# Tripadvisor vs Polarsteps

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Tripadvisor at none against Polarsteps's 2. Tripadvisor also leads on ratings volume (480K vs 9.5K) and device support (3 vs 1). Polarsteps's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (90% vs 78%). On price, rating, update cadence and chart position there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Polarsteps sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Tripadvisor asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Tripadvisor against 4.9 for Polarsteps. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tripadvisor has 480K ratings behind it against 9.5K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of Tripadvisor's written reviews are positive against 90% of Polarsteps's.

Tripadvisor ships an update weekly, Polarsteps every 4 days. Both last shipped on September 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tripadvisor | Polarsteps |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (480K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tripadvisor-plan-and-book-trips/id284876795/reviews) | **[4.9 (9.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polarsteps/id947925763/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **480K** | 9.5K |
| Positive reviews | 78.3% of reviews | **89.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #106 | **#57** |
| Size | 347 MB | 218 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Tripadvisor](https://appshunter.io/developer/284876798) | [Polarsteps B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/947925762) |

## What reviewers say

### Tripadvisor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tripadvisor-plan-and-book-trips/id284876795)

**Currently charting:** #106 Top Free · Travel (US App Store)

Discover destinations, plan trips, and book hotels and tours with recommendations from millions of travelers. Earn rewards on bookings and activities, and organize your itineraries all in one place.

**Highlights:** Millions of traveler reviews, Book hotels and experiences, Earn Trip Cash rewards, AI trip builder, Organize itineraries, Nearby recommendations, Free cancellation options

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful app for travel planning
- 🚀 Comprehensive database of reviews
- 💡 Useful for finding hidden gems
- 👍 Reliable and trustworthy information

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Outdated or inaccurate listings
- 🔍 Difficulty finding specific information
- 🤖 Concerns about fake or biased reviews
- 🔒 Privacy issues with data collection

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes or freezes when using the app
- Issues with uploading photos or attachments
- Inconsistent or unreliable offline functionality

**Requested features**

- Improved search and filtering options
- More detailed information on accessibility
- Ability to easily manage and update own reviews
- Integration with other travel planning tools


### Polarsteps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polarsteps/id947925763)

**Currently charting:** #57 Top Grossing · Travel, #167 Top Free · Travel (US App Store)

Plan, track, and relive your adventures with this app. It helps you create personalized itineraries, automatically logs your routes, and allows you to share your journey with friends and family. Capture memories with photos and videos, and even create shareable video reels or printed travel books.

**Highlights:** AI itinerary planner, Automatic route tracking, Photo and video capture, Trip sharing with updates, Trip Reels video creation, Printable Travel Books

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Plus Yearly | $34.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💻 Excellent app for travel blogging
- 👍 Easy to use and share with family/friends
- 🗺️ Great GPS tracking and map features
- 📷 Seamless photo/video integration
- 📚 Ability to create high-quality travel books

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔄 Difficulty editing/rearranging photos and steps
- 🔋 Can be battery-intensive
- 🗺️ Inaccurate GPS tracking in some cases
- 🤖 Struggles with importing past trips and photos

**Reported bugs**

- Trouble uploading videos
- Incorrect time zone and location tracking
- Steps and photos randomly disappearing
- Crashes and freezes during usage

**Requested features**

- Ability to collaborate on trips with others
- Option to customize page layouts for travel books
- Improved video support and integration
- More flexible map and route editing tools
- Synchronization across multiple devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tripadvisor free?

Tripadvisor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Polarsteps free?

Polarsteps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Tripadvisor or Polarsteps?

Polarsteps is rated higher. Tripadvisor averages 4.8 out of 5 from 480K ratings, while Polarsteps averages 4.9 from 9.5K ratings.

### Do Tripadvisor or Polarsteps have ads?

Tripadvisor shows ads; Polarsteps does not.

### Which is updated more often, Tripadvisor or Polarsteps?

Tripadvisor ships an update weekly, and Polarsteps every 4 days. Most recently, Tripadvisor was updated on September 26, 2026 and Polarsteps on September 26, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Tripadvisor or Polarsteps?

Tripadvisor currently peaks at #106 in the App Store charts, and Polarsteps at #57. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*