Route.nl
Route.nl is a Dutch consumer platform offering over 150,000 free cycling and walking routes across the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany via a freemium mobile app and web route planner built on the official junction-node network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersEindhoven, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Route.nl does
Route.nl B.V. is a Dutch private limited company headquartered in Eindhoven that operates a consumer-facing platform for discovering, planning, and navigating cycling and walking routes across the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. The platform provides more than 150,000 free routes through forests, dunes, heathlands, and villages, leveraging the official knooppuntennetwerk (junction-node) network for turn-by-turn navigation. Route.nl is part of the Routiq group and operates as a freemium product, with basic access free (capped at 3 saved routes) and premium features including unlimited route saving, offline navigation, spoken turn-by-turn 3D navigation, activity tracking, and an ad-free experience priced at €17.99 per year or €3.99 per month.
Route.nl firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Route.nl
- Legal name
- route.nl B.V.
- Website
- https://route.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Route.nl is a Dutch consumer platform offering over 150,000 free cycling and walking routes across the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany via a freemium mobile app and web route planner built on the official junction-node network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Route.nl industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Outdoor Recreation Route Planning & Navigation
- NAICS
- Other Support Activities for Transportation (4889)
- SIC
- Transportation Services (4700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Multi-Modal Aggregators & Trip Planning APIs (Door-to-Door) (THALAJAI)
Keywords
Where Route.nl is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Eindhoven
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Route.nl business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Premium Subscription: Annual and monthly subscription tiers providing unlimited route saving, ad-free experience, offline navigation, activity tracking, spoken turn-by-turn 3D navigation, and priority helpdesk support
- Advertising: Display advertising on the platform for leisure, tourism, and outdoor activity brands
- Enterprise/Business Services: Business advertising options and location placement services for companies on the route.nl platform
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free basic access with limited functionality |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual subscription with full premium access |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Route.nl product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Route.nl operates a freemium cycling and walking route discovery and navigation platform serving the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. The platform delivers more than 150,000 prebuilt routes via a mobile app and online route planner, integrated with the official knooppunten (junction-point) networks and supported by partnerships with Staatsbosbeheer, Natuurmonumenten, Falk, VisitBrabant, and other regional tourism bodies. Core monetized services include a Premium subscription that unlocks unlimited saved routes, offline navigation, activity tracking, spoken 3D turn-by-turn directions, and priority support.
Product overview
Route.nl is a route discovery and navigation platform offering more than 150,000 free cycling and walking routes across the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. The core offering consists of the Route.nl mobile application, an online route planner, and the Routiq Premium subscription service. The platform enables users to follow numbered nodes through forests, dunes, heathlands, and villages, with new features including an Activiteiten Tracker for real-time activity tracking. Route.nl is part of the Routiq platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Route.nl App Mobile application for discovering, planning, and navigating more than 150,000 cycling and walking routes across the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. Supports the knooppunten junction network, GPX import, route reviews, and offline navigation for individual outdoor recreation enthusiasts.
- Routeplanner Web-based route planning tool that lets users create custom cycling and walking routes, plan trips, and download the resulting routes to the Route.nl mobile app for offline navigation.
- Routiq Premium Premium subscription service offering unlimited route saving, ad-free experience, offline navigation, spoken turn-by-turn 3D navigation, real-time activity tracking, and priority helpdesk support. Priced at €3.99/month or €17.99/year with a 7-day free trial.
Companies that use Route.nl
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Route.nl technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Route.nl partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, regional and minor.
- StaatsbosbeheercoreDutch State Forestry Service provides forest routes and visitor center partnerships. Route.nl features Staatsbosbeheer forest routes (boswachterspaden) as part of its route catalog.
- FalkcoreFalkplan publishes cycling and walking maps for Benelux. Route.nl features classic Falk routes and promotes Falk map products.
- VisitBrabantcoreRegional tourism organization for North-Brabant, providing curated routes through Brabant's nature areas, national parks, and cities.
- Stichting NatuurmonumentencoreNature conservation organization contributing routes through protected natural areas managed by Natuurmonumenten.
- Eifel Tourismus GmbHregionalGerman tourism organization providing routes through the Eifel region near Belgium and Luxembourg borders.
- Wandelnetwerk duin- en bollenstreekregionalWalking network organization for the Dune and Bulb Region, providing curated walking routes through dunes, beaches, flower fields, and historic villages.
- Visit DenmarkminorDanish tourism organization providing routes and destination information for Denmark on route.nl.
- Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbHminorTourist information for Leipzig, Germany with contact details provided on route.nl partner page.
- SaarlandminorGerman state tourism organization providing routes through the Saarland region.
- De Hoek van Zuid-HollandregionalRegional tourism organization covering Westland, Hoek van Holland, Maassluis, Vlaardingen, Schiedam, Midden-Delfland, and Delft.
- Paderborner LandregionalGerman cycling destination with well-maintained cycling paths and regional cuisine experiences.
- Drentse Fiets4DaagseregionalLargest cycling event in Netherlands with approximately 12,000 annual participants. Routes featured on route.nl platform.
- DjoserminorTravel organization offering walking and cycling tours, routes featured on route.nl.
- Tourist Info (Belgium)regionalBelgian tourist information offices providing routes for Belgian municipalities and regions.
- Stichting 18 SeptemberminorFoundation organizing historical walking routes in Eindhoven, including the Freedom Walk commemorating WWII liberation.
- Stichting Montferland MarketingregionalRegional marketing foundation for Montferland area, providing cycling and walking routes through the hills and historic sites.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Route.nl competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Plotaroute: UK-focused online route planner for walking, running, and cycling with map-based planning and GPX export. Smaller in scale but offers overlapping functionality with Route.nl's web routeplanner.
Direct peers
- Komoot: Germany-based route planning app for hiking and cycling with deep European coverage, multi-language support, and a freemium + premium model. Most direct head-to-head competitor to Route.nl, particularly in Germany and Belgium.
- Bikemap: Global cycling route platform with millions of routes contributed by users and a premium tier for offline navigation. Directly competes with Route.nl on cycling route discovery and turn-by-turn navigation in Europe.
- Ride with GPS: Cycling-focused route planner and navigation app with offline maps and turn-by-turn directions. Closely comparable technology stack (GPS route planning + offline navigation) targeting serious cyclists who also use Route.nl.
- Outdooractive: European outdoor platform providing hiking and cycling route planning across the Alps and DACH region with tourism board partnerships. Directly comparable to Route.nl in content model and European B2B/government partnerships.
- AllTrails: US-listed global hiking, running, and cycling trail discovery platform with 60M+ community members and a premium tier. Competes with Route.nl for outdoor recreation users and tourism SEO traffic across Europe.
- Wikiloc: Community-driven outdoor trail database (hiking, cycling, running) with route discovery and navigation. Comparable to Route.nl in user-generated content model and outdoor recreation focus.
Others
- VisitBrabant: Regional Dutch tourism organization and Route.nl marketing partner providing curated content. Represents the category of tourism B2B partners whose own direct-to-consumer strategies could either amplify or disintermediate Route.nl.
- Staatsbosbeheer: Dutch State Forestry Service and Route.nl partner; operates its own route apps and visitor content. Adjacent ecosystem participant that could shift from partner to direct competitor if it deepens its own digital offering.
Broad incumbents
- Strava: Global social fitness network with route discovery, navigation, and activity tracking. While broader than Route.nl (running/cycling/swimming), Strava's route and segment features directly overlap with Route.nl's cycling use case for serious enthusiasts.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Route.nl social profiles
Digital presenceRoute.nl financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Route.nl leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Route.nl funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Route.nl M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Route.nl
What does Route.nl do?
Route.nl operates a freemium cycling and walking route discovery and navigation platform serving the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. The platform delivers more than 150,000 prebuilt routes via a mobile app and online route planner, integrated with the official knooppunten (junction-point) networks and supported by partnerships with Staatsbosbeheer, Natuurmonumenten, Falk, VisitBrabant, and other regional tourism bodies. Core monetized services include a Premium subscription that unlocks unlimited saved routes, offline navigation, activity tracking, spoken 3D turn-by-turn directions, and priority support.
Is Route.nl a public or private company?
Route.nl is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Route.nl founded?
Route.nl was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Route.nl based?
Route.nl is headquartered in Eindhoven, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Route.nl make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Premium Subscription is the primary driver. The others are advertising and enterprise/Business Services.
Who are Route.nl's main competitors?
Plotaroute is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Komoot, Bikemap, Ride with GPS, Outdooractive, AllTrails and Wikiloc. Others are VisitBrabant and Staatsbosbeheer. Strava is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Route.nl have an API?
No public API is recorded for Route.nl.
What industry is Route.nl in?
Route.nl's product category is Outdoor Recreation Route Planning & Navigation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THALAJAI, Multi-Modal Aggregators & Trip Planning APIs (Door-to-Door). Its NAICS code is 4889 and its SIC code is 4700.