Comparison

Packing List Checklist vs RidgePacker

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

Head to head
About

Packing List Checklist

Create comprehensive packing lists for any trip, from vacations to camping. Suggests items by category, syncs across devices, and allows for custom categories and reminders to ensure you never forget anything.

Highlights
  • Suggested items by category
  • iCloud sync across iOS devices
  • Set reminders for packing
  • Manage item quantities
  • Separate To-Do and To-Pack sections
  • Create custom categories with emojis
  • Reuse and refine existing lists
Features
Read full description

"All in all, this is exactly what I needed for traveling, and if you travel a lot, something like this is essential." - The Common Ryan Packing List Checklist is an easy to use app that provides you with a checklist of all the important things to consider and pack before traveling. ——— SHARE & COLLABORATE ON YOUR LISTS (Premium feature) ——— Travel just got smarter and more social. Share your travel lists with family, roommates, or friends, and pack together in real time! ——— PICK SUGGESTED ITEMS ——— Get up and running with very little effort by using our Pick Suggested Items feature. You will be able to pick items from these categories: Essentials, Accessories, Baby, Backpack / Carry On, Beach, Camping, Clothing, Electronics, Food, Healthcare, Makeup, Shoes, Toiletries and many more! That's it: your list will be ready without any typing involved! ——— SYNC YOUR LISTS (Premium feature) ——— Created your list on your iPad but want to check it on your iPhone? Got a new iOS device and want to see your lists there? With iCloud sync we've got you covered: your lists will be with you on all your iOS devices as long as you are using the same Apple ID in them. ——— SET REMINDERS (Premium feature) ——— Want to make sure that you are not leaving anything behind? Just set up a reminder, get a notification at the right time and relax! ——— MANAGE ITEM QUANTITIES (Premium feature) ——— Set the quantities for your Packing List items. ——— EDIT THE SUGGESTED ITEMS (Premium feature) ——— Make the suggestions yours: rename, add or remove items in the suggested-items templates, and every new list will start from your own version. ——— APPLE WATCH APP (Premium feature) ——— Check off items right from your wrist. Your lists stay in sync with your iPhone through iCloud. ——— EXPORT YOUR LISTS (Premium feature) ——— Export any list as a .tpl file to back it up or send it to a friend, or as a .csv file to open it in a spreadsheet. Anyone can import a .tpl list, even without Premium. ——— PRO LIST TOOLS (Premium feature) ——— Sort items alphabetically, select all suggested items at once, duplicate or merge categories, and uncheck every item with one tap to reuse a list. ——— TO DO & TO PACK ——— After a lot of research we reached the conclusion that the best way to go through your travel preparation is to distinguish the actions that you need to take before and during travel from the things that you need to pack. That’s why each list has two sections: To-Do & To Pack. ——— CREATE YOUR OWN CATEGORIES ——— Organize your items by grouping them into different categories. You will be able to create as many categories as you need, and you can pick an emoji to better differentiate them. ——— REUSE YOUR EXISTING LISTS ——— This is one of the best kept secrets of every seasoned traveller. Keep refining your list, and reach sorcerer-level packing skills. You’ll soon forget why you ever packed for your travels differently in the past! ——— TERMS & PRIVACY ——— Terms of use (https://packingli.st/terms) Privacy & Policy (https://packingli.st/privacy) EULA (https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/) ——— QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK? ——— We love hearing from you and we read every single email you send us! Have suggestions? Please, feel free to reach us at info@packingli.st

About

RidgePacker

This app helps outdoor enthusiasts organize their gear, create detailed packing lists, and track item weights for trips. It features an AI scanner for gear identification, trip planning with weight goals, and the ability to separate base weight from consumables. Users can also manage everyday carry items and import existing lists.

Highlights
  • Gear catalog with photos and weights
  • AI gear identification scanner
  • Trip planning with weight goals
  • Base weight and consumables tracking
  • Sublists and modular pouch organization
  • Everyday carry list management
  • Import from CSV (LighterPack, spreadsheets)
Features
Read full description

RidgePacker — Gear Organizer & Packing List Stop showing up to the trailhead with the wrong gear — or worse, forgetting it entirely. RidgePacker is the gear management app built for hikers, backpackers, and everyday carry enthusiasts who care about what they bring and how much it weighs. YOUR GEAR CATALOG Build a permanent catalog of everything you own. Add photos, weights, brand details, category tags, and product links. The AI scanner identifies your gear from a photo and fills in the specs automatically. Search your whole catalog straight from your iPhone's Home Screen — even with the app closed. TRIP PLANNING Create a trip, pull gear from your catalog, and pack against your list. Set a target weight for any pack or sublist and see how far under or over you are as you add gear. Need more than one of something? Set a quantity and your totals add it up. Prefer it simple? Turn off the check-off circles in Settings and let the list itself be your pack. BASE WEIGHT & CONSUMABLES Flag food, water, and fuel as consumables and RidgePacker splits your load into base weight, consumables, and worn weight. See your true base weight — the carried, non-consumed number that matters most when you're trying to pack lighter. NOTES Tap the note row at the top of any pack or sublist to jot reminders — campsite details, gear swaps, anything you don't want to forget. SUBLISTS & MODULAR POUCHES Organize a big trip the way you actually pack it. Break any pack into sublists — a day pack, what's left behind, what the porters carry — then group gear inside them into modular pouches like a first-aid kit or a cook set, up to three levels deep. Move a pouch into another sublist, to your pack's top level, or onto your body — it stays a pouch wherever it lands. Each pack, sublist, and pouch tracks its own weight, rolls up automatically, and can carry its own weight goal. JUST FOR THIS TRIP Add one-off items — extra socks, snacks, toiletries — that belong to this trip only. Full photo and weight tracking, without cluttering your permanent gear catalog. ON YOUR BODY Separate your worn gear from your packed gear. Mark hiking boots, a trail hat, or a buff as "On Your Body." Body weight is tracked independently and you choose whether it counts toward your pack weight. On a multi-pack trip, set which pack you're carrying — the whole trip or one sublist — and pack weight reflects exactly what's on your back. EVERYDAY CARRY Maintain a separate gear list for what you carry every day. Independent from your trip lists, always one tap away. IMPORT YOUR GEAR Already track your kit in LighterPack or a spreadsheet? Import your gear list from a CSV file and bring everything into RidgePacker in a single step — units, categories, and consumables included. SHARE & EXPORT Turn any trip into a beautifully formatted PDF packing list — with photos, weights, and category charts, and every sublist and modular pouch. Choose exactly what to include, then print it or share it with a hiking partner. PRIVACY FIRST No account required. No ads. No cross-app tracking. Your gear catalog and packing lists are stored on your iPhone, not in the cloud — back them up yourself, whenever you want. TRY IT FREE Start with 14 days of full access, completely free — every feature, no account, no commitment. After that, your gear and lists are always there to browse and pack against; a RidgePacker Pro subscription keeps you adding, editing, AI-scanning, and organizing without limits. RIDGEPACKER PRO • Monthly and yearly subscriptions available • Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase • Subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period • Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple ID Account Settings Privacy Policy: https://www.termsfeed.com/live/4e87787e-3481-4629-8246-8b9c1631c866 Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Packing List Checklist4 screens
RidgePacker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: RidgePacker at every 2 days against Packing List Checklist's fortnightly. RidgePacker also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 76%). On price, ads, 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. Packing List Checklist sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month and RidgePacker sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Packing List Checklist ships an update fortnightly, RidgePacker every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Packing List Checklist versus RidgePacker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPacking List ChecklistRidgePacker
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (6.4K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews76.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6.4K — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB35 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDiego de Paz SierraMike Dangerfield

Customer experience

Packing List Checklist

All ratings6,384 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral3.2%
Negative2.4%
Written reviews415 reviews
Positive76.4%
Neutral6.7%
Negative16.9%

RidgePacker

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Packing List Checklist

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashing or not opening after updates
  • Syncing issues causing data loss
  • Inability to edit or delete existing lists

Requested features

6 requests
  • Ability to share lists with others
  • Option to reorder items within lists
  • Improved search and filtering
  • Customizable item icons and colors
  • Reminders and calendar integration
Show 1 more
  • Ability to add trip details (dates, locations)

RidgePacker

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Packing List Checklist

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$1.491 Month
  • Yearly Subscription$9.991 Year
One-time3
  • Premium Features$3.99
  • Premium Features Offer$7.99
  • Premium Features$12.99
2 purchases

RidgePacker

Subscriptions2
  • RidgePacker Pro Monthly$1.991 Month
  • RidgePacker Pro Yearly$9.991 Year

Questions

Is Packing List Checklist free?
Packing List Checklist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is RidgePacker free?
RidgePacker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Packing List Checklist or RidgePacker have ads?
Neither Packing List Checklist nor RidgePacker shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Packing List Checklist or RidgePacker?
Packing List Checklist ships an update fortnightly, and RidgePacker every 2 days. Most recently, Packing List Checklist was updated on October 24, 2026 and RidgePacker on October 16, 2026.

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