# TripIt vs Polarsteps

The clearest difference is update cadence: Polarsteps at every 4 days against TripIt's every 6 weeks. Polarsteps also leads on review sentiment (90% vs 72%). TripIt's advantage is ratings volume (313K vs 10K) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. TripIt sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $48.99 per year and Polarsteps sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for TripIt against 4.9 for Polarsteps. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TripIt has 313K ratings behind it against 10K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 72% of TripIt's written reviews are positive against 90% of Polarsteps's.

TripIt ships an update every 6 weeks, Polarsteps every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | TripIt | Polarsteps |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (313K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tripit-travel-planner/id311035142/reviews) | **[4.9 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polarsteps/id947925763/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **313K** | 10K |
| Positive reviews | 71.9% of reviews | **89.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#15** | #58 |
| Size | 230 MB | 215 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.3 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [TripIt](https://appshunter.io/developer/311035145) | [Polarsteps B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/947925762) |

## What reviewers say

### TripIt

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tripit-travel-planner/id311035142)

**Currently charting:** #15 Top Grossing · Travel (US App Store)

Organize all your travel plans in one place. Automatically create a comprehensive itinerary from booking confirmations and access reservation details, maps, and directions even offline. Upgrade for real-time flight alerts, fare refund notifications, and loyalty program tracking.

**Highlights:** Automatic itinerary creation from bookings, Offline access to reservation details, Flight status alerts, Fare refund notifications, Loyalty program tracking, Maps and driving directions

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TripIt Pro (1 Year) | $48.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Keeps all travel info in one place
- 🚀 Automatically imports booking details
- 🚀 Provides flight change/delay notifications
- 👍 Helpful for organizing complex trips
- 👍 Useful for sharing itineraries with others

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy when making changes to trips
- 🐛 Difficulty removing canceled items
- 🔒 Requires access to email account
- 🔒 Collects personal data
- 💰 Expensive pro subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect flight time/date information
- Trouble logging in and syncing accounts
- Unreliable calendar integration

**Requested features**

- Ability to duplicate/copy trip events
- Calendar view of trip itinerary
- Integrated expense tracking
- More customization options
- Improved sharing functionality


### Polarsteps

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

**Currently charting:** #58 Top Grossing · 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 (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Plus Yearly | $34.99 | per year |
| Plus Yearly | $44.99 | 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 TripIt free?

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

### Is Polarsteps free?

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

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

Polarsteps is rated higher. TripIt averages 4.8 out of 5 from 313K ratings, while Polarsteps averages 4.9 from 10K ratings.

### Do TripIt or Polarsteps have ads?

Neither TripIt nor Polarsteps shows ads.

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

TripIt ships an update every 6 weeks, and Polarsteps every 4 days. Most recently, TripIt was updated on October 31, 2026 and Polarsteps on October 31, 2026.

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

TripIt currently peaks at #15 in the App Store charts, and Polarsteps at #58. 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.*