Different Tools for Different Jobs
Komoot’s core question is: where should I go? It helps you plan routes, discover trails, and navigate turn-by-turn to places you’ve never been.
Athlr’s core question is: how am I performing? It tracks your activity with precision GPS, calculates splits, monitors training load over time, and connects you with other athletes nearby.
What Komoot Does Best
- Surface-aware routing. Uses OpenStreetMap surface data to distinguish paved paths, gravel tracks, singletrack, and fire roads. Essential for trail running and gravel cycling in unfamiliar terrain.
- Turn-by-turn voice navigation. Spoken direction prompts guide you through a planned route — like GPS navigation specifically for outdoor athletes.
- Community route discovery. Browse popular trails near you, filter by sport and difficulty, and start someone else’s route directly.
- High-resolution elevation data. Accurate climbing estimates for planned routes before you head out.
What Athlr Does Best
- Training load analysis. ATL/CTL/TSB tracks fitness and fatigue over weeks. Komoot doesn’t offer this at all. Read more: Training Load Explained.
- Segments and leaderboards. Create timed competitive segments from any activity. Komoot has highlights but no timed leaderboards.
- Per-km splits and pace charts. Deep post-activity performance analysis. Komoot shows basic stats.
- Social community. Community feed, follow/follower system, direct messaging, group chat. Komoot’s social layer is around route sharing, not activity tracking.
- Free offline maps. Download any region at no cost. Komoot gives one region free then charges €4–5 per region.
- Health sync. Import full activity history from Apple Health or Health Connect in one tap.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Athlr | Komoot Free | Komoot (paid regions) |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPS activity recording | ✓ Free | ✓ | ✓ |
| Per-km splits + pace chart | ✓ | Basic | Basic |
| Training load (ATL/CTL/TSB) | ✓ Free | ✕ | ✕ |
| Segments + leaderboards | ✓ Free | ✕ | ✕ |
| Personal records | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Turn-by-turn navigation | 🔜 Roadmap | ✓ | ✓ |
| Surface-aware routing | Waypoints only | ✓ Best-in-class | ✓ |
| Community route discovery | Nearby routes | ✓ Large library | ✓ |
| Offline maps | ✓ Free (any region) | 1 free region | ✓ paid/region |
| GPX export | ✓ Free | ✓ | ✓ |
| Social feed + community | ✓ Full social | Route sharing only | Route sharing only |
| Health sync | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ |
| No account required | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Offline map price | Free | 1 region free | €4–5/region or €30 all |
Can You Use Both?
Yes — and it’s a natural combination for trail runners and gravel cyclists. Plan and navigate with Komoot; track, analyse, and share with Athlr. Komoot exports completed activities as GPX, and both apps connect to Apple Health or Health Connect, so the data flows automatically.
The Verdict
Choose Komoot if route discovery and turn-by-turn navigation are priorities — particularly for trail running, hiking, and gravel cycling in unfamiliar terrain.
Choose Athlr if you want to track training, analyse performance data, compete on segments, and connect with a running community — all free. For most recreational runners who train regular routes, Athlr’s route planning is sufficient.
Use both if you regularly explore new routes and care about training analytics. They integrate cleanly via your phone’s health platform.
Get the tracking side for free
Training load, segments, community, and performance analytics — everything Komoot doesn’t do. Free to download, no account required.
Download Athlr →