Gaia GPS
View permitted open maps, import GPX tracks, and organize offline trip notes
A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Gaia GPS, view permitted open maps, import GPX tracks, and organize offline trip notes. The hard boundary is licensed map layers, offline downloads, route planning, mobile reliability, and outdoor data, plus proprietary live data and network coverage.
Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability
What you give up
- licensed map layers, offline downloads, route planning, mobile reliability, and outdoor data
- live fare and inventory data
- global routing dataset
- crowdsourced trail intelligence
- booking, disruption support, and offline map fleet
Why people still pay
People still pay for Gaia GPS because travel subscriptions sell current data and confidence during disruption, not just an itinerary list. The recurring cost buys map licensing, fare feeds, reservation access, route freshness, disruptions, geocoding, caching, offline data, and support, not just the visible interface.
Your build guide
The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.
Before you start
- modern browser
- MapTiler or compatible map key
- user-entered reservations
- optional public transit or weather API
Use these project rules and optional skill references alongside the prompt. Review each skill before adding it to your agent; the AGENTS.md export includes the same guidance.
Project rule, data: Model trips, stops, dates, reservations supplied by the user, and itinerary versions; keep stable source IDs and timestamps.
Project rule, behavior: Create trips, days, places, reservations, notes, documents, packing items, and emergency contacts.
Project rule, recovery: Deliberately leave out commercial turn-by-turn navigation and global offline maps.
Implementation plan
Phase 1, architecture and data
Use Next.js 15, TypeScript, SQLite, MapLibre GL, and user-supplied map and travel APIs. Model trips, stops, dates, reservations supplied by the user, and itinerary versions; keep stable source IDs and timestamps.
Phase 2, implement
Create trips, days, places, reservations, notes, documents, packing items, and emergency contacts.
Phase 3, implement
Allow manual updates for delays and reservations and label all external data with source and timestamp.
Phase 4, review and output
Export a complete trip bundle as JSON, calendar file, Markdown, and PDF.
Phase 5, recovery and acceptance
Deliberately leave out commercial turn-by-turn navigation and global offline maps. Verify this invariant with a saved fixture: A route API failure must preserve all stops and notes; the exported itinerary must retain stop order and local dates. State the practical limit: licensed map layers, offline downloads, route planning, mobile reliability, and outdoor data.
Build me a focused trip planning, navigation and travel intelligence workflow for the personal core of Gaia GPS. Requirements: - Use Next.js 15, TypeScript, SQLite, MapLibre GL, and user-supplied map and travel APIs. Model trips, stops, dates, reservations supplied by the user, and itinerary versions; keep stable source IDs and timestamps. - Paid product context: View permitted open maps, import GPX tracks, and organize offline trip notes. Build only this DIY scope: View permitted open maps, import GPX tracks, map user-entered places and reservations, and keep offline trip notes and an itinerary without claiming live proprietary availability. - Create trips, days, places, reservations, notes, documents, packing items, and emergency contacts. - Allow manual updates for delays and reservations and label all external data with source and timestamp. - Export a complete trip bundle as JSON, calendar file, Markdown, and PDF. - Use a local web page with input, progress, review, and export views. Required input or access: MapTiler or compatible map key; user-entered reservations. - Recovery: Deliberately leave out commercial turn-by-turn navigation and global offline maps. - Acceptance: with one labelled sample, show the input, saved intermediate state, and exported result; verify this invariant: A route API failure must preserve all stops and notes; the exported itinerary must retain stop order and local dates. - Out of scope: licensed map layers, offline downloads, route planning, mobile reliability, and outdoor data; live fare and inventory data. Keep this a personal, inspectable workflow. - Include a README with setup, a sample input, required keys or permissions, data location, and the supported scope.
$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy AGENTS.md · generated from this app's build plan
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Gaia GPS pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| free | $0/user | $0/user | 10 named map sources; record/follow tracks, create waypoints, add photos, sync, share, and print; 0 offline map downloads |
| premium | — | $4.99/user | 250+ maps and overlays plus offline map downloads$59.90 billed annually. |
| premium with outside+ | — | $7.49/user | Gaia Premium plus 2,500 videos, 650 lessons, 600+ hours of content, Trailforks, and access to 15 other Outside brands$89.90 billed annually. |
free tierFree plan: 10 named map sources and core track/waypoint/photo tools; 0 offline map downloads and 0 access to the 250+ Premium map catalog.
billingannual only; no monthly plan shown
hidden costsOutside+ costs $30/year more than Gaia Premium and bundles other publications/services; app-store or promotional pricing may differ.
pricing sources checked 2026-08-14 · pricing source ↗
Questions about Gaia GPS
Can you build your own Gaia GPS with AI?
A full replacement is not the recommended project. A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Gaia GPS, view permitted open maps, import GPX tracks, and organize offline trip notes. The hard boundary is licensed map layers, offline downloads, route planning, mobile reliability, and outdoor data, plus proprietary live data and network coverage.
What does the Gaia GPS build prompt cover?
The prompt starts with this scope: View permitted open maps, import GPX tracks, map user-entered places and reservations, and keep offline trip notes and an itinerary without claiming live proprietary availability. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: licensed map layers, offline downloads, route planning, mobile reliability, and outdoor data; live fare and inventory data; global routing dataset. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.
How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?
Start with the Gaia GPS prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.
How long will this Gaia GPS project take?
The catalogue estimate is closest consolation build: one sitting for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.
What would I give up by replacing Gaia GPS?
licensed map layers, offline downloads, route planning, mobile reliability, and outdoor data; live fare and inventory data; global routing dataset; crowdsourced trail intelligence; booking, disruption support, and offline map fleet. People still pay for Gaia GPS because travel subscriptions sell current data and confidence during disruption, not just an itinerary list. The recurring cost buys map licensing, fare feeds, reservation access, route freshness, disruptions, geocoding, caching, offline data, and support, not just the visible interface.
What price is this guide comparing against?
The recorded Premium plan is $4.99/mo (annual-equivalent), checked 2026-07-31. Check the linked pricing source before buying. Building your own also has hosting, API and maintenance costs; the recorded amount is not a guaranteed saving.
What can I use instead of building Gaia GPS?
Organic Maps: Offline open maps and GPX files on the phone; detailed expedition notes remain basic. OsmAnd~: The F-Droid build gives you offline topo maps and GPX without the subscription gate. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.