Compare · ROADS by Porsche alternative

Carve vs ROADS by Porsche

For driving enthusiasts, car clubs and group drives · Checked October 2026

Carve (carve.run) is a scenic-drive planner and turn-by-turn navigation app for cars and motorcycles, on iPhone with CarPlay and Android with Android Auto — the ROADS by Porsche alternative that never drags you back to a waypoint you skipped.

The short answer. ROADS by Porsche and Carve both exist for the love of a good road, and ROADS is free. Carve goes further on the drive itself: planning on a computer or from a GPX file, 1,200+ hand-picked drives with a guide and twistiness rating each, navigation that never swaps your route for a faster one and leads you back after a wrong turn, the map and every turn downloaded for roads with no signal, and Group, which puts everyone on the route on the map and the car's screen. For club runs and group drives, Carve is the better tool.

Feature by feature

Feature	Carve	ROADS by Porsche
Plan your own route, stop by stop	Yes. Up to 100 points between start and finish, 10 of them named stops; pick Scenic, Balanced or Shortest roads. In the app, or on a computer at carve.run/plan. Free.	Yes. Up to 30 stops, in the app or on the web (beta).
Finds twisty, scenic driving roads	Yes. Yes — routes lean toward the good roads, and great driving roads are marked on the map.	Yes. Scenic route generator for loops and A-to-B routes.
Library of great driving roads	Yes. 1,200+ hand-picked drives in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UAE and Baja California, each rated Leisurely to Intense, on one map at carve.run/drives. Free.	Yes. Routes shared by ROADS users; the count isn't published.
Keeps your planned route — never reroutes onto a faster road	Yes. Always. Carve never swaps your route for a faster one.	Yes. Yes — it holds you to the route as designed.
Wrong turn: guidance back to your route	Yes. Turn-by-turn directions forward to where you'll rejoin the route ahead — never back to a stop you passed. Free; with Apex it works with no signal too.	Partly. Guides you back — but drivers report it's to the waypoint or stop you missed, again and again.
Spoken turn-by-turn navigation	Yes. Yes, with live traffic, on exactly the route you planned. Free with a signal.	Yes. Yes, in the app.
Share a route by link	Yes. One link or QR code opens the same route in Carve on iPhone or Android, or in any browser; your edits reach everyone on the same link, and the web planner prints turn-by-turn directions. Free.	Partly. Share with the community or chosen people and groups; whether a link opens without an account isn't listed.
See your whole group live on the map	Yes. Group: everyone on the route, on the map and the car's screen, by name, with how far ahead or behind they are. Joining is free; seeing the group on your map takes Apex.	Partly. Public and private groups; a live map of the group while driving isn't listed.
Event scheduling and sign-ups	No. No — Carve plans and leads the drive; set the meet-up wherever your club already does.	Yes. Find, join and create events.
Offline map and turn-by-turn	Yes. The map and every turn, downloaded per route. Apex.	Not listed. Not listed
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto	Yes. Both, with your route, turns and stops on the car's screen. Apex.	Yes. CarPlay and Android Auto.
Weather and road conditions	Yes. Weather along the way and hazard reports from drivers on the road, free. Road conditions (wet, ice, fog, wind) and popular times with Apex.	Partly. Route scoring weighs local road conditions; weather isn't listed.
3D route preview	Yes. Fly the whole route in 3D before you go. Apex (your first one's free).	Yes. 3D route preview.
Plan a drive by describing it	Yes. Describe a drive in your own words and Carve plans it: 5 a day free, unlimited with Apex.	Not listed. Not listed
Record a drive	Yes. Record a drive and turn it into a route. Apex.	Yes. Yes.
Import routes	Yes. GPX files, Ride with GPS links and Google Maps route links, matched to the same roads — in the app or the web planner. Free.	Yes. GPX import and export.
Platforms	Yes. iPhone (iOS 26+) with CarPlay; Android 10+ with Android Auto (early access); route planning on the web.	Yes. iPhone (iOS 26+), Android, web.
Price	Yes. Free. Apex: $29.99 a year with a 7-day free trial, or $4.99 a month.	Yes. Free; account required.

Apex is Carve's paid plan: $29.99 a year with a 7-day free trial, or $4.99 a month. Everything without “Apex” is free. “Not listed” means ROADS by Porsche's own listings and help pages don't mention it.

Where Carve pulls ahead

Hand-picked roads with the details. Carve's 1,200+ drives are chosen road by road and rated Leisurely to Intense, each with distance, drive time and what's nearby — not just whatever's been uploaded nearby.
Skipped a stop? Carry on. Carve never sends you back to a waypoint you missed. After a wrong turn or a skipped stop, its directions lead forward to where you'll rejoin the route ahead — free. With ROADS, drivers report being routed back to the missed waypoint.
The group, live. With Group, everyone driving the route shows on the map and the car's screen by name, with how far ahead or behind they are. ROADS has groups and events, but its listings don't mention a live map of the group.
No signal, no problem. Carve Apex downloads the map and every turn, so the drive works through canyons and over passes. ROADS's listings don't mention offline navigation.
Plan on a computer, bring your GPX. Build a route on a big screen at carve.run/plan, or drop in a GPX file or Ride with GPS export and Carve matches it to the same roads. Then scan the QR code to drive it, send the link, or print the turns.
Know before you go. Weather along the way and hazard reports from drivers on the road are free; road conditions (wet, ice, fog, wind) and popular times come with Apex.
No brand required. Carve is independent and made for any car — and riders too.

When ROADS by Porsche is the better pick

If you want a free app, like generating loops from a drive time and direction, need to export GPX files, or want to be part of Porsche's own community and events, ROADS is a good fit.

Get Carve on iPhone Join the Android beta

Questions

Is Carve better than ROADS by Porsche?

For group drives and roads with no signal, yes. Carve shows the whole group live on the map and car screen, never reroutes, guides you back after a wrong turn, and downloads routes for offline driving. Carve also imports GPX and plans on the web. ROADS is free and good for finding roads, with community routes and events.

Does Carve make you go back to a waypoint you skipped?

No. Carve follows you along the route: after a wrong turn or a skipped stop, it gives turn-by-turn directions forward to where you'll rejoin the route ahead, going the route's way. The stop stays on your list if you want to go back for it, and one tap clears it. A common complaint about ROADS by Porsche is that it keeps routing you back to a missed waypoint.

Do I need a Porsche to use either app?

No. ROADS by Porsche is open to anyone with an account, and Carve is independent and works with any car, or a motorcycle.

Which is better for a Porsche Club drive?

Carve: plan the route once, share one link, and every member drives the same route turn by turn, sees the group on the map with Group, and keeps going with no signal. Carve isn't affiliated with or endorsed by Porsche or the Porsche Club of America.

Does Carve work offline?

Yes, with Carve Apex: the map and every turn download with the route. ROADS by Porsche's listings don't mention offline navigation.

Can Carve find twisty roads near me?

Yes. Carve shows the best drives near you from its 1,200+ hand-picked roads, rated Leisurely, Sweeping, Twisty or Intense, and its planner can roll a scenic loop from where you are.

What does Carve cost?

Planning, sharing and driving with a signal are free. Carve Apex is $29.99 a year with a 7-day free trial, or $4.99 a month.

Sources

What this page says about ROADS by Porsche comes from its own store listings and pages, checked in October 2026. Apps change; if something here is out of date, write to [email protected] and it'll be fixed.

More comparisons: Carve vs Google Maps · Carve vs Apple Maps · Carve vs Waze · Carve vs REVER · Carve vs Joinr · Carve vs Roadtrippers · Carve vs Kurviger · Carve vs RevRoutes

Guides: How to plan a scenic drive · How to plan and lead a group drive

ROADS by Porsche is a trademark of its owner. Carve is independent and isn't affiliated with or endorsed by Porsche.