You’ve used RideWithGPS for a long time — maybe for solo rides, maybe for organizing club rides. RWGPS does some things really well: desktop route planning, detailed cue sheets, club tools. It’s respected in the serious cycling scene and among randonneurs.
But on pricing, RideWithGPS costs you $50/year for Basic or $80/year for Premium — and in 2026, for that $80/year, you still don’t get real live segments, no Varia radar integration, no walkie-talkie for group rides, no auto climb detection with live gradient.
Good news: there’s a free alternative that does what RWGPS does well (voice navigation, offline maps, reliable tracking) and adds all the modern live features — without billing you $80/year.
In this article:
Why Look for a RideWithGPS Alternative?
The most common frustrations:
1. The price. RWGPS Basic = $50/year. Premium = $80/year. More expensive than most alternatives for a limited set of live features.
2. No real live segments with ghost racing. RWGPS doesn’t offer ghost racing against your PR. If you want to race yourself, you need Strava running in parallel.
3. Basic Bluetooth sensor support. Heart rate yes, power and cadence limited. No real-time multi-sensor display like a modern bike computer.
4. No Garmin Varia radar. No integration with the rear radar.
5. No walkie-talkie. RWGPS has excellent club tools for planning — but nothing to communicate during the ride itself.
6. No auto climb detection. No live gradient during ascents, no distance-to-summit.
7. Desktop-first interface. RWGPS comes from the desktop era — planning is excellent on a computer, but the mobile app feels less polished than mobile-first alternatives.
8. No 3D videos. You can’t generate a shareable 3D video of your ride.
RideWithGPS vs BikeCompanion: The Comparison
Planning
| Feature | RideWithGPS | BikeCompanion |
|---|---|---|
| Route creation | Yes (excellent desktop) | Yes |
| Detailed cue sheets | Yes (unique) | No |
| Elevation profiles | Yes (excellent) | Yes |
| Auto-generation by distance | No | Yes |
| Weather on route | No | Yes (PRO) |
| Public route search | Yes | Limited |
| GPX import | Yes | Yes |
| Club route library | Yes (club feature) | No |
Planning verdict: RWGPS wins on cue sheets (genuinely unique) and the club library. BikeCompanion wins on goal-based auto-generation and integrated weather.
Offline Maps
| Feature | RideWithGPS | BikeCompanion |
|---|---|---|
| Offline maps | Premium ($80/year) | PRO (less than a coffee/month) |
| Area download | Yes | Yes |
| Updates | Yes | Yes |
Maps verdict: Feature parity. BikeCompanion is cheaper on the year.
During the Ride
| Feature | RideWithGPS (Premium) | BikeCompanion (free) | BikeCompanion (PRO) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turn-by-turn voice navigation | Yes | No | Yes (full) |
| Auto rerouting | Yes | Yes | Yes (fast) |
| Bluetooth heart rate | Yes (basic) | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth power meter | Limited | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth cadence sensor | Limited | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Varia radar | No | Yes | Yes |
| Live segments with ghost | No | No | Yes (unique) |
| Auto climb detection (live gradient) | No | No | Yes |
Live-ride verdict: Clear advantage BikeCompanion. RWGPS has voice navigation, which is great — but misses all the rest of the modern live features.
Group & Social Features
| Feature | RideWithGPS | BikeCompanion |
|---|---|---|
| Club tools / calendar | Yes (excellent) | No |
| Live tracking for followers | Yes (Premium) | Yes |
| Live position sharing | Yes (basic) | Yes (with family) |
| Group walkie-talkie | No | Yes (unique) |
| Strava sync | Yes | Yes |
| Cue sheets for ride leaders | Yes (unique) | No |
Group verdict: RWGPS wins on club organization (calendar, RSVPs, shared library). BikeCompanion wins on real-time communication during the ride (walkie-talkie).
Post-Ride Analysis
| Feature | RideWithGPS | BikeCompanion |
|---|---|---|
| Ride GPS map | Yes | Yes |
| Speed/HR/power graphs | Yes | Yes |
| Auto climb detection | No | Yes (PRO, with live % gradient) |
| 3D ride video generation | No | Yes (PRO, unique) |
| Badges / achievements | Limited | Yes |
| Strava sync | Yes | Yes |
Analysis verdict: BikeCompanion adds climbs and 3D videos that RWGPS doesn’t have.
Pricing
| RideWithGPS free | RWGPS Basic | RWGPS Premium | BikeCompanion free | BikeCompanion PRO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 (very limited) | $50/year | $80/year | $0 | Less than a coffee/month |
| Voice navigation | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Offline maps | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Full sensor support | No | Limited | Limited | Yes | Yes |
| Varia radar | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Live segments | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Free trial | — | No | No | — | 7-day PRO |
Pricing verdict: RWGPS Premium at $80/year = ~$160 over 2 years. BikeCompanion PRO = significantly less. And free BikeCompanion already does more than RWGPS Basic (full sensors, Varia, auto-climb).
When to Stick with RideWithGPS
Be honest with yourself:
- You organize club rides and really use the tools (calendar, RSVPs, club route library)
- You use cue sheets on long rides or brevets (unique RWGPS feature)
- You’re part of a club with an organization subscription — the tool is worth it at club scale
- You plan primarily on desktop and value the full web interface
- You ride brevets / long-distance randonneuring where printable cue sheets are useful
For everyone else — especially solo cyclists and informal small groups — BikeCompanion will probably fit your usage better.
When to Switch to BikeCompanion
Switch when:
- You find RWGPS Basic/Premium expensive for individual use ($50-$80/year adds up)
- You want real live segments with ghost racing against your PR
- You own a Garmin Varia and RWGPS doesn’t use it
- You want full sensor display (power + cadence + HR + Varia) in real time
- You ride in informal groups and the walkie-talkie appeals to you
- You want auto climb detection with live gradient
- You like sharing rides and want 3D videos
- You don’t really use RWGPS club tools and you’re paying for features you ignore
Migrating from RideWithGPS Without Losing Your Routes
RWGPS lets you export routes:
- Open a RWGPS route → menu → Export GPX (or TCX)
- In BikeCompanion: Import GPX file
- The route is ready with voice navigation and auto rerouting
For your history: if RWGPS is synced with Strava (option in settings), connect your Strava account in BikeCompanion — all your rides will show up automatically.
You can keep RWGPS for specific club tools (calendar, cue sheets) and use BikeCompanion for the ride itself. Both sync to Strava, history stays unified.
What Riders Who Switched Say
“Replaces my old Garmin. Simple, effective, has everything I need.” — Paul, 5 stars
“Great app, simple and effective.” — Paul, 5 stars
Overall App Store and Google Play rating: 4.8/5.
What Does It Actually Cost?
Free: full GPS tracking, Bluetooth sensors (HR + power + cadence + Varia), reliable Strava sync, stats, badges, leaderboards, GPX import, POIs (water fountains, restrooms). No commitment, no credit card.
PRO: offline maps, full voice navigation, live segments with ghost racing, route weather, auto climb detection with live gradient, 3D videos, auto route generation, ActiveLook Engo 2 AR glasses support, Apple Watch / HealthKit, FTP / HR training zones, group ride (live positions + walkie-talkie), live position sharing for family. Less than a coffee per month, 7-day free trial.
Compared to RWGPS Premium ($80/year): BikeCompanion PRO costs less, and adds live segments, auto climb detection, 3D videos, Varia radar — features RWGPS Premium doesn’t include.
Over 3 years: RWGPS Premium = $240. BikeCompanion PRO = significantly less. And you get more modern features.
FAQ
Does BikeCompanion have cue sheets like RWGPS?
No. Printable text cue sheets are a genuinely unique RWGPS feature, designed for long-distance rides and brevets. BikeCompanion focuses on real-time voice navigation and clear on-screen display during the ride instead.
Can I import my RideWithGPS routes?
Yes, via GPX export from RWGPS and import into BikeCompanion. Every route becomes reusable with voice navigation and auto rerouting.
Does my power meter work with BikeCompanion?
Yes, and better than on RWGPS. Full display of heart rate + power + cadence in real time, plus Varia radar support that RWGPS doesn’t have.
Does BikeCompanion have club organization tools?
Not at RWGPS’s level (calendar, RSVPs, club library). For that specific use case, RWGPS is still the reference. BikeCompanion focuses on live features during the ride (walkie-talkie, live position, segments).
Can I keep RWGPS AND use BikeCompanion?
Of course. Plan in RWGPS if you like their desktop interface, ride with BikeCompanion. Both sync to Strava, unified history.
What languages is BikeCompanion available in?
13 languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Polish, Czech, Slovenian, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian.
Does live tracking for my followers work?
Yes, BikeCompanion includes live position sharing (with family and friends) without charging you Premium like RWGPS does.
Try BikeCompanion
Download the app for free:
- iPhone : https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bike-computer-bikecompanion/id1661805112
- Android : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fr.creativeo.bike.companion&hl=en
First ride in 30 seconds. No required signup.
Free 7-day PRO trial. Cancel in one tap.
Summary
RideWithGPS remains very strong on two specific use cases: organizing club rides (calendar, library, RSVPs) and cue sheets for long-distance brevets. If that’s your main usage, RWGPS is probably still the best choice.
For everything else — solo cyclists, informal small groups, modern live features — BikeCompanion does the job without the $50-$80/year from RWGPS, with live segments, Varia radar, auto climb detection, walkie-talkie, and 3D videos as a bonus.
RWGPS Premium costs $240 over 3 years. BikeCompanion PRO costs significantly less. And the free version already does more than RWGPS free.
