Comparison

PackLight for Backpacking vs Packr Travel Packing List

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PackLight for Backpacking

This app helps backpackers create lightweight packing lists by organizing gear, tracking weights, and visualizing their impact. It allows users to build custom lists, share them, and even import from other services. An optional supporter edition unlocks advanced features for a one-time purchase.

Highlights
  • Organize gear by name, weight, and category
  • Build weight-aware packing lists
  • Visualize pack weight impact
  • Packing checklist functionality
  • Share packing lists via link or CSV
  • Import lists from LighterPack
  • Offline access to data
Features
Read full description

Keep your pack weight down and never forget crucial gear with PackLight, the packing list app for backpackers. Get PackLight today and be confident that you have exactly what you need - and only what you need - on your next adventure. CORE FEATURES (100% free / no sign up / no ads) - Organize Your Gear -- Inventory your gear by name, weight, and category. - Build Packing Lists -- Use your gear to build weight-aware packing lists. - Keep Your Backpack Light -- Instantly see how your gear choices impact pack weight. - Packing Checklist -- Check off items as you pack to ensure nothing is forgotten. - Share Packing Lists -- Post your list on packlightapp.com and share a link or send a CSV of your list to anyone. - Visualize Weight Distribution -- Use the bar graph to compare gear categories. - Custom Categories -- Organize items your way with your own categories. - Import From LighterPack -- Don't start from scratch - import your LighterPack lists (unaffiliated). - Offline Access -- Access your data even off the grid. Works without internet. ADVANCED FEATURES (Supporter Edition) Supporter Edition is a one-time purchase that supports ongoing maintenance and improvements to PackLight and grants permanent access to these advanced features: - Kits for Quick Packing -- Create kits to group items that you normally pack together, like a first aid kit or cooking gear, so you can add them all to a list at once. - Unlimited Base Lists -- Create new packing lists based on any combination of your other lists and kits. - Inventory Search -- Quickly find gear in your inventory. ABOUT PACKLIGHT PackLight was originally built for my own use and published free on the App Store to share with other backpackers. All of the core features are still free and always will be and it's been great to see PackLight become a favorite for so many! Thank you! If you think PackLight has earned it, I'd really appreciate your honest rating and review. They help a lot and I read every last one. Got an idea for improvement? Email me any time with feedback or feature requests at packlightapp@gmail.com.

About

Packr Travel Packing List

This app helps you create personalized packing checklists for your trips. It considers your destination, travel dates, and planned activities to suggest items, learning from your past trips to improve future suggestions. You can also customize lists and set item quantities.

Highlights
  • Personalized packing checklists
  • Destination-based suggestions
  • Activity-based item recommendations
  • Learns from past trips
  • Customizable item quantities
  • Create own packing lists
  • Sync across devices (Premium)
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Packr is a travel packing list app that helps you pack your suitcase for every trip — so you never forget a thing. Save time before you go: your packing list is built automatically from your destination (city, country or region), travel dates and activities. ◆ PACKING CHECKLIST ◆ Packr creates a smart packing checklist for your suitcase from dozens of pre-defined activities. Based on length of stay, weather and planned activities, your packing list is ready in no time. It's the perfect tool for summer vacations, long weekends, road trips, business travel and even camping. ◆ LESS STRESS ◆ Every journey is different, and each traveler has their own habits. Packr learns from each of your trips to organize the packing checklist, adjusting items based on your previous trips. You will never forget to pack THAT thing again! ◆ BETTER PREPARED ◆ Set a quantity for each item — some quantities adjust automatically to the length of your stay. Create your own custom packing lists, and now use emojis as list icons to personalize them. Assign each item to a bag or suitcase, and filter your packing list by traveler. Even your pets can have their own packing list. ◆ PLAN MULTI-DESTINATION TRIPS ◆ Import your trips directly from TripIt, including multi-destination itineraries, or convert any trip into a multi-destination journey. ◆ PRACTICAL FEATURES ◆ Sign in with your Apple account to securely save and sync your trips and packing lists across iPhone and iPad. Pack anywhere with improved offline mode — even without a connection. You can also share your checklist with travel companions or print it out. Packr has already travelled several thousand times around planet Earth, packing over a million items in each traveller's suitcase. Packr has been used for trips to cities like Paris, London, Barcelona, New York City, Montreal, Berlin, Majorca... And countries like France, United Kingdom, Spain, Greece, USA, Italy, Canada, Germany and 1000+ more locations. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

PackLight for Backpacking4 screens
Packr Travel Packing List4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: PackLight for Backpacking at none against Packr Travel Packing List's shown. PackLight for Backpacking also leads on review sentiment (95% vs 72%). Packr Travel Packing List's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months) and chart position (#108 vs unranked). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. PackLight for Backpacking sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Packr Travel Packing List sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PackLight for Backpacking holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Packr Travel Packing List has 7.2K ratings behind it against 1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of PackLight for Backpacking's written reviews are positive against 72% of Packr Travel Packing List's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PackLight for Backpacking ships an update every 2 months, Packr Travel Packing List every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
PackLight for Backpacking versus Packr Travel Packing List: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPackLight for BackpackingPackr Travel Packing List
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1K ratings) — better4.6 (7.2K ratings)
Positive reviews95.2% of reviews — better71.7% of reviews
Number of ratings1K7.2K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#108 — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB73 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMark OliveiraJeremie Leroy

Customer experience

PackLight for Backpacking

All ratings991 ratings
Positive95.8%
Neutral3.0%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews146 reviews
Positive95.2%
Neutral2.7%
Negative2.1%

Packr Travel Packing List

All ratings7,131 ratings
Positive92.1%
Neutral3.1%
Negative4.8%
Written reviews810 reviews
Positive71.7%
Neutral9.8%
Negative18.5%

User reviews

PackLight for Backpacking

From 1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 👍 Helpful for planning and organizing gear
  • 👍 Useful for tracking gear weights
  • 👍 Great for creating custom packing lists
  • 👍 Simple and intuitive interface

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Lack of custom categories
  • 🔍 No ability to add notes or details to gear items
  • 🔍 No option to track purchase price or date
  • 🔍 Inability to easily share lists with others
  • 🔍 No cloud sync or backup functionality

Packr Travel Packing List

From 7.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Helpful for organization
  • 🚀 Great for planning trips
  • 🌤️ Provides weather info
  • 💡 Customizable lists
  • 👍 Friendly and easy to use

Room to improve

  • 🔒 Requires internet connection
  • 🔒 Asks for personal info
  • 💰 Premium features too expensive
  • 🐛 Buggy, glitchy, and unreliable
  • 🔒 Ads in free version

Bugs and requests

PackLight for Backpacking

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Occasional issues with alphabetical sorting of lists
  • Reported bug with displaying the correct list when selected

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to track purchase price and date for gear items
  • Implement custom category creation
  • Include option to add notes and details to gear items
  • Implement cloud sync and backup functionality
  • Add sharing capabilities to easily collaborate with others

Packr Travel Packing List

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Deleted items reappearing
  • Inconsistent list sorting
  • Crashing and freezing issues
  • Syncing problems across devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add notes to list items
  • Ability to reorder list items
  • Sync lists across devices
  • Offline mode for lists
  • Reminders/alarms for packing

In-app purchases

1 purchases

PackLight for Backpacking

One-time1
  • Supporter Edition$19.99
10 purchases

Packr Travel Packing List

Subscriptions3
  • Packr Premium$1.991 Month
  • Premium access (1 month)$2.991 Month
  • Premium access$19.991 Year
One-time7
  • Premium promo$0.99
  • Premium special offer$1.99
  • Packr Premium$2.99
Show 4 more
  • Premium Photos$4.99
  • Premium$4.99
  • Premium$5.99
  • Packr Premium$49.99

Questions

Is PackLight for Backpacking free?
PackLight for Backpacking is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Packr Travel Packing List free?
Packr Travel Packing List is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PackLight for Backpacking or Packr Travel Packing List?
PackLight for Backpacking is rated higher. PackLight for Backpacking averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while Packr Travel Packing List averages 4.6 from 7.2K ratings.
Do PackLight for Backpacking or Packr Travel Packing List have ads?
Packr Travel Packing List shows ads; PackLight for Backpacking does not.
Which is updated more often, PackLight for Backpacking or Packr Travel Packing List?
PackLight for Backpacking ships an update every 2 months, and Packr Travel Packing List every 5 days. Most recently, PackLight for Backpacking was updated on November 2, 2026 and Packr Travel Packing List on November 6, 2026.

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