PackLight for Backpacking vs Packstack
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
Packstack
This app helps backpackers and hikers meticulously track gear, organize packing lists, and calculate essential trip details like base weight and calorie needs. It offers a comprehensive gear inventory, reusable kits, and detailed trip planning features. Syncs across devices and allows sharing of setups.
- Gear inventory management
- Trip-specific packing lists
- Reusable gear kits
- Base weight and calorie calculation
- Hiker profile creation
- Trip planning tools
- Gear catalog search
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PACKSTACK: GEAR LISTS & PACK WEIGHT TRACKING FOR BACKPACKERS Packstack is the gear list and pack weight app built for backpackers, hikers, and ultralight gram-counters. Build your gear closet once, spin up a packing list for any trip in minutes, and know your base weight before you hit the trail. Looking for a LighterPack alternative with a real mobile app? This is it. GEAR CLOSET All your gear in one searchable place. Log brand, product, weight, price, and category for every item — or skip the typing and pull verified specs from the gear catalog. Wishlist the gear you want but don't own yet. GEAR RESEARCH Browse thousands of outdoor products by category, sorted lightest to heaviest. Compare any product against the category median, dig into full specs, and add it to your gear closet in one tap. PACKING LISTS Build a list for each trip by pulling from your gear closet. Everything stays organized by category — shelter, sleep system, cookware, clothing — with total, base, and worn weight at a glance. Build multiple packs per trip to compare loadouts. CHECKLIST MODE When it's time to pack, flip any list into a checklist and tick items off as they go into the pack. Nothing gets left behind. WEIGHT TRACKING Automatic totals for pack weight, base weight (everything minus consumables), and worn weight. Switch between imperial (oz/lb) and metric (g/kg) anytime — every number updates instantly. SMART TRIP DETAILS Type a trail name and Packstack researches the rest: distance, elevation gain, terrain, and expected temperatures for your dates. It only fills in what you haven't set yourself — your local knowledge always wins. CALORIE CALCULATOR (PACKSTACK PRO) Estimate daily calories from your trip's distance, elevation, terrain, pace, and temperature — combined with your hiker profile. Take the guesswork out of food planning and know exactly how much to carry. HIKER PROFILES Set up profiles with height, weight, age, sex, and body type. Assign a profile to any pack for personalized calorie estimates — perfect for couples, families, or group trips. REUSABLE KITS Group the gear you always pack together — cook kit, first aid, camera setup — and drop the whole bundle into any list in one tap. Your first kit is free; Packstack Pro unlocks unlimited kits. SHARE YOUR SETUP Every packing list gets a public link anyone can view on the web, no account required — perfect for shakedown feedback. Or export a trip summary card with your weight breakdown, sized for Instagram Stories. IMPORT & EXPORT Switching tools? Import from LighterPack or any CSV in seconds. Export your gear back out anytime. Your data is never locked in. CROSS-PLATFORM SYNC Plan on your laptop, pack from your phone. Your gear closet, packing lists, and trips stay in sync across web and iOS. FREE TO START An unlimited gear closet, three packing lists, your first kit, imports, and sharing — free, with no credit card and no ads, ever. Packstack Pro unlocks unlimited packing lists, unlimited kits, and the calorie calculator. Sign up with email, Google, or Apple and start in minutes. Whether you're an ultralight gram-counter or a weekend camper, Packstack is the modern LighterPack alternative. Questions or feedback? Reach me at jerad@packstack.io — I'd love to hear from you. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.packstack.io/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Packstack at none against PackLight for Backpacking's 1. Packstack also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). PackLight for Backpacking's advantage is ratings volume (991 vs 4). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. PackLight for Backpacking sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Packstack asks for nothing beyond the download.
Packstack holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PackLight for Backpacking has 991 ratings behind it against 4, 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 100% of Packstack's.
PackLight for Backpacking ships an update every 2 months, Packstack every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PackLight for Backpacking | Packstack |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (991 ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 95.2% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 991 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Ad-supported — better |
| Best chart rank | — | #193 — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 44 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Mark Oliveira | Jerad Maplethorpe |
Customer experience
PackLight for Backpacking
Packstack
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
Packstack
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
PackLight for Backpacking
- Supporter Edition$19.99
Packstack
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is PackLight for Backpacking free?
Is Packstack free?
Which has better reviews, PackLight for Backpacking or Packstack?
Do PackLight for Backpacking or Packstack have ads?
Which is updated more often, PackLight for Backpacking or Packstack?
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