The Best Free Alternative to Relive in 2026
Jaseel S8 min read
In this article 10 sections
Travel Animator is a free Relive alternative that turns any route into an animated map video, whether you tracked it with GPS or not.
Imagine you drove from Kochi to Munnar last December with your family. Nobody recorded the trip on a fitness app, but you still remember every stop and want to share it as a short video. You open Relive and find it has nothing to work with, because it needs a recorded GPS activity. That’s when you start looking for a Relive alternative that can work with a route you remember, plan or have saved on Google Maps.
In this guide, we compare Relive and Travel Animator: what each app does well, what the free plans include, and which one suits the video you want to make.
What Is Relive?
Relive is a mobile app for iOS and Android built for outdoor activities such as running, cycling and hiking. It records your activity with GPS on your phone or Apple Watch, or pulls it in from connected trackers such as Garmin Connect, Wahoo, Polar, Suunto and Apple Health. It then turns the activity into an automatic 3D flyover video with your route and stats shown over the landscape.
You can also import activity files in GPX, TCX or FIT format. However, Relive’s support pages say the file must include GPS and time data. Because of this, Relive cannot import Google Maps data, and it does not let you plan or draw routes.
Relive is free to use. The free version gives you one 3D video per activity, without editing, and with Relive end credits. Relive Plus costs $6.99/month or $38.99/year, with a 7-day free trial. It adds HD video, unlimited editing, video speed control, music, up to 100 photos and clips, 12 colour themes, activities longer than 12 hours, importing older activities and removal of the end credits.
What Is Travel Animator?
Travel Animator is a mobile-first travel animation app for iOS and Android. It has a 4.6/5 rating on the App Store and 4.3/5 on the Play Store, with more than 43,000 combined ratings.
Instead of recording an activity, Travel Animator starts from a route. You can add stops by hand, paste a Google Maps link, or import a GPX or KML/KMZ file. A 3D vehicle model then moves along the route on the map, with your avatar customization if needed.
The free plan includes 10+ vehicle models, 80+ video elements, GPX and Google Maps import, and unlimited HD exports with a watermark. The Pro plan unlocks 300+ models, 30+ map styles (2D, 3D and seasonal), 4K export and watermark-free videos.
Why People Look for a Relive Alternative
Relive is excellent for recorded workouts, but some people look elsewhere for these reasons:
- Relive needs recorded GPS data – If a trip wasn’t tracked, or the file has no timestamps, Relive can’t make a video from it.
- You can’t plan or draw a route – Relive can’t animate a trip you’re about to take or a route you only remember.
- No Google Maps import – A road trip saved in Google Maps can’t be brought into Relive.
- It’s built for activities, not every kind of travel – A flight, train journey, or cruise isn’t the kind of activity Relive is designed to record.
- The free video is fixed – Free users get one video per activity, with no editing and with end credits. Editing, HD and removing the credits all require Relive Plus.
This works well if you mainly record runs and rides. But if you want to animate any kind of trip, whether you tracked it or not, you may need a different tool.
Travel Animator Free vs Relive Free: Quick Comparison
| Feature | Relive (Free) | Travel Animator (Free) |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | iOS & Android app | iOS & Android app |
| Paid plan | Relive Plus: $6.99/month or $38.99/year | Pro: $5.99/month or $24.99/year |
| How to add a route | Record with GPS, connect a tracker, or import a GPX, TCX, or FIT file with GPS and time data | Add stops manually, import a Google Maps route, or upload a GPX file |
| Create videos without GPS tracking | No | Yes |
| Google Maps import | No | Yes |
| Live GPS recording | Yes, using a phone or Apple Watch | No |
| Vehicle models | Flyover marker | 3D vehicle models (10+ free, 300+ on Pro) |
| Editing | One video per activity without editing; unlimited editing on Plus | Edit and re-export videos as often as you like |
| Video quality | HD requires Plus | HD free, 4K on Pro |
| Branding on free videos | Relive end credits (removed on Plus) | Small watermark (removed on Pro) |
| Activity statistics | Shows speed, elevation, and other activity data | No activity statistics |
| Music | Available on Plus | Add music after exporting the video |
Want the full feature-by-feature breakdown? See our complete comparison of Travel Animator and Relive.
What Makes Travel Animator a Free Relive Alternative
- Works without a GPS recording – You can build a route by adding stops by hand, so trips from years ago, or trips nobody tracked, can still become a video.
- Animates trips before they happen – Plan a route for an upcoming holiday and share it as a video before you leave. Relive can’t plan routes.
- Imports from Google Maps – Paste a Google Maps link and the route appears on the map. Relive can’t import Google Maps data because it has no timestamps.
- Also takes GPX files – Already have a recorded track from Garmin, Strava or a hiking app? Upload the GPX file and animate.
- Covers every kind of travel – Choose a car, bike, plane, train or ship from the 3D model library, and switch vehicles between stops for trips that mix transport.
- Free editing – Change the route, vehicle, labels or duration and export again as many times as you like on the free plan.
- Roads that look like roads – Turn on Real Routes so a manually added drive follows the actual roads rather than a straight line.
What Makes Relive Better?
- Live GPS recording – Relive records your activity as it happens, on your phone or Apple Watch. Travel Animator doesn’t record GPS.
- Automatic videos – Once your activity syncs, Relive creates the 3D video for you with almost no setup.
- Activity stats – Relive shows stats like speed and elevation in the video, which athletes care about. Travel Animator doesn’t overlay workout stats.
- Tracker connections – Relive connects directly to Garmin Connect, Wahoo, Polar, Suunto, Apple Health and others, so activities appear automatically.
- Music inside the app – Relive Plus lets you add music tracks. Travel Animator has no built-in audio, so you add music after exporting.
- A social feed – Relive lets you follow friends and see their activities.
Which Tool Is Right for You?
Choose Travel Animator if you:
- Want to animate a trip you didn’t track, or one you haven’t taken yet
- Have a route saved in Google Maps
- Travel by car, plane, train or ship, not just on foot or bike
- Want to choose the vehicle, map, labels and video length yourself
- Want free editing and HD exports
Choose Relive if you:
- Record your runs, rides and hikes live with GPS
- Want an automatic 3D video with activity stats
- Use Garmin, Wahoo, Polar, Suunto or Apple Health and want activities to sync on their own
- Want to share activities with friends in a social feed
Both apps can be free to start. The main difference is whether your video starts from a recorded activity (Relive) or from any route you choose (Travel Animator).
How to Get Started with Travel Animator
- Download Travel Animator from the App Store or Google Play.
- Start a new project and tap Add Locations to set your starting point and end point.
- Tap the + icon to add more stops. You can also upload a GPX file or paste a Google Maps link.
- For a flight, type the airport’s three-letter code to find the airport quickly.
- Long-press each stop to choose a vehicle model, add photos and text, or turn on Real Routes.
- Tap Preview to watch the animation.
- Adjust the ratio, model size, video duration, place labels, flags and cover image.
- Export in HD on the free plan, then share it on social media.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Travel Animator really free?
Yes. The free plan has no time limit and no credit card is needed. It includes unlimited HD exports with a small watermark, which Pro removes.
Can Travel Animator make a video of a trip I never tracked?
Yes. Add each stop by hand or paste a Google Maps link. You don’t need a GPS recording or a fitness tracker.
Can I use my Relive or Garmin GPX file in Travel Animator?
Yes. Travel Animator imports GPX files on both the free and Pro plans, so a track recorded on another app or device can be animated with a vehicle model.
Can Relive import a route from Google Maps?
No. Relive’s support pages say it needs files with GPS and time data, and Google Maps data doesn’t include timestamps. Travel Animator imports Google Maps links directly.
Does Travel Animator record GPS like Relive?
No. Travel Animator animates routes; it doesn’t track your activity. If you want to record live, use a tracking app and import the GPX file into Travel Animator afterwards.
Does Travel Animator add music to videos?
No. Travel Animator doesn’t include built-in audio. Add a soundtrack after exporting, using Instagram or an app such as CapCut or InShot.
Which One Should You Choose?
Choose Relive if you track your workouts and want an automatic 3D recap with stats.
Choose Travel Animator if you want to animate any trip, tracked, planned or remembered, with a vehicle of your choice moving across the map. The free plan includes HD exports with a small watermark that you can remove by upgrading.
This comparison is published by Travel Animator, so read it as the maker’s view. Relive details are based on Relive’s public website, Plus page and support centre as of September 25, 2026, and may change.
Download Travel Animator to animate your first route for free, or see how Travel Animator compares to other travel animation apps.
