komoot review: the route planner hikers and cyclists swear by

This komoot review covers the German route planning app that has become a favourite among hikers, gravel riders and bikepackers across Europe. People searching for it usually want to know three things: what komoot does for free, whether komoot Premium is worth it, and how it stacks up against Strava and AllTrails.

The review draws on komoot's own feature and Premium pages, its app store listings, public reporting and independent reviews from outdoor media and users.

Route planning: komoot's core strength

komoot's planner is the reason people use it. Pick an activity, set a start and destination, and it builds a route suited to that sport, favouring quiet lanes for road cyclists, gravel tracks for gravel riders and footpaths for hikers. Each route shows distance, duration, elevation gain and a breakdown of surfaces and way types, so you know how much is asphalt, gravel or singletrack before you set off.

You can add waypoints, drag the line to reshape it and save routes to collections. The web planner on a laptop is especially good for longer trips.

For cyclists, the difference between sport types matters. Road bike routing avoids unpaved tracks where possible, gravel routing seeks them out, and mountain bike routing favours trails with difficulty information. Hikers get estimated walking times based on terrain and a fitness level you set in your profile, which makes the duration estimates more realistic than simple distance calculations.

Highlights and discovery

Highlights are community recommendations: viewpoints, cafes, bike-friendly climbs, swimming spots and tricky sections with photos and tips. They make it easy to build routes around interesting places, and the discovery feed suggests ready-made tours near you. Coverage is densest in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and other European countries with large komoot communities.

After a tour, you can upload photos, add your own Highlights and share the adventure with friends or the wider community. Tours can be planned together with others, which is useful for group rides or family hikes, and the web planner lets you print or export routes as GPX files for use in other apps or devices.

Navigation and offline maps

On the trail, komoot offers turn-by-turn voice navigation and GPS tracking. Offline maps are important in the mountains or abroad, and the app can store regions on your phone so navigation keeps working without signal.

Routes send to Garmin and Wahoo devices, and Premium adds the komoot map directly on compatible Garmin units. An Apple Watch app shows directions and live stats on your wrist.

Battery life is a consideration on long days. Navigating with the screen off and voice prompts on saves power, and a small power bank is a sensible addition for multi-hour hikes. Keep in mind that downloaded regions need storage space, particularly for large areas or the whole world.

komoot free vs Premium: what you pay for

komoot's pricing has two layers. The free app includes planning, navigation, tracking and the maps for your first region. Additional regions, or a World Pack covering everywhere, are one-off purchases. On top of that sits komoot Premium, a subscription with extra tools, and a Family plan.

Terms have changed over time, and after the 2025 takeover some users reported that features and pricing were adjusted, so check the current offer in the app before buying.

• Multi-day route planning with stages
• Weather forecast along the whole route
• Live tracking to share your location with family
• Sport-specific maps and 3D terrain view
• Personal collections and worldwide offline maps
• komoot map on Garmin devices

The 2025 Bending Spoons acquisition

In March 2025 komoot was sold to Bending Spoons, the Italian company that also owns several other well-known apps. Reports stated that most of komoot's staff were let go shortly after the deal. The app continues to work and receive updates, but long-time users have voiced concern about the pace of development and future pricing. It is a factor to weigh before buying lifetime map packs.

komoot vs Strava vs AllTrails

komoot is the better planner, especially for cycling on mixed surfaces and for multi-day trips. Strava is better for logging workouts, social features and segment competition, and many people plan in komoot and record in Strava. AllTrails has a larger database of curated hiking trails, particularly in North America, while komoot is stronger for building your own routes in Europe.

Who should use komoot?

komoot is ideal for hikers, gravel and touring cyclists, bikepackers and runners who like to explore new routes. Buying a region or World Pack is enough for many people. Premium is worth it mainly for multi-day adventurers and anyone who wants weather on route and live tracking for safety.

It is less suited to people who mainly want training metrics, heart-rate zones or competitive leaderboards, and walkers who only follow signposted trails may not need a planner at all. Road cyclists who already use a bike computer with good routing might also find the free tier and a single region enough for occasional trips.

Key specs

Platforms

iOS, Android, Apple Watch, web planner

Map data

OpenStreetMap

Activities

Hiking, running, road cycling, gravel, mountain biking and more

Free

Route planning, navigation, tracking, first region's maps

Paid options

Region and World Pack map purchases; Premium subscription; Family plan

Premium extras

Multi-day routes, weather on route, live tracking, sport-specific and 3D maps

Device sync

Garmin (including komoot map on Garmin), Wahoo, Apple Watch

Company

Founded 2010 in Germany; owned by Bending Spoons since 2025

Alternatives to consider

• Strava: Better for social sharing, segments and training analysis, with its own route builder.
• AllTrails: Large curated trail library, strongest for hikers in North America.
• Outdooractive: European outdoor platform with official tourism routes and topographic maps.

Frequently asked questions

komoot remains the route planner to beat for European hikers and cyclists, thanks to sport-aware routing, surface breakdowns and helpful Highlights. The free tier and one-off map packs cover most people. Premium adds useful safety and multi-day tools, but given the ownership change, it is sensible to check current pricing and stick with shorter commitments.

How we research: Reviews are based on the maker’s specifications, published independent tests and owner reports. Scores compare the product with others in its class.