The 5 Best Multi-Stop Route Planners by Industry

For field teams who spend a lot of time in their cars, efficiency is crucial to their success. To combat inefficiency, every field team should be using a multi-stop route planner.

You may think that apps like Google Maps and Apple Maps will help you with this type of route planning, and you are right, to an extent. Google lets you add 10 stops to your route, while Apple will allow you to add 15. So why not just use one of those?

The problem is that the multi-stop route planner apps from Google and Apple are not optimized to be used by field teams. Field teams need more than a route planner with multiple stops, they need a tool that optimizes their routes also. The best multi-stop route planners will also have features that make your work easier for you such as a CRM integration, lead generation, and check-in reports. 

I’ve tested dozens of multi-stop route planners, compiling the 5 best into this list you have before you. Let me break them down.

Of course you can. Google Maps and Apple Maps are industry leaders for a reason; their apps are state of the art and have some of the most advanced routing capabilities ever seen. 

While these tools work great for casual traveling and road trips, they do not always meet the specific and evolving needs of professionals like field salespeople, delivery drivers, and field service technicians. If you work in those industries, you know that it’s easier to plan your routes at the beginning of your workweek so you’re not doing it on the fly. 

The best free route planners are limited in scope as they aren’t capable of doing this planning in advance, plus they only provide a limited amount of stops. They also lack many of the key features that field teams need, such as the ability to save routes, customer information tracking, and visualization features to easily spot your high-priority customers on the map of your territory.  

The best-paid multi-stop route planners often provide 100+ stops, CRM integrations, features to help you generate new leads, and advanced data visualization capabilities.

So how do you know which multi-stop route planner is best for your specific needs? The answer depends on your own industry and goals.

According to Salesforce research, sales reps spend only 30% of their time actually selling. The other 70% of their time is spent doing other tasks like driving, planning, or administrative duties. 99.5% of field service technicians use mobile devices in their fieldwork, with 80% of them saying it helps drive efficiency. In the logistics industry, 90% of shippers think data-driven decision-making is crucial to supply chain activities, especially now that route optimization and inventory management tools have increased the volume of usable data. 

Knowing the specific needs of your business will help you in choosing the correct multi-stop route planner for your field team. 

Maybe you are a field sales team that needs sales-specific features that allow you to collect new leads. Or maybe you're a delivery business that needs a multi-stop route planner app that also doubles as a proof of delivery software. 

The tools listed here are all multi-stop route planners, but they have capabilities that differentiate them. Figuring out exactly what you need is important before you go jumping in and buying a tool.

To make your job easier, I have selected the best route planner per industry.

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

Main benefits: Route optimization, route planning, territory management, lead generation, keeping track of appointments, CRM integration

Capterra rating: 4.7

Available on: iOS | Android 

Badger Maps is the best multi-stop route planner for field sales and field service teams as it allows you to automatically plan, route, and maximize your time in the field, cutting down driving time by 20%.  

Using real-time traffic data to plot the fastest route to your field team’s meetings, Badger Maps gives you turn-by-turn driving directions powered by Google Maps, Apple Maps, or Waze. You will save time on your daily planning, eliminate busy work by updating your CRM data from the field, and be more productive in the field.

Badger Maps takes your long customer list and turns it into a drivable, optimized route on an interactive map. You can quickly draw a line around select pins on a map and build routes around your best opportunities. Unlike free multi-stop route planners, you can optimize routes to all your stops to ensure you are taking the fastest route possible, saving you money on gas and meeting with more customers than you normally would.   

Color filters present customers and prospects as colored pins on the map, helping you to target specific accounts and plan your day more strategically. You can set pins according to criteria set by you, such as Days Since Last Check In, Sales YTD, High-Priority or any custom filter of your choice.

Features that are crucial for field teams like lead generation, territory management, photo check-ins, and advanced reporting are all available, meaning you can unearth new customers, organize your territory better, and stay on top of your most important accounts. 

Sales teams have reported that they sell 22% more and spend 20% less time in their cars when using Badger Maps, in fact, the average team of 10 reps sells $936k more the year they start using the app.

Customer interactions and records can be updated in Badger Maps and synced seamlessly with your sales CRM software, ensuring that your important customer information stays up to date as you work in the field. 

Badger Maps offers a two-way, real-time integration with leading CRMs such as HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho, Microsoft Dynamics, NetSuite, Insightly, Veeva and many more!

Badger Maps is the best multi-stop route planner for sales teams and field service teams.

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

Start a free trial or schedule a demo and see the value of Badger Maps for yourself!

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

Back to Top ↑

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

Main benefits: Route optimization, customer notifications, proof of delivery

Capterra Rating: 4.9

Available on: iOS | Android 

Routific is a multi-stop route planner app designed specifically for delivery drivers. 

It has a user-friendly interface where you can easily plan your delivery routes based on various factors, such as delivery time windows, driver schedules, and vehicle capacity. Routes can also be sent directly to your mobile device via the app while on the go.  

One of the best things about Routific 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. You can change routes on the fly while in your car.

The notification feature allows you to inform your customers of the ETA, while a proof of delivery feature lets your customers know where you’ve left a delivery. You can even provide a custom message for your customers regarding the drop-off. Data is captured within the app such as missed deliveries and completions.

Management will find the driver tracking feature very useful. While it doesn’t track their physical location via GPS, it does track drivers based on their completed deliveries while also providing ETAs for future stops. Management can 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. 

There were a lot of different multi-stop router planners that I tested for this category, including Route4Me, RouteSavvy, Circuit, and OptimoRoute. While Route4Me has a fantastic product, it can be quite expensive so may be best for larger fleets. The other tools are more affordable, but Routific stands out due to its strong customer-centric features.

Price: Free

Main Benefits: Integration with Apple devices, simple design, privacy. 

Available on: iOS

Why have I included Apple Maps here instead of the much-used Google Maps? For one reason and one reason only - Apple Maps allows you to create multi-stop routes with up to 15 stops, whereas Google Maps only allows you to add 10 stops. Both of these mapping softwares are excellent options, and while Apple Maps used to lag way behind in terms of quality, it has massively improved its service.

You’ll get real-time turn-by-turn directions that integrate seamlessly with Siri, allowing you to stay connected across all your Apple devices, including your iPhone, Apple CarPlay, and Apple Watch. The Apple Watch even provides haptic feedback that can be customized to your liking, informing you when you need to take an action.

Unlike the typical design of other multi-stop route planner apps, Apple Maps has a polished interface that makes it easy to view nearby locations without unnecessary distractions, making it ideal for everyday users. The Look Around feature even allows you to explore streets virtually with immersive 360-degree panoramic views.

Unlike Google, Apple Maps highly values the privacy of its users, something which is becoming increasingly more of an issue with users.

Like Google Maps and Waze, Apple Maps lacks route optimization, requiring you to manually reorder your stops. This can become time-consuming if you’re managing a lengthy list of stops or customer visits.

Price: Essential - $299.99/Year, Preferred - $499.99/Year, Ultimate - $1099.99/Year 

Main benefits: Truck-specific navigation, truck restrictions, extensive database of truck stops, weigh station data

Available on: iOS | Android 

Trucker Path is a highly specialized multi-stop route planner designed to meet the unique needs of truck drivers. It serves as both a navigation tool and a resource for finding truck-friendly amenities along your driving routes. You can input multiple destinations into your routes that account for the specific requirements of commercial trucks, such as avoiding restricted roads, low bridges, and areas with weight limitations. 

By inputting your truck's specifications, you can get optimized routes that cater to your truck’s height, weight, and load type, helping you navigate safely and legally. The app updates in real time, adjusting routes based on current road conditions or closures to keep you on the most efficient path. You can see if a weight station is open or closed, and also check which gas stations are suitable for large commercial vehicles. 

Trucker Path has an extensive database of truck stops, rest areas, repair shops, and parking facilities, which is invaluable for drivers planning long hauls with multiple stops. The app provides real-time parking availability at various truck stops, which is crowdsourced from other drivers. 

Trucker Path is the most-used trucking app in the country, and although other multi-stop route planners like MyRoute Online or MapQuest may be cheaper, Trucker Path stands in a league of its own in terms of the quality it offers.

Back to Top ↑

Price: Free version, 1 year pass - $14 

Main benefits: Offline access, detailed trip planning, weather forecasting

Available on: Browser

Furkot is a versatile tool designed for travelers taking road trips who need detailed, multi-stop planning capabilities. It allows you to create comprehensive itineraries for your road trips, where you can easily add, organize, and adjust stops, including points of interest, scenic detours, and rest breaks.

So what is it that makes Furkot stand out over other road trip planning tools? One of its standout features is its ability to recommend lodging options for your trip, such as hotels, motels, and campgrounds, allowing you to incorporate overnight stays and rest stops directly into your itinerary. This functionality is useful as it lets you plan your routes while sorting out your accommodation all at once, making it especially valuable for longer road trips with multiple overnight stops. 

When editing your itinerary, you can set your preferred travel hours each day, and automatically adjust your route to add overnight stops if your distance exceeds a day’s drive. You can easily drag your route to wherever you want to go, without the need to input new information. You can categorize your stops with different icons to quickly visually identify them on your map. 

The app also integrates weather forecasts along your route, allowing you to anticipate and adapt to weather conditions and even alerting you to seasonal road closures. It can also warn you if your plan doesn't meet your particular timing constraints.  From my own experience, Furkot is easily one of the best multi-stop route planning tools for organizing your next road trip due to how simple it is to plan your trips. You can easily export your route to be used by your navigation tool of choice.

The best multi-stop planner app depends on the unique characteristics of your team and what you want to accomplish. The apps above have features that naturally cater to specific industries. Hopefully, this list will help you find the app that’s perfect for you. 

MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT MULTI-STOP ROUTE PLANNERS

Can I plan a multi-stop route with Google Maps?

You can route up to 10 stops at a time with Google Maps route planner. If you are working in industries such as field sales, field services, or deliveries, you may need to use an industry specific multi-stop route planner.

What is the best multi-stop route planner?

The best multi-stop route planner depends on your specific needs. For field sales, the best option is Badger Maps as it reduces your overall drive time by 20%

How do I map a route with multiple stops for free?

To map out a route with multiple stops, all you have to do is add new stop points on your mapping app of choice. With Google Maps, you can add up to ten steps to your route. For a larger amount of stops, you need to use the right multi-stop route planner. There are many different free route planners with unlimited stops out there, each of them offering different features that can prove helpful, depending on your needs.

Does Apple Maps have a route planner for multiple stops??

Apple Maps does have a route planner that allows you to create routes with up to 15 stops. This makes it a more attractive option than Google Maps which only allows for 10 stops.

Back to Top ↑