Garmin VIRB Edit alternative
for your next edit.
GaugeReel is a Windows and macOS desktop alternative to VIRB Edit. It reads the Garmin FIT file you export from Garmin Connect, the FIT file straight off your VIRB's SD card, or a GPX track, and turns your speed, heart rate, power, cadence, elevation and GPS route into gauges when those fields are available — over footage from any camera.
Design and export your overlay locally, then place it over the original footage in your editor. Start with a free, watermark-free PNG sequence or chroma-key MP4; paid plans add alpha video options and Premium adds Send to Resolve.
Your VIRB files
VIRB cameras save their data as standard FIT files, and GaugeReel imports FIT files. It reads the standard activity records in them: time, GPS position, speed, altitude, distance, heart rate, cadence, power and temperature. Alignment is manual: pair the FIT with your exported VIRB clip, then set the offset (and stretch, if the data drifts). If a long recording was split into several clips, GaugeReel won't join them automatically, so join them in your editor first. If one of your VIRB files won't open, email zoniixyt@gmail.com and attach it if you can.
Know what you're switching from
Garmin's download pages still list VIRB Edit 5.4.3 from 2018. Its official history documents both imported footage and transparent overlay export. Those features deserve a fair comparison even when you are choosing a newer workflow.
Published releases from 2018
Garmin lists VIRB Edit 5.4.3 for Mac from September 11, 2018 and Windows from December 26, 2018. Check its legacy requirements against your current system.
Check online maps
Garmin’s release notes record the removal of Bing map support. Test the map services you need before relying on a legacy project; current map compatibility has not been verified here.
Imported clips and PNG overlays
VIRB Edit supported importing other clips and exporting gauges as transparent PNG sequences. Its workflow was not limited to burning gauges into VIRB footage.
Sources checked September 6, 2026: Garmin's release history and Mac and Windows download listings. GaugeReel is an independent app and is not affiliated with Garmin.
Your Garmin data, on any camera’s footage.
Export a FIT file from Garmin Connect, or a timestamped GPX activity from a watch, bike computer or phone app. Import it alongside your exported video in GaugeReel, check the initial timestamp alignment, and adjust the offset against a visible event.
It reads GPX (including Garmin heart-rate, cadence and power extensions), Garmin FIT, and GoPro GPMF embedded in an MP4 — then renders speed, HR, power, cadence and elevation (plus a GPS map on Basic) as a transparent layer you composite in any editor.
GaugeReel vs. Garmin VIRB Edit
An honest side-by-side, with Telemetry Overlay as a third data point. Each row marks the side that genuinely leads in accent — and where GaugeReel is still catching up, that shows too.
| Feature | GaugeReelFree · actively updated | Garmin VIRB EditLegacy · v5.4.3 | Telemetry Overlay~$199 one-time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status & support | |||
| Still developed & updatedActively receiving new releases | Actively updated | Published release: 2018 | Maintained |
| Footage sourcesSupported video formats still apply | Exported clips from any camera | VIRB + imported clips | Exported clips from any camera |
| GPS map workflowCheck online service availability | Basic ($10/mo) · cached map tiles | Legacy online maps | Yes |
| Desktop OS | Windows + macOS (Linux soon) | Windows + macOS (legacy) | Win · Mac · Linux |
| PriceWhat it costs to use | Free / $10–$20 mo | Free (legacy) | ~$199 one-time |
| Data & cameras | |||
| Reads Garmin FIT dataExported from Garmin Connect | Yes — FIT & GPX | Yes (Garmin data) | Yes · plus GoPro, DJI, RaceBox & more |
| GPX track support | |||
| Pairs data with imported footageCheck supported video and data formats | Any camera | VIRB + imported clips | Any camera |
| Data/video alignment | Manual offset + stretch | Auto + manual alignment | Auto + manual alignment |
| Gauges & export | |||
| Gauge style | Modern broadcast-style | G-Metrix gauge builder | Large library |
| Transparent (alpha) overlay layerPNG seq · ProRes 4444 · VP9 | PNG seq Free · ProRes/VP9 Basic | Transparent PNG sequence | |
| Overlay-only export | Overlay only | PNG sequence option | |
| One-click DaVinci Resolve send | Premium ($20/mo) | ||
| Free tier, no watermark | Yes · core gauges, 1080p30 | Free (legacy) | Trial only |
Accent marks the leading side — applied across all three columns, not just ours
Coming straight from a Garmin watch or bike computer?
The Garmin video overlay page walks through the full FIT-to-overlay workflow — from exporting the file in Garmin Connect to compositing the transparent layer in your editor.
Garmin VIRB Edit, answered
Whether it’s discontinued, what replaced it, and how to put your Garmin data on footage from any camera.
Garmin’s published downloads list VIRB Edit 5.4.3, dated September 11, 2018 for Mac and December 26, 2018 for Windows. Those dates establish an old release history, rather than a formal discontinuation date. Check Garmin’s documentation and test your current operating system and map workflow before relying on the legacy app.
Another question? zoniixyt@gmail.com
Comparing other tools?
GaugeReel at gaugereel.net is a desktop app for Windows and macOS, made by Tron Schell in New York. It is not affiliated with gaugereel.app, a separate online service with a similar name.
Move your Garmin overlays forward.
Export a FIT from Garmin Connect and build a modern, broadcast-style overlay for free — no watermark, no VIRB camera required.