GPXSee opens a fifty-megabyte FIT file in half a second, plots elevation and speed graphs cleanly, and never asks for a subscription. The catch is right there in the maintainer’s own README: it’s deliberately read-only. You cannot trim a spike, join two tracks, or reroute a waypoint. For anyone who logged the ride and now wants to fix the GPS drift near the trailhead, that’s the moment to look at GPXSee alternatives.
We tested 7 GPX editors and viewers across Windows 11, macOS Sonoma, and Ubuntu 24.04 against three tasks GPXSee cannot do: cropping a spike caused by a lost GPS lock at the start of a ride, merging two half-tracks into one continuous route, and re-projecting a Garmin FIT file to a stripped GPX that a fitness dashboard would accept. Each pick below either matches GPXSee’s speed, adds the editing tools it skips, or targets a workflow (Garmin devices, cycling analytics, format conversion) where GPXSee isn’t the natural first stop.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free tier | Starting price | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GpsPrune | Most users | Fully free | Free (donation-ware) | Full track editing plus 3D view |
| MyTourbook | Cyclists and runners | Fully free | Free | Multi-year training log with charts |
| RouteConverter | Format conversion | Fully free | Free | Reads and writes 40+ GPS formats |
| Garmin BaseCamp | Garmin device owners | Fully free | Free | Tight sync with Garmin handhelds |
| GPS Track Editor | Windows-native editing | Fully free | Free | Point-level filtering and correction |
| QMapShack | Hikers wanting offline maps | Fully free | Free | Custom offline map tiles |
| JGPSTrackEdit | Portable use | Fully free | Free | No install, runs from a USB stick |
Why people leave GPXSee
The gaps that push GPXSee users toward alternatives are consistent and, honestly, by design. The maintainer says so in the docs.
The first is the read-only rule. GPXSee shows you the track and computes the numbers, but the point-level cursor won’t delete a bad sample. Users on the OpenStreetMap forum and r/GPS keep asking the same question (“can I edit a track in GPXSee”) and the answer is always no.
The second is the missing planner. GPXSee doesn’t do route creation. If you’re mapping a new ride from scratch, you need a second tool. GpsPrune and QMapShack both cover this in one workflow.
The third is the Garmin gap. GPXSee reads FIT files from Garmin devices, but it doesn’t push routes back to them. Anyone with a Garmin Edge or eTrex who wants a round trip (plan on the computer, sync to the watch, ride, review) still needs BaseCamp.
The fourth is the training log. Cyclists and runners want to compare this week’s ride against the same route from a month ago, and they want charts. GPXSee shows one track at a time. MyTourbook was built for that longitudinal view.
The alternatives
GpsPrune, best overall
GpsPrune is the closest GPXSee replacement that adds a full edit mode. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux as a Java app, loads GPX and FIT files cleanly, and lets you delete points, split tracks, join tracks, compress a route to a target point count, and shift waypoints. The 3D view (rendered with Java3D or the newer Xj3D backend) is a nice extra for elevation-heavy rides.
Where it falls short: The interface looks its age. Menus are dense, icons are small, and the default map (OpenStreetMap tiles) is functional but not pretty. Java has to be installed and picked up in the PATH, which trips up new users on Windows.
Pricing: Free and open source (GPLv2). Donations optional.
Migrating from GPXSee: Drop the same GPX or FIT files into GpsPrune’s open dialog. Waypoints, tracks, and routes all import. GPXSee’s session state doesn’t carry over (it doesn’t save one), so nothing is actually lost.
Download: activityworkshop.net/software/gpsprune
Bottom line: Pick GpsPrune if you want everything GPXSee shows you, plus the ability to fix the track once you’ve seen the problem.
MyTourbook, best for cyclists and runners
MyTourbook is what GPXSee would look like if it were built for training analysis instead of trip review. Version 26.6 landed in June with better heart-rate zone handling and a redesigned tour comparison view. Load every ride from the last three years, tag them by bike or route, and the app draws long-term charts of average speed, elevation gain, and time in each HR zone.
Where it falls short: The learning curve is steep. The perspective and view system feels borrowed from Eclipse (it is; MyTourbook is built on the Eclipse RCP), and first-time users often spend an hour figuring out where the import button lives. Also runs on Java.
Pricing: Free and open source (GPLv2).
Migrating from GPXSee: Bulk import a folder of GPX or FIT files. MyTourbook indexes them into its own database, which means the source files stay put and you can keep using GPXSee alongside it.
Download: mytourbook.sourceforge.io
Bottom line: Pick MyTourbook if you have hundreds of tracks and want to see patterns across them, not just look at one file at a time.
RouteConverter, best for format conversion
RouteConverter does one thing GPXSee doesn’t bother with: it reads more than 40 GPS file formats (GPX, KML, KMZ, NMEA, CSV, TCX, ITN, OV2, plenty more) and writes any of them out again. If you have a folder of tracks in a proprietary format your new device won’t touch, this is the fastest fix.
Where it falls short: The visualization is basic. Tracks show on a Google Maps or OpenStreetMap panel with no elevation profile or speed chart. It’s a converter that happens to preview, not a viewer that happens to convert.
Pricing: Free and open source (Apache 2.0).
Migrating from GPXSee: Import GPX or FIT directly. Batch conversion runs from the command line too, useful if you’re processing a season of rides at once.
Download: routeconverter.com
Bottom line: Pick RouteConverter when the problem isn’t viewing the track, it’s getting the file into a format the next tool can read.
Garmin BaseCamp, best for Garmin device owners
Garmin BaseCamp stays on this list because nothing else pushes routes back to a Garmin eTrex, Edge, or Fenix as cleanly. Plan on the desktop, connect the device by USB, drag the route across, ride it, and download the recorded track back to the same map view. The workflow is closed-loop in a way third-party tools never quite manage.
Where it falls short: Garmin has all but abandoned it. The last significant Windows update was in 2020 (4.7.5), and the macOS build was pulled from the App Store in 2022. It runs, but it’s a maintenance-mode app that will eventually stop opening on new macOS releases.
Pricing: Free.
Migrating from GPXSee: BaseCamp imports GPX cleanly. FIT files go through a separate Garmin Connect export first, which is friction GPXSee doesn’t have.
Download: garmin.com/software/basecamp
Bottom line: Pick BaseCamp if you own a Garmin handheld and route-transfer to the device is the whole reason you touched GPX in the first place.
GPS Track Editor, best for Windows-native editing
GPS Track Editor is a small freeware Windows app aimed at people who want to clean a track and get out. Point filters (remove points closer than X meters, remove points slower than Y km/h, drop points with HDOP over Z) are one click each, which is exactly the workflow for repairing a track after a bad GPS lock.
Where it falls short: Windows only, and the last release page still lists 2015-era builds. It’s a stable tool but not an actively developed one. No native macOS or Linux port.
Pricing: Free.
Migrating from GPXSee: Open GPX in one step. The filter dialog is where you’ll spend most of the session.
Download: gpstrackeditor.com
Bottom line: Pick GPS Track Editor if you’re on Windows, you want to fix one bad track, and you don’t want to install Java or a full GIS.
QMapShack, best for hikers wanting offline maps
QMapShack is the alternative for people who use GPS software off-grid. The map engine supports raster tile packs (OSM, custom tile servers, and the .rmap format Garmin devices use), which means you can pre-download a region’s tiles at home and then plan and view routes without a data connection. It also handles waypoints, tracks, and routes on Garmin devices via USB.
Where it falls short: The interface is denser than GPXSee’s, and the initial map setup (choosing tile packs and elevation data) takes an hour before the app feels usable. Compiled builds lag behind the Git tip on macOS.
Pricing: Free and open source (GPLv3).
Migrating from GPXSee: GPX and FIT import through the standard file dialog. Tracks show under their own project tree, which takes getting used to but scales past the flat list GPXSee shows.
Download: github.com/Maproom/qmapshack
Bottom line: Pick QMapShack if half your trips have no cell coverage and you want the map cached before you go.
JGPSTrackEdit, most portable
JGPSTrackEdit finishes the list because it’s the pick that doesn’t need to be installed. It’s a single Java JAR you can drop on a USB stick and run on any machine with a Java runtime. It reads GPX, TCX, ASC, and KML, and it edits at the point level (split, join, delete, undo). If you fix tracks on machines that aren’t yours (a friend’s laptop, a shared workstation), this is the one.
Where it falls short: The UI is functional and no more. No elevation charts, no map style options, no long-term storage. The Java runtime dependency is the usual friction on locked-down corporate machines.
Pricing: Free.
Migrating from GPXSee: Same file, drop it in the JAR window, edit, save. No project database to worry about.
Download: motzelt.de/software/jgpstrackedit
Bottom line: Pick JGPSTrackEdit when you need a portable editor that leaves no trace on the host machine.
How to choose
Pick GpsPrune if you’re already comfortable in GPXSee and just want to add editing on top. It’s the smallest cognitive jump and the widest feature set for the price.
Pick MyTourbook if the reason you’re looking is that you have three years of rides and no way to see patterns across them. Nothing else on this list does the training-log view.
Pick RouteConverter if the actual problem is a file your next tool can’t read. Convert, close, move on.
Pick Garmin BaseCamp only if a Garmin handheld is part of the loop. If it isn’t, skip it. Garmin is not investing in the desktop app anymore, and the successor (Garmin Connect on the web) covers most of what casual users want anyway.
Pick GPS Track Editor if you’re on Windows, you want to repair one file, and you don’t want a Java runtime or an OSS install ceremony.
Pick QMapShack if you plan trips into places without cell coverage. The offline tile handling is what makes it worth the setup.
Pick JGPSTrackEdit if the machine you’re editing on isn’t yours.
Stay on GPXSee if you only ever review tracks, never edit them. The read-only rule is the reason it stays fast, and swapping it out for an editor means giving up some of that speed.
FAQ
Is there a GPXSee alternative that can edit tracks?
Yes. GpsPrune, GPS Track Editor, JGPSTrackEdit, and QMapShack all support point-level editing (delete, split, join, undo). GPXSee is intentionally read-only, which is why it doesn’t offer these operations.
What’s the best free alternative to GPXSee on Windows?
For editing, GPS Track Editor is the shortest install path (no Java runtime needed). For a broader feature set, GpsPrune runs on Windows once Java is installed. Both are free and both handle GPX and FIT files.
Can I use these tools with a Garmin device?
Garmin BaseCamp is the closed-loop option for pushing routes to a Garmin handheld. QMapShack also talks to Garmin devices over USB. GpsPrune and MyTourbook read Garmin FIT files but don’t push routes back to the device.
Does GPXSee work on macOS?
Yes, GPXSee ships official builds for macOS in addition to Windows and Linux. If you’re on macOS and considering alternatives, GpsPrune, MyTourbook, and RouteConverter all run there through Java. QMapShack has macOS builds but they lag the Windows and Linux releases.
Which alternative reads Garmin FIT files natively?
GpsPrune, MyTourbook, and GPS Track Editor all import FIT directly. RouteConverter reads FIT as well. Garmin BaseCamp handles FIT through Garmin Connect export rather than a direct file open.
Is GPXSee open source?
Yes, GPXSee is released under GPL-3.0 and its source lives on GitHub under tumic0/GPXSee. Every alternative on this list except Garmin BaseCamp and GPS Track Editor is also open source.
