Can I just export the Strava image and print it?

You can, but the export is feed-sized — fine on a phone, soft on a frame. Cartosketch generates at print resolution and restyles the route in one of 17 art styles.

Does Cartosketch animate the route like Relive?

No — Cartosketch is a still-image tool. The two are complementary: Relive for the highlight reel, Cartosketch for the framed piece.

Do I need a Strava account to use Cartosketch?

No. Cartosketch accepts any GPX or FIT file. Strava is one common source; Garmin Connect, official race files, and self-recorded tracks all work.

Can I make a place-only poster (no route)?

Yes. Use New Map for a city, neighbourhood, or landmark with no route. New Route is for GPX/FIT-backed posters.

Comparison 2026-05-22 6 min read

Cartosketch vs. Strava Art & Relive: Sharing a Route Online vs. Putting It On the Wall

Strava heatmaps and Relive flyovers are made for scrolling. Cartosketch turns the same route — or any map view — into something printable. A look at what each tool is actually for.

All artwork in this article was generated with Cartosketch — an AI tool that re-styles real Mapbox geography and GPS routes.

Strava and Relive both already do something with your routes — heatmaps, flyovers, year-end videos. They are tuned for sharing in the feed: small, fast, in-app. Cartosketch is tuned for the wall: high-resolution, printable, framed. This guide compares the three for runners, cyclists, and anyone who wants to do more with the GPX file than scroll past it once.

Where Strava wins

Strava owns the social layer. Kudos, segments, leaderboards, the year-end heatmap — none of that has anything to do with print, and that is exactly the point. Strava is where the run is shared in the moment. The route preview that appears in the feed is just the right resolution for a phone screen and looks great there. For the social side of training, nothing else competes.

Where Relive wins

Relive turned the route into a story. Their flyover videos — the camera sweeping along the polyline with elevation and photo cards — are excellent for showing off a trip. They are video first, vertical, and tuned for Instagram. If the goal is to make a friend want to do the route, Relive is hard to beat.

Where Cartosketch fits

Neither Strava nor Relive is built to print. The map images you can export are sized for a feed, and the styling is the platform's, not yours. Cartosketch takes the same GPX file you already have on Strava or Garmin and turns it into a frame-ready piece in one of 17 art styles — watercolor, comic, ghibli, blueprint, ink wash, and more — at up to 4K. The line on the wall is the line you ran.

Jungfrau Marathon route in Ghibli style — route map input — Jungfrau Marathon — the exact alpine course, restyled into a Ghibli pastoral. Strava can show it, Relive can fly over it, Cartosketch lets you frame it.

Jungfrau Marathon route in Ghibli style — Cartosketch art — Jungfrau Marathon — the exact alpine course, restyled into a Ghibli pastoral. Strava can show it, Relive can fly over it, Cartosketch lets you frame it.

And on maps without a route

Strava and Relive are route-only. They are not really map-art tools — they are activity tools that happen to draw a map underneath. Cartosketch also covers "just a place": a city, a neighbourhood, a landmark, a coastline. The same canvas-capture-then-restyle pipeline runs for either input.

Lower Manhattan in comic style — route map input — Lower Manhattan — a place, not a route. The same workflow restyles a city block for the wall.

Lower Manhattan in comic style — Cartosketch art — Lower Manhattan — a place, not a route. The same workflow restyles a city block for the wall.

Dimension-by-dimension

Dimension	Strava Art / Heatmap	Relive	Cartosketch
Primary output	In-feed image / yearly heatmap	Flyover video	Printable art (still image)
GPS route support	Native (it is the source)	Native	Native (GPX / FIT upload)
Place-only (no route)	No	No	Yes (New Map flow)
Style range	Strava's brand styling	Relive's flyover styling	17 curated art styles
Resolution for print	Phone-sized	Video frames	Up to 4K
Stats overlay	Native in feed	Native in video	Built-in stats card on print
Commercial use	Personal/social use	Personal/social use	Included on every paid plan

When to use which

How Cartosketch handles a route

Export the GPX from Strava (Activity → ⋯ → Export GPX) or Garmin Connect, or use the official race course file.
Open Cartosketch → New Route and drop the file in. The exact polyline renders on a Mapbox canvas with distance and elevation parsed.
Pick a style — Ghibli, watercolor, and ink wash read as keepsakes; comic, blueprint, and cyberpunk feel bold and modern.
Generate. The route shape is preserved by the canvas capture; only the look changes.
Download up to 4K and frame or print. Commercial use is included on every paid plan.

Frequently asked questions

Can I just export the Strava image and print it?: You can, but the export is feed-sized — fine on a phone, soft on a frame. Cartosketch generates at print resolution and restyles the route in one of 17 art styles.
Does Cartosketch animate the route like Relive?: No — Cartosketch is a still-image tool. The two are complementary: Relive for the highlight reel, Cartosketch for the framed piece.
Do I need a Strava account to use Cartosketch?: No. Cartosketch accepts any GPX or FIT file. Strava is one common source; Garmin Connect, official race files, and self-recorded tracks all work.
Can I make a place-only poster (no route)?: Yes. Use New Map for a city, neighbourhood, or landmark with no route. New Route is for GPX/FIT-backed posters.

Try Cartosketch free

New accounts get one free credit — no credit card required.