AllTrails Plus, costing £35.99 per year (roughly 10p a day), has transformed the summer of casual walkers by providing access to thousands of curated UK trails with offline maps and off-route alerts. The app, available on iPhone and Android, boasts over 90 million users worldwide.
What AllTrails Offers
The free version, AllTrails Base, allows users to save trails, create lists, and navigate. The Plus subscription (£35.99/year or £2.99/month) adds offline map downloads, off-route alerts, 3D maps, and Live Share for real-time location sharing. The Peak subscription (£79.99/year) includes community heatmaps, custom route building in the app, and a plant identification tool.
According to journalist Henry Burrell, who tested the app for the Express, offline maps are essential: even on walks with reasonable signal, the app performs significantly better when not dependent on a data connection. GPS functions without signal, so your location remains accurate even without reception.
How It Compares to Google Maps and OS Maps
AllTrails is far superior to Google Maps for navigating on foot. Google Maps is designed to get you from A to B as quickly as possible, while AllTrails excels at finding circular walks with points of interest. However, AllTrails maps are less detailed than Ordnance Survey (OS) maps, which show natural and manmade features. The OS Maps app costs £35.99/year but is UK-only, whereas AllTrails has global coverage.
Key Features for Walkers
Users can filter routes by location, distance, and difficulty rating. The Explore tab shows nearby trails, while the For You tab offers tailored suggestions based on past activity. Completed routes are saved to your profile to improve recommendations.
Off-route alerts, available with Plus, notify you when you stray from the path on both iPhone and Apple Watch. Android users with WearOS smartwatches (e.g., Google Pixel Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch) can also receive alerts. AllTrails supports Garmin and Coros sports watches, allowing you to start a route from the watch and sync data automatically.
Value and Verdict
At £2.99 per month, AllTrails Plus represents solid value for casual walkers looking to explore the outdoors. The app does just enough to point you towards a brilliant walk before largely getting out of your way. However, it continuously uses GPS, so a power bank is recommended. For experienced hikers, it may feel basic, but for UK walkers, it's ideal and motivating without being condescending.
