TrueTool
Multi-Stop Route Planner
Paste or upload a list of addresses and this multi-stop route planner finds the shortest driving order in seconds. Unlike Google Maps (10 stops), RouteXL (20) or MapQuest (26), this planner handles up to 200 stops free — no signup, no download, no account. It orders your stops using real road distances from OpenStreetMap, shows the route on an interactive map, and exports a CSV, a printable stop list or chained Google Maps links for turn-by-turn navigation. Everything runs entirely in your browser — your address list never gets uploaded to a server.
1. Your stops
latitude, longitude (e.g. 37.4220, -122.0841) is used directly with no address lookup.2. Start & end
Optional: use a private routing key for large routes
Routes up to 40 stops already use real road distances and times automatically, free of charge, via the public OpenStreetMap routing server. Above 40 stops we fall back to straight-line estimates — add a key here to keep real road accuracy for bigger routes.
How to Use the Multi-Stop Route Planner
- Add your stops — paste a list of addresses (one per line), or upload a CSV / Excel file. The tool reads the address column automatically.
- Pick your start — as soon as your addresses are pasted or uploaded, the start & end drop-downs fill in automatically. Choose your start (and optionally an end) from them.
- Optimize — click Optimize route and the planner orders your stops so the total driving distance is as short as possible, using real road distances between every pair of stops.
- Check the map — the route is drawn along real roads in green. Click any stop or any table row to zoom to it on the map.
- Take it with you — print the stop-by-stop list for the dashboard, download a CSV for Excel, or open the route in Google Maps for turn-by-turn navigation.
What Columns Can I Paste or Upload?
The planner needs one thing from your spreadsheet: an address per row. Everything else is optional and ignored, so a plain copy-paste from Excel, Google Sheets or your CRM works as-is.
| Column | Role | Required? |
|---|---|---|
address, addr, location, place, street (header name) | The address text, resolved to a map point | ✅ Yes — auto-detected by header name; without a header row, the first column is used |
lat/latitude + lng/lon/longitude pair | Direct coordinates — used instead of an address lookup, no geocoding needed | Optional |
name, customer, order number, any other column | Ignored by the optimizer | Optional |
| header row | Skipped automatically when it contains an address-like column name | Optional |
Not sure about the format? Hit Download template (CSV) above — it has the right headers and sample rows you can replace.
Free Route Planners Compared
Most route planners cap free users at 10–26 stops per route. The moment a route exceeds that, you hit a paywall. This planner is different:
| Tool | Free stops per route | 200 stops | Signup | Data uploaded? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Maps | 10 | No | No | Yes (server-side) |
| RouteXL | 20 | Paid plan | Yes | Yes (server-side) |
| MapQuest | 26 | Paid plan | No | Yes (server-side) |
| EZRoutePlanner | 25 | Paid plan (Standard) | No | Yes (server-side) |
| TrueTool Route Planner | 200 | Free | No | No — 100% in your browser |
Why this planner is different
- 200 stops free — no daily request limits, no "unlimited" asterisks, no paid tier to unlock.
- No signup, nothing uploaded — your customer addresses are resolved and optimized locally in your browser. Competitors send your list to their servers; we never see it.
- Saved vs. your input order — after optimizing, the tool shows exactly how much driving you saved compared with visiting the stops in the order you pasted them. No competitor shows you this.
- Real road distances — up to 40 stops, distances come from the OpenStreetMap road network, not "as the crow flies" math. Above 40 stops the tool switches to straight-line estimates (or you can add a free OpenRouteService key for up to 50).
- OpenStreetMap, not a walled garden — the map, the geocoding and the road network are all free, open data. No API key required for routes up to 40 stops.
FAQ
Is this really free?
Yes. No account, no card, no signup. Address lookup, road distances and map tiles all come from OpenStreetMap, and the route optimization itself runs in your browser. Up to 200 stops per route, free, forever.
How many stops can I add?
Up to 200 stops per route. Real road distances and times are used for routes up to 40 stops via the free OpenStreetMap routing server; above that the optimizer uses straight-line estimates. If you add a free OpenRouteService key, real road distances extend to 50 stops.
Can I plan a route with multiple stops?
Yes — that is exactly what this route planner is for. Paste or upload your addresses (up to 200), pick a start and an optional end, and the tool sorts multiple stops into the shortest driving order. You can then open the result in Google Maps for turn-by-turn directions or export it as CSV.
Are the distances real road distances?
For routes of up to 40 stops, yes — the tool looks up the actual driving distance and time between every pair of stops before ordering them, and the map line follows real roads. Above 40 stops the free public routing server cannot handle the request, so the tool switches to straight-line estimates; add a free OpenRouteService key to keep real road accuracy for larger routes.
How accurate are the straight-line estimates?
They run roughly 10–20% short within a city, because roads are never straight. Across rivers, estuaries and mountains the gap can be wider. The stop order is usually still good, but treat the total as an estimate.
What does the green line on the map show?
The green line is the actual driving route between your stops, drawn along OpenStreetMap roads. Where a leg crosses water or no road connects, that leg falls back to a dashed gray straight line. For voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation, click a row's Navigate link to open that leg in Google Maps.
Does my data go anywhere?
Stop names are sent to OpenStreetMap services purely to turn text into coordinates and to fetch road distances — the same data any map website needs. The optimization itself never leaves your device, and nothing is stored. If you enter an OpenRouteService key, coordinates also go to ORS.
Why does the Google Maps link open several routes?
Google Maps accepts about ten stops per directions link, so a longer route is split into chained segments. Open them in order.
What does "Saved vs. your input order" mean?
It compares the optimized order with the order you pasted the stops in. For example, "−23% (18.4 km)" means the optimized order is 18.4 km shorter than driving your list top to bottom — that's the value this tool adds.