Backroads vs PastFinders
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Backroads
This app provides detailed information and daily route options for active travel adventures like biking and hiking. It offers helpful tips and regional information to enhance your journey. Your trip leaders are also available through the app for guidance.
- Daily route options
- Trip schedules
- Helpful tips
- Regional information
- Trip leader access
Read full descriptionHide full description
Backroads is the leader in active travel, offering Biking, Hiking and Multi-Adventure Trips in 55+ countries worldwide. This Trip Companion app, and a unique log-in code, will be available to you just before your trip starts. You’ll find daily route options, schedules, helpful tips and other regional information. Of course, your incredible Trip Leaders are available every day of your trip to guide you through some of the most beautiful places in the world. We look forward to seeing you out there!
PastFinders
Discover historical sites worldwide with an interactive globe and curated collections. Experience guided tours and a virtual assistant for context and trivia. Offers premium tours and a society membership for full access.
- Interactive globe with geo-tagged sites
- Expertly curated collections
- Guided tours from museums and historians
- Virtual assistant for guidance and trivia
- In-app purchases for premium tours
- Society membership for full tour access
Read full descriptionHide full description
Find the stories hiding in plain sight. PastFinders helps you explore historic places, museum collections, and local stories. Discover what is nearby, follow a tour, or explore from home. EXPLORE PLACES AND STORIES Browse the map, discover nearby places, and explore photos and historical details. Find collections and tours from museums, creators, and local organizations, then follow the stories that interest you. FOLLOW A TOUR Turn your next walk into an exploration. Browse tours and their stops, follow along at your own pace, and listen to narration where available. Individual tour purchases are not required. ASK YOUR HISTORY GUIDE Use the Assistant to ask questions, find places, and help plan an exploration. AI features ask for your permission before sharing your questions and relevant context with Google Gemini. You can turn AI data sharing off in Settings. KEEP A FIELDBOOK Save places and tours, revisit your discoveries, and keep your explorations together in your personal Fieldbook. MAKE IT YOUR OWN Start in Light mode, or choose Dark or Automatic in Settings. Manage location and AI permissions in the app. PASTFINDERS SOCIETY Optional PastFinders Society membership is available as a monthly or annual auto-renewing subscription. View current prices and benefits in the app before subscribing. Manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://portal.pastfinders.app/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: PastFinders at 100% against Backroads's 52%. PastFinders also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.3) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). Backroads's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ratings volume (69 vs 5). On price, 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. PastFinders sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Backroads asks for nothing beyond the download.
PastFinders holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backroads has 69 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Backroads's written reviews are positive against 100% of PastFinders's.
Backroads ships an update every 4 months, PastFinders every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Backroads | PastFinders |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (69 ratings) | 5.0 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 52.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 69 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 173 MB | 41 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Backroads | Remains 2B Seen |
Customer experience
Backroads
PastFinders
In-app purchases
Backroads
No in-app purchases
PastFinders
- Society Member Monthly Subscription$12.991 Month
- Society Member Annual Subscription$99.991 Year
- Tour Purchase Level 1$0.99
- Tour Purchase Level 2$1.99
- Tour Purchase Level 3$2.99
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Tour Purchase Level 4$4.99
- Tour Purchase Level 5$6.99
- Tour Purchase Level 6$9.99
- Tour Purchase Level 7$14.99
- Tour Purchase Level 8$19.99
