Sales route planner apps serve one of two jobs: daily multi-stop route optimization (which order to visit 15 accounts in today) and territory route planning (which accounts to visit this week, mapped geographically). Most apps try to do both. Most teams only need one. And most teams pay for the wrong one.
The field sales software market hit $5.2 billion in 2025, with route planning as the most-requested feature in buyer surveys. But 'route planning' means different things to an outside rep driving 30 stops per day versus a territory manager planning weekly coverage. This comparison separates those use cases honestly so you pick the app that fits your actual workflow.
- →Sales route planner apps range from free to $75/user/month. The right one depends on whether reps need daily multi-stop routing or territory visualization for planning.
- →InstaMaps is free and plans routes for 50-100 stops directly from Google Sheets. Best for territory visualization and weekly route planning.
- →Badger Maps ($49/user/month) is the best mobile-first route planner for individual field reps who need turn-by-turn navigation between accounts.
- →RouteXL is free for up to 20 stops per route and handles route optimization well, but has no CRM integration or map visualization beyond routing.
- →Salesforce Maps ($75/user/month) handles routing inside Salesforce with territory assignment and visit logging — overkill for teams that only need route planning.
- →Most field sales teams start looking for a route planner when what they actually need is a territory map. The two jobs are different, and paying for one when you need the other wastes budget.
Route Planning vs Territory Mapping: Know Which You Need
Before comparing apps, know which problem you're solving. Daily route optimization takes a list of addresses for today and reorders them into the fastest driving sequence, shortest total drive time, fewest backtracks. This is a rep-level problem: 'I have 12 appointments today, what order should I drive them?'
Territory route planning maps your accounts across a region and helps you decide which accounts to visit this week based on geography, priority, and coverage needs. This is a manager-level problem: 'which accounts in this territory haven't been visited in 30 days, and how should we allocate them across the team this week?'
Most route planner apps handle the first job well and the second job poorly. If your team needs territory planning more than daily turn-by-turn routing, you may be better served by a territory visualization tool (like InstaMaps) than a dedicated route planner. If your reps genuinely drive 20+ stops per day and need real-time navigation, a route planner is the right investment.
InstaMaps — Free Route Planning from Google Sheets
InstaMaps is a free Google Sheets add-on that includes route planning for 50-100 stops alongside its core territory visualization features. It's designed for the planning workflow: export your CRM data to Google Sheets, open the add-on, see accounts on a map, and plan a route through selected stops.
The route workflow: create a layer tab with your accounts (addresses, names, priority, last-visit date). Open InstaMaps and see them on a map. Filter by territory, owner, or priority. Select the accounts you want to visit today and the add-on generates an optimized route. Export the route to Google Maps for turn-by-turn navigation on your phone.
Strengths: free with no per-user cost, works with any CRM that exports to Google Sheets, multi-layer territory visualization, dynamic filtering on any column, route planning integrated with the map view. Weaknesses: no native mobile app (works in mobile browser), no real-time GPS tracking, no check-in/check-out visit logging.
Badger Maps — $49/User for Mobile Route Optimization
Badger Maps is the purpose-built route planner for field sales reps. Its core feature is mobile route optimization with turn-by-turn navigation between accounts. The rep opens the app, sees their accounts for the day, and Badger reorders them into the fastest driving sequence.
Badger integrates natively with Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zoho CRM. Account data syncs automatically, the rep sees their CRM accounts on the map without manual exports. Check-in and check-out logging writes activity back to the CRM automatically.
At $49/user/month ($588/user/year), the cost is justified when individual reps save 30-60 minutes per day on driving time. For a team of 10 reps, that's $5,880/year, which pays for itself if optimized routes generate even one extra appointment per rep per week.
Weaknesses: no free tier. Territory visualization for managers is secondary to the rep routing workflow. The price adds up for teams that only need route planning occasionally.
RouteXL — Free Route Optimization for Up to 20 Stops
RouteXL is a standalone route optimizer. You paste addresses, it returns the optimal driving order. Free for up to 20 stops per route. No CRM integration, no map visualization, no mobile app, just routing.
For reps who need a quick route optimization and don't want to pay $49/month, RouteXL handles the core job. Paste your stop addresses, click optimize, and get a sequenced route. Export to Google Maps or a GPS device for navigation.
Weaknesses: no CRM integration means manual address entry (or copy-paste from a spreadsheet). No territory visualization. No account management. The free tier caps at 20 stops. Paid plans start at €30/month for unlimited stops and API access.
Salesforce Maps — $75/User for Enterprise Route Management
Salesforce Maps handles route planning inside Salesforce with territory assignment, visit logging, and real-time rep tracking. At $75/user/month ($900/user/year), it's the most expensive option and the most integrated for Salesforce-heavy teams.
The routing is tied to Salesforce territory management: accounts are assigned to reps by territory rules, routes are generated from the rep's assigned accounts, and visit activity writes back to Salesforce activity records. For enterprise field sales teams with 20+ reps running on Salesforce, this tight loop is the value proposition.
Requires Salesforce Enterprise edition and admin setup (2-4 weeks typically). No free tier. For teams that need route planning without the full Salesforce ecosystem, it's overkill.
Which Route Planner Fits Your Team
The decision comes down to team size, daily stop count, and whether you need CRM integration.
Tab 1. Solo rep or small team, <15 stops/day, weekly planning → InstaMaps (free)
Tab 2. Individual field rep, 15-30 stops/day, daily mobile routing → Badger Maps ($49/user)
Tab 3. One-off route optimization, no CRM needed → RouteXL (free up to 20 stops)
Tab 4. Enterprise team, 20+ reps on Salesforce → Salesforce Maps ($75/user)
Tab 5. Manager planning territory coverage, not daily routes → InstaMaps (free), you need a map, not a route planner
At a Glance
| Feature | InstaMaps | Badger Maps |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $49/user/month |
| Route optimization | Yes (50-100 stops) | Yes (mobile-first) |
| Mobile app | Mobile browser | Native iOS/Android |
| CRM integration | Via Google Sheets export | Native Salesforce/HubSpot |
| Territory visualization | Yes (multi-layer) | Basic |
| Visit logging | No | Yes (auto CRM write-back) |
| Dynamic filters | Any column | Limited |
| Setup time | 5 minutes, no admin | 30 min CRM integration |
Map your Salesforce accounts in under 5 minutes — no admin setup.
Common Questions
For route planning integrated with a territory map: InstaMaps. It plans routes for 50-100 stops directly from Google Sheets data, with filtering and multi-layer visualization. For standalone route optimization without map features: RouteXL handles up to 20 stops free. Neither requires a credit card.
If your reps drive 15+ stops per day and need turn-by-turn navigation between them, you need a route planner (Badger Maps or RouteXL). If you're a manager planning which accounts to cover this week based on geography and coverage gaps, you need a territory map (InstaMaps). Most teams start searching for route planners when territory mapping is the actual problem.
Yes, through Google Sheets. Export any Salesforce report to Google Sheets, rename the tab to start with 'layer_', and open InstaMaps. Your Salesforce accounts appear on the map and you can plan routes through selected accounts. For real-time CRM sync (automatic account updates, visit write-back), Badger Maps or Salesforce Maps offer native integration, at $49-75/user/month.
InstaMaps handles routes with 50-100 stops. RouteXL's free tier handles 20 stops; paid plans handle unlimited. Badger Maps handles 100+ stops per route. For daily field sales routes, most reps visit 10-25 stops, any of these tools handles that volume. The constraint is usually data quality (accurate addresses) not software capacity.
Export your accounts to Google Sheets, open InstaMaps, and plan optimized routes for up to 100 stops — with territory visualization and dynamic filtering included. No per-user cost.
Install InstaMaps Free