Best Route Planner
There are tons of route planning software products out there to help make you get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. Whether this is for a sales route, a delivery route, driving your child to soccer practice, or a road trip across the country, software like this can be hugely helpful. There are tons of apps that plan routes for any purpose you can imagine, and let you optimize routes too. Here are the main players.
Badger Maps
Badger Maps is a sales route planning software, which serves as a good replacement for MapPoint. A sales rep can enter all of their customers from an excel sheet or existing CRM. Then they enter who they would like to see and Badger Maps optimizes the route. It organizes customers by different color pinpoints, can help find new sales leads, and allows for managerial oversight. It is compatible with desktop, smartphone, and tablet, so reps can use it on the road.
Google Maps
Google Maps serves as a route planner. While factoring in current traffic conditions, users can add in multiple locations and get the best directions from place to place. It works on a desktop computer and on smartphones. It also can tell users the best public transportation route, making it great for city travel.
MapPoint
Microsoft shut this product down last year, but its still worth mentioning, because it was a common mapping analysis tool for sales teams. MapPoint mapped individual routes for sales reps and then optimized these routes. Although it was limited in functionality, it got the job done, making it popular and relatively easy to use.
Route4Me
Route4Me is a route planner for delivery people. Business can enter in customers and optimize delivery routes every day. These routes can then be shared or have manager access. This app also works both on a desktop website and on a smartphone app.
RoadTrippers
As the name implies, Road Trippers is a route planner for those trying to plan a road trip. This application allows the user to find hotels, attractions, and food/drink which are on the way to their desired location. It provides directions on a desktop, but also is compatible with smartphones.
MapMyRide
Map My Ride is a route planner for bicyclists. It allows bikers to map a route, track activity, and log food to track fitness and health. Users can enter a route or find popular routes in any major city in the world. Whether an avid biker or an explorer of a new city on vacation, this app can serve that purpose.