GEPYX Guides

GPX vs KML vs TCX: Differences and When to Use Each

Comparison of GPX, KML and TCX route formats

All three formats store routes and tracks, but they're not simply interchangeable. Here's the real difference between GPX, KML and TCX, and how to know which one you need depending on where your file is headed.

All three, in one line

GPX (GPS Exchange Format): built for exchanging routes and tracks between GPS devices, sports watches and hiking apps.
KML (Keyhole Markup Language): Google Earth and Google Maps' format, focused on map visualization.
TCX (Training Center XML): a Garmin format built for training, with heart rate, cadence or power data.

All three are XML and all three can describe a route with coordinates, but each one was built for a different purpose, and that shows in which fields they store and which devices accept them.

What data each format stores

A GPX file stores waypoints, tracks and routes with latitude, longitude, elevation and, if the track was recorded, a timestamp for each point. It's the common denominator that almost every GPS device understands.

A KML file can store the same, but also supports visual styling: line colors, custom icons, polygons, layers, and even camera animations in Google Earth. That's why it's the preferred format when the goal is to display the route on a map, not load it onto a device.

A TCX file adds training metrics to the position data: heart rate, cadence, power or temperature, point by point. It's the format used by watches and platforms focused on athletic performance rather than cartography.

Whichever format you need, you can convert it here in a couple of clicks.

Open the GEPYX editor

Which format each device or app accepts

Mountain GPS devices and sports watches (Garmin, Suunto, Coros...): almost all accept GPX without issue; some also accept TCX.
Google Earth and Google Maps: natively KML (or its compressed variant, KMZ).
Hiking and mountain apps (Komoot, Wikiloc, AllTrails...): GPX is the most widely accepted import/export standard.
Training platforms (Garmin Connect, TrainingPeaks...): TCX if you want to keep the physiological training data.

If you're unsure, GPX is the safest bet: it's the most widely supported of the three for hiking, cycling or mountain routes.

How to convert between GPX, KML and TCX

You don't need to install anything to switch between formats. With GEPYX you import whichever file you have — GPX, KML or TCX — and export it to the format you need in a couple of clicks, straight from your browser, with no account required.

While you're at it, you can review the track before exporting, simplify it, add waypoints or check the elevation profile, so the conversion also leaves the route genuinely ready to use, not just renamed.

Need to convert or review a route between GPX, KML or TCX?

Open the GEPYX editor