Free online FIT to GDB converter

Garmin activity files often arrive as .fit files, while older Garmin MapSource workflows expect .gdb databases. Converting them is useful when you need to open recorded tracks, routes, or waypoints in Garmin mapping software rather than an activity-analysis application.

What the FIT format is

FIT, or Flexible and Interoperable Data Transfer, is a compact binary format developed for fitness and GPS data. Garmin watches, bike computers, sensors, and navigation devices commonly create .fit files; applications such as Garmin Connect, Strava exports, and some indoor-training platforms also use them.

A FIT file can contain GPS positions, timestamps, elevation, speed, heart rate, cadence, power, laps, device information, and workout records. Its contents depend on the recording device and activity type, so two FIT files may contain very different fields.

What the GDB format is

GDB is Garmin MapSource’s binary database format. It stores geographic objects such as tracks, routes, and waypoints and was used by Garmin MapSource and some older Garmin-compatible applications.

GDB is useful when a legacy Garmin program specifically requires a MapSource database. It is less suitable than GPX for general data exchange because it is proprietary, has uneven support in modern software, and can preserve fewer activity-specific fields than FIT.

How to actually convert FIT to GDB

Using GPSBabel

GPSBabel is the most practical desktop tool for this conversion because it can read Garmin FIT activity data and write Garmin GDB data. Install a current version, then run:

gpsbabel -i fit -f input.fit -o gdb -F output.gdb

Replace input.fit with the source filename and output.gdb with the desired destination. On Windows, enclose paths containing spaces in quotation marks:

gpsbabel -i fit -f "C:\Users\Name\Desktop\ride.fit" -o gdb -F "C:\Users\Name\Desktop\ride.gdb"

You can also use the graphical interface: select Input format → Flexible and Interoperable Data Transfer, choose the FIT file, select Output format → Garmin MapSource - gdb, specify the output filename, and start the conversion. If the installed GPSBabel version does not list FIT or GDB, update it or use the command-line format list with gpsbabel -^3.

Using the online converter

On 101convert.com, select the FIT-to-GDB conversion, upload the .fit file, start the conversion, and download the resulting .gdb file. This option requires no software installation; avoid uploading files containing sensitive location or health data unless the service’s handling policies are acceptable.

Quality and compatibility limitations

This conversion changes an activity record into a Garmin map database object. It normally retains spatial information such as track points, routes, and waypoints, but it may discard heart-rate samples, cycling power, cadence, laps, training metrics, developer fields, and device metadata.

A FIT file with no GPS track may produce an empty or nearly empty GDB database. Check the converted file in MapSource or another GDB-compatible program before deleting the original FIT file.

GDB support is not universal, and newer Garmin software may prefer GPX or its own database format. If the destination program accepts GPX, converting FIT to GPX is often a more portable alternative. Keep the original FIT file as the authoritative archive because converting back from GDB cannot restore fields that were discarded.