Plan before the workout
Create a route on your laptop, export it as GPX, and send it to Strava, Garmin, or a bike computer before you head out.
Recover from sync issues
If a recording failed or an export is broken, an online GPX workflow is one of the fastest ways to rebuild the route.
Share a clean course
A GPX file is still one of the easiest formats to pass between mapping tools, training apps, and devices.
Free tools compared
Most people searching for a way to create a GPX route online want one of three things: a route they can follow, a file they can import into another platform, or a fallback when the original workout file is missing. The tools below can all help with the first part. The main difference is how far they go once the route has been drawn.
Komoot
Best for: Planning a ride or run on mapped roads and trails with a polished route-building flow.
Where it helps: Useful when you want to sketch the route online, inspect terrain, and export a navigation-ready file for the next device or app in your workflow.
Where it stops: It is strongest as a route planner. If you need a finished activity file with believable heart rate, speed, or watts, that usually means adding another step outside the planner itself.
Plotaroute
Best for: Fast browser-based route drawing when you want a simple map tool and quick GPX output.
Where it helps: A practical option for creating a line on the map, adjusting distance, and exporting a route without a heavy setup process.
Where it stops: It helps with geometry more than workout realism. Route planners like this are good at the shape of the file, but not at turning it into a detailed training record with sensor data.
Ride with GPS
Best for: Cyclists who want cues, route organization, and a strong planning workflow before the ride happens.
Where it helps: A solid choice for route creation, sharing, and navigation prep when the route itself is the main deliverable.
Where it stops: If your goal is not only a route but a full import-ready activity with effort metrics, you will usually need something more specialized than a standard route planner.
What a plain GPX route does well
GPX is still one of the best formats for route geometry. It is portable, familiar, and easy to move between training apps and GPS devices. If your job is simply to map the course for a ride or run, a normal GPX export is often exactly enough. That is why so many athletes start with route planners first.
If you want a broader overview of that workflow, our GPX file generator guide breaks down how GPX fits Strava and Garmin imports.
Where route planners start to fall short
A route planner is not the same thing as an activity builder. Once you want the file to represent effort over time rather than only a line on the map, you usually run into the limits of free route tools. They help you create the course, but not necessarily the training data around it.
That matters most when the destination is Strava. Importing a file is easy enough; importing a file that feels complete is the harder part. That is also why athletes often move from GPX-only workflows into richer formats like TCX.
The route line is only half the story
A GPX route can show where the activity went, but a plain route export rarely tells Strava or another platform how the workout actually unfolded over time.
Free planners rarely create training metrics
Most route tools are built to plan navigation, not simulate a believable stream of pace, speed, heart rate, or power values across the file.
TCX is better when the activity context matters
If you need the import to feel closer to a recorded workout than a route sketch, TCX usually gives you the richer structure to work with.
ForgePace goes further than a simple online route planner
This is the part that makes ForgePace different. Instead of stopping at route geometry, ForgePace is built to help you create a file that is ready for the next stage of the workflow. You can start from the route idea, then generate a GPX or TCX output that carries more believable workout context for upload.
ForgePace goes further — generate a GPX or TCX file with realistic heart rate, speed and power data, ready to import into Strava. If you want the richer format, the TCX file generator guide explains why TCX is often the better choice when you need more than a route line.
The practical way to think about it is simple. Use a basic route planner when all you need is the course. Use ForgePace when you want the export to look and behave more like a complete activity file. That is the gap between online route drawing and a realistic upload workflow.
FAQ
Can I create a GPX route online for free?
Yes. Several route planners let you build a route in the browser and export GPX or a similar route file. The tradeoff is that free tools usually focus on mapping and navigation, not on generating a detailed activity record. If you also need timestamps, workout context, or a Strava-ready activity import, pair route planning with a file generator that understands training data.
What is the best free tool to create a GPX route online?
It depends on the job. Komoot, Plotaroute, and Ride with GPS are all useful if you mainly want to draw a route and export it. The better question is what happens after export: if you need timestamps, workout data, or a route that imports cleanly as an activity, you may need a GPX or TCX generator rather than only a route planner.
Should I use GPX or TCX for Strava?
Use GPX when route geometry is the main goal and you want maximum compatibility with mapping apps, GPS devices, and route libraries. Use TCX when you also want workout context such as ordered timestamps, heart rate, pace progression, or power-related fields. ForgePace covers both directions depending on what you need to import into Strava or another training platform.