawback of this route planner is that it doesn’t come with a mobile app, so you will have to print off or export your routes to another route planner to start your drive. This can be a major drawback if you’re thinking about getting a free route planner, but the trucking-specific capabilities TruckRouter offers may sway your decision.

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Other use cases

MapQuest - Best free route planner for road trips

Main Benefits: Simple routing, business location

Pricing: Free up to 26 stops, Basic - $99/mo, Plus - $199/mo

Get it: iOS | Android

MapQuest is one of the oldest names in the route planning industry. Launched in 1996, it has been one of the most reliable and popular route planners on the planet and almost single-handedly revolutionized the standards of web-based mapping.

MapQuest is a straightforward mapping tool to create routes, locate businesses such as restaurants, grocery stores, and gas stations, and even to book hotels. The free version allows you to create routes with up to 26 stops and gives you the option to optimize your routes. That being said, its overall functionality, and its database, is pretty limited compared to a behemoth like Google Maps. It's startingly obvious that this route planner is a relic of the past. 

Its user interface is pretty outdated, and considering other route planners can pull from a massive amount of data to create better maps, using Mapquest on a daily basis would end up causing more problems than solving. In 2019 Mapquest was sold to an internet advertising company, System1, something which greatly impacts its user experience due to constant ads. Shortly after, System1 purchased another route planning app, RoadWarrior, which requires a monthly fee and is geared towards delivery drivers. 

Compared to other free route planners on the list, it’s clear that MapQuest is quite limited. It was not designed to compete with more industry-specific routing apps. However, if you are looking for a simple route planning app to get the job done, MapQuest is a handy route planner that has stood the test of time.

RAC Route Planner - Best route planner for safety focused teams

Main Benefits: Safest routes, avoiding accidents

Get it: Website

If safety is your top priority, UK-based RAC Route Planner might be the tool for you. With an emphasis on avoiding accidents, RAC’s route planner is a fantastic (and safe!) resource.

You can stay aware of accidents along your route and weather information that might affect traffic. RAC’s free route planner provides maps and driving directions within the UK and the rest of Europe. It also helps locate hotels and has a fuel cost calculator to ensure that you aren’t spending too much on gas on the road.

Businesses and drivers that put safety first can benefit from using RAC’s mapping service. At the end of the day, safety is the most important thing – RAC is designed to ensure that you get back home every time you get behind the wheel.

It does allow you to plot unlimited stops, though its interface can be a bit clunky.

For routes in the UK and the rest of Europe, RAC Route Planner is one of the best options to stay safe and informed of what awaits you on the road.

Plotaroute

Best Free Route Planner for: Outdoor activities

Main Benefits: Recreational routes, interactive maps

Available on: Website

If you’re looking to create a route for your next walk, run, or bike ride, Plotaroute is a great free route planner. It was created specifically with outdoor activities and recreational routes in mind. It's used all over the world by outdoor enthusiasts looking for new and dynamic exercise paths. 

Although primarily designed for individual use, it also includes features that can benefit groups or organizations planning events or group activities.

It offers thousands of preloaded routes that you can follow, whether your activity is walking, running, cycling, horse riding, or motorbiking. This sense of community opens you up to find the best alternative paths and routes that you may not be aware of. You can annotate and upload photos of your routes, which can be highly beneficial for other users. Plotaroute is a great way to have a different adventure each time you strap on your running shoes, and it’s also easy to keep track of your mileage and progress.

This free route planning tool provides a multitude of different route editing features that can allow outdoor enthusiasts to create routes exactly to their specifications. You can combine two routes into one, reshape existing routes, accurately measure the length of their routes, and much more.

It also has sharing features that allow you to show off your routes on social media with unique, interactive maps. This encourages others to exercise on the same paths as you — or to compete and try to beat your time.

Standard membership is free, so there’s nothing stopping you from using Plotaroute and making the most of your next outdoor adventure!

Conclusion

There are many fantastic free options for route planners with unlimited stops, and each of them serves a different purpose. The best free route planner for you will depend on the particular personal or professional needs you have.

In general, if you need an option that is a bit more sophisticated, it might be best to pay a little money. In most cases, the route planning app professionals choose will end up paying for itself in traveling expenses and increased revenue. The gas savings alone might end up paying for the route planner you choose.

Most route planners offer a free trial, so pick out the software that fits your needs best, and decide later if it’s worth paying for.

MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT FREE ROUTE PLANNERS WITH UNLIMITED STOPS

What is the best free route planner app?

The best free route planner is Google Maps, but the best app for professionals is Badger Maps. Its industry-leading features include route optimization, territory management, CRM integration, customer check-ins, and follow-up enablement.

Can Google Maps optimize my route?

No, Google maps cannot optimize your route. You can add up to 10 stops to your route, however, for route optimization you many find it easier to use specialized route planners better suited to your needs, such as Badger Maps or RouteXL.

Can Google Maps plan a route with multiple stops?

You can route up to 10 stops at a time with Google Maps. There are ways around this that allow you to plug in more stops. But for the sake of convenience, it is easier to use a different route planner that allows multiple stops.

What is route planning in sales?

Route planning in sales is the process of strategically mapping out the most efficient and effective sales routes to take when visiting customers in the field. This involves optimizing the sequence of stops to minimize travel time, fuel costs, and vehicle wear and tear, while maximizing the number of customer visits completed within a given timeframe.

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