Free off-road route planner: Offroad Pilot vs Scenic, Calimoto & Kurviger

Most motorcycle route planners are built to avoid unpaved. Offroad Pilot flips that and seeks it out. Below is a fair comparison of the best-known apps (Scenic, Calimoto, Kurviger, GoraAdv and onX Offroad) on the things that actually matter for off-road riding.

Why do most route planners avoid unpaved?

Nearly all popular motorcycle apps are made for paved touring: curvy roads, comfortable surface and smooth turn-by-turn navigation. There, unpaved counts as a risk (less grip, more weather-sensitive, rougher surface), so you usually get an "avoid unpaved" button. What almost nobody offers is the opposite button: a route that seeks out as much unpaved as possible. That is exactly the gap Offroad Pilot fills. Where a paved planner routes gravel away, Offroad Pilot plans forest tracks, sand roads and green lanes in: the route automatically seeks out as much unpaved as possible, and the Adventure slider sets how much longer than the direct line your route may be.

The comparison in one table

The table below sums up the core question: which planner seeks unpaved out, and on what terms? The facts come from the providers' own documentation and apps (as of July 2026); features and pricing can change, so check the source if in doubt.

Simplified overview as general information. "Not as a goal" means the app doesn't actively exclude protected nature or military areas as a routing objective, not that it deliberately routes you through them. Always check features and pricing with the provider.

Offroad Pilot: unpaved as the goal, free and no account

Offroad Pilot is built around one question: how do I get as much unpaved as possible between A and B? You set a start and end point (or leave the destination out for a loop) and immediately see the percentage unpaved plus the surface per segment. The route automatically seeks out as much unpaved as possible: forest tracks, gravel, sand and green lanes, instead of avoiding them. The Adventure slider then sets how much longer than the direct line your route may be, from near-direct to maximum adventure. Protected nature (Staatsbosbeheer, Natuurmonumenten) and military areas stay out of your route by default, and you download a GPX for Calimoto, Kurviger, Scenic, TomTom Rider, OsmAnd or Gaia GPS. All free, in the browser, with no account or install.

Scenic: strong for paved, but "avoid unpaved"

Scenic is a well-regarded motorcycle navigation app with a nice planner and turn-by-turn navigation. Since Scenic 3 you can avoid unpaved in all routing modes. That's an avoid option, not a mode that seeks unpaved out. Import a GPX track and Scenic converts it into a navigable route with its "Scenify" algorithm by "snapping" the points to the underlying road network; on unpaved that can mean a line falls back to the nearest paved road. You can correct that manually with via points. For paved touring and managing your routes Scenic is strong; for "find me unpaved on purpose" it isn't built.

Calimoto: pleasant offline navigation, no gravel preference

Calimoto excels at curvy round trips and reliable offline navigation, handy where the network drops out. For unpaved the limitation is simple: there is no setting to prefer gravel or unpaved. Calimoto generally excludes roads that OpenStreetMap marks as unsuitable for motorcycles. That makes it excellent for paved, but not the tool to generate a route full of unpaved. So a great combination is: plan the unpaved in Offroad Pilot and navigate the GPX in Calimoto.

Kurviger: excellent curvy-road engine, unpaved avoid-only

Kurviger is known for its strong "curvy roads" engine that steers you over the finest twisty roads, with a free web planner and paid app options. Per its own documentation, the unpaved setting is an avoid option (adjustable from light to strict depending on your subscription). There is no mode that prefers gravel or unpaved. For paved touring pleasure Kurviger is a top choice; if you want to maximise unpaved, Offroad Pilot does exactly what Kurviger deliberately does not.

GoraAdv: maximises unpaved, but an account is needed for GPX

GoraAdv is one of the few planners that, like Offroad Pilot, actively seeks unpaved: its algorithm picks as many dirt tracks and gravel roads as possible and avoids main roads, across many countries. The main difference is the threshold: to download the GPX, GoraAdv asks for a (free) account, whereas with Offroad Pilot you export directly with no account or registration. If you want an unpaved-maximising planner and an account is no obstacle, GoraAdv is a strong option; if you want zero threshold, Offroad Pilot is more low-barrier.

onX Offroad: a trail app, US-oriented, partly free

onX Offroad is a comprehensive trail app with a huge database of off-road trails, open/closed status and offline maps, with the emphasis on the United States and on trail riding (4x4, ATV, dirt bike) on designated trails. There is a free tier, but trail status and offline maps sit behind a subscription; it works differently from a route generator that stitches unpaved together over the public road network in Europe. For American trail riders wanting private-land layers, onX is strong; for "plan me an unpaved motorcycle route in the Netherlands, free and no account", Offroad Pilot fits better.

When to use which?

No single app is "the best" for everything. It depends on what you're riding. A fair guide:

You want as much unpaved as possible, free and hassle-free

Offroad Pilot. Automatically seeks out as much unpaved as possible, in the browser, no account, GPX export, nature and military kept out of the route by default.

You mainly want curvy paved routes

Kurviger or Calimoto, their curvy/tour engines are made for exactly that.

You want to manage and navigate your routes on your phone

Scenic or Calimoto, with strong turn-by-turn and (with Calimoto) offline navigation.

You ride designated trails, especially in the US

onX Offroad, with its trail database and terrain layers.

You want to maximise unpaved and an account is no obstacle

GoraAdv is a good second alongside Offroad Pilot.

How to plan an unpaved route in two minutes

With Offroad Pilot you plan straight in the browser, no account:

• Set a start and end point, or leave the destination out for a loop.
• The route automatically seeks out as much unpaved as possible. Use the Adventure slider to set how much longer than the direct line your route may be.
• Check the percentage unpaved and the surface per segment.
• Download the GPX and load it into Calimoto, Kurviger, Scenic, TomTom Rider, OsmAnd or Gaia GPS.
• Ride on sight. Protected nature and military areas stay out of your route by default, but the signs on the ground are always decisive.

Plan an unpaved route →

Further reading: where can you ride a motorcycle unpaved in the Netherlands and green laning in the Netherlands.