Disclosure: We make TravelMapReel, one of the apps below. It’s not out yet, so we can’t claim it’s the best; it’s listed where it fits, with the same facts as everything else. Every other entry is described from its own App Store listing, Google Play listing or website, checked on 30 September 2026. Prices change; check the store page before you buy. We give no ratings.
The main question isn’t which app is “best”, it’s where the route comes from. There are four answers, and each suits a different trip.
1. You enter or import the route
These apps start with an empty map. You add places, pins or a GPS file, choose a vehicle, and the app animates it. Great control, and they work for trips with no photos at all.
Travel Boast (iPhone, iPad, Android). “Choose transport, enter your route, press the START button,” says its App Store listing, which also counts 300 vehicles. Its website adds GPX and Google Maps import, 3D maps and your own photos or videos. Free download with in-app subscriptions and single vehicles. On the market since 2019. See our Travel Boast comparison.
Travel Animator (iPhone, iPad, Apple silicon Mac, Android). Add stops, search places through Google Maps, or upload GPX. Its website lists 300+ 3D vehicles, 30+ map styles and 80+ landmark models. The free plan exports HD with a watermark; Pro adds 4K and is listed at $5.99/month or $24.99/year on its website (as of September 2026). See our Travel Animator comparison.
MapAnim (web, iPhone, Android). Its website offers AI route generation from a description, Google Maps links, GPX files from Garmin or Strava, and manual editing, with 3D flyovers and 4K export in vertical 9:16. The App Store listing mentions adding photos and videos to the journey and a Pro upgrade (lifetime or annual). Newest of the group: first App Store release June 2026.
Mult.dev (web, iPhone, Android). Build a route by hand or with an AI assistant, or import GPX, KML or GeoJSON from trackers like Strava or Komoot; add photos and place names per stop, and sound, per its App Store listing. Its pricing page lists a free tier (5 videos, 768p, 30 fps, Mult.dev logo) and a one-time Pro purchase up to 1920p and 60 fps.
2. The app tracks your trip with GPS
These record the route while you travel, then turn it into a video. Accurate and effortless, if the app was running during the trip.
Polarsteps (iPhone, Android, web). A travel tracker and journal: “Automatic route tracking” plus photos and stories per step. Its “Trip Reels” “transform your trip into a memorable video” with the press of a button, per its App Store listing. Free download, with a Polarsteps Plus subscription promoted on its website.
FindPenguins (iPhone, Android). A battery-friendly, offline travel tracker. Its App Store listing says it can “generate exciting 3D flyover videos of your recorded route — free and in seconds”.
Relive (iPhone, Android). Built for runs, rides and hikes: track with the app or sync from Garmin, Apple Health and others, then get a 3D video of the route. Free version makes one video per activity; Relive Plus (monthly or yearly) adds up to 100 photos, music and HD, per its App Store listing. Best for single outdoor activities rather than a multi-day road trip.
3. The app builds the route from your photos
TravelMapReel (iPhone, coming soon; made by us). Pick up to 200 trip photos; the app reads when and where each was taken, groups them into named stops, traces real roads between them (flights and ferries as arcs), lets AI put the best photos first and renders a vertical 1080×1920 video in the cloud that ends on distance, days and stops. Works for old trips and needs no tracking. Limits: iPhone only, not out yet, no soundtrack, and photos without a location have to be placed by hand. Free: one teaser showing 3 stops (720p, watermark); unlock the full video in the app. More on how it works.
4. You animate the map by hand
Full creative freedom, and you may already have the tool, but you place the route and every photo yourself.
Canva. Its Motion Path feature lets you drag an element (say, a plane icon) along a path you draw over a map image, then download a video.
CapCut (mobile, desktop, web). Keyframes animate position, scale and rotation, so you can move a vehicle icon along a map image step by step.
Google Earth Studio (desktop Chrome, Google account). A browser-based animation tool on Google Earth’s 3D and satellite imagery, modeled on professional animation tools. It renders an image sequence you assemble into a video elsewhere, and requires on-screen Google Earth attribution.
Comparison table
| App | Platforms | Route comes from | Output (per their pages) | Pricing model (as of Sept 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel Boast | iPhone, iPad, Android | Typed places, pins, GPX, Google Maps | Video for social media | Free + subscriptions and single vehicles |
| Travel Animator | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android | Stops, Google Maps search, GPX | HD (free), 4K (Pro) | Free plan + Pro subscription |
| MapAnim | Web, iPhone, Android | AI description, Google Maps link, GPX | Up to 4K, 9:16 available | Free + Pro (lifetime or annual) |
| Mult.dev | Web, iPhone, Android | Manual, AI assistant, GPX/KML/GeoJSON | 768p free, up to 1920p Pro | Free tier + one-time Pro |
| Polarsteps | iPhone, Android, web | GPS tracking during the trip | Trip Reels video | Free + Polarsteps Plus |
| FindPenguins | iPhone, Android | GPS tracking during the trip | 3D flyover video | Free flyover videos |
| Relive | iPhone, Android | GPS tracking or fitness-app sync | 3D video, horizontal or vertical | Free + Relive Plus |
| TravelMapReel | iPhone (coming soon) | Time and place in your photos | Vertical 1080×1920 MP4, no sound | Free 3-stop teaser; full video in the app |
| Canva / CapCut | Web (Canva); mobile, desktop, web (CapCut) | Drawn by hand | Video you edit yourself | CapCut: free online; Canva: see its plans |
| Google Earth Studio | Desktop Chrome | Keyframed camera by hand | Image sequence | See Google’s terms |
How to choose
- No photos, or a planned route? Use an app you type into: Travel Boast, Travel Animator, MapAnim or Mult.dev.
- Already have a GPS track (Strava, Garmin, Komoot)? MapAnim, Mult.dev and Travel Animator import GPX; Relive syncs from fitness apps.
- Leaving soon and happy to run a tracker? Polarsteps or FindPenguins record the route and make the video for you.
- Trip already over, iPhone full of photos, nothing tracked? That’s the case TravelMapReel is built for, once it’s out.
- Need Android, a Mac, 4K or music today? Pick one of the live apps above that lists it.
- Want total creative control? Canva, CapCut or Google Earth Studio, and budget the time.
Sources
- Travel Boast: App Store, Google Play, travelboast.com
- Travel Animator: App Store, Google Play, pricing
- MapAnim: App Store, mapanim.com
- Mult.dev: App Store, Google Play, pricing
- Polarsteps: App Store, polarsteps.com
- FindPenguins: App Store, findpenguins.com
- Relive: App Store, relive.com
- Canva: Motion Path
- CapCut: capcut.com, keyframe animation
- Google Earth Studio: FAQ, docs, rendering
All product names are trademarks of their owners. TravelMapReel is not affiliated with any app listed here.