Playground Locator vs Planark
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Playground Locator
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At home, on vacation or on the go: Find locations near you anywhere in the world. The app displays items in a list and on a map and allows easy one-click navigation to locations. The basic version allows you to search nearby your current location wherever you are in the world. Additionally, the PRO version allows you to search at arbritrary locations in advance via the address or map search. Features: [*] List and map view [*] Detail view with additional information (if available) [*] Navigation to the locations via Maps or external navigation apps [*] Configurable icons (symbols / letters / name) [*] Aerial views / Link to street views (if available) Permissions: [*] Location: To determine your current location (approximate or exact) so that the app can display entries in your current area. Note: The app works both with exact or approximate location sharing as well as completely without access to the current location. In this case, you can search for entries worldwide using the address search or directly via the map. PRO version: [*] The basic version of the app is free. However, some of the search results are hidden and not all functionality is available. Purchase the PRO features (one-time payment) to show all results, unlock all features and make the most of the app.
Planark
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Open Planark anywhere. See what's worth exploring around you. No search box. No chatbot. No list asking where you want to go. Just open it — and the region organises itself around you. Ever arrived somewhere new and wondered what's actually nearby? Not the tourist checklist. The wine region an hour away. The coastal park you didn't know existed. The small towns worth a half-day stop. That's what Planark shows you — before you even ask. DISCOVER THE REGION AROUND YOU The Loops tab surfaces the geography near you, organised by real travel scale: afternoon stops, weekend loops, full regional trips. Themed by beach, wine, nature, mountains, food, villages, and historic towns. Every loop comes from Wikivoyage's editorial region hierarchy — real travel geography, sourced from curated data, not algorithmic suggestions or sponsored rankings. PLAN A REAL TRIP IN 30 SECONDS Tell the Trip Wizard where, when, and what kind of traveller you are. Get a full day-by-day itinerary with a map. Single city or multi-city road trip — Planark builds the route across regions in one go. – Day-by-day timeline with morning, afternoon, and evening blocks – Real places, validated against Wikivoyage and OpenStreetMap — not hallucinated names – Travel day blocks showing the drive or transit between cities – Packing list, trip guide, and notes — all in one place AN APP THAT WORKS FOR YOU, NOT FOR HOTELS Planark sources everything from Wikivoyage, OpenStreetMap, and Apple WeatherKit. No affiliate links. No booking fees. No paid placements. Every recommendation exists because it's genuinely worth your time — not because someone paid for it. – Multi-city trip building with real route logic – The Loops tab shows you the region, not the destination you already searched for – Book wherever you want — Planark never takes a cut PLANARK PRO Free includes: – Full discovery browsing — Loops, city highlights, hidden gems, regional overviews – 1 trip per day – 1 saved list with up to 10 places – Free multi-city showcase trip on first use Pro unlocks: – Unlimited trips and saved lists – Audio narration — scripted, human-quality voice for every day of your itinerary – Offline download — full itinerary, photos, and maps cached for use without signal – Day route export to Apple Maps Planark Pro is €2.99/month or €19.99/year. PRIVACY No affiliate links. No booking commissions. Your travel plans stay yours. Privacy policy: planark.app/legal/privacy-policy.html SUBSCRIPTION TERMS Planark Pro is an auto-renewable subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in iPhone Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions. Terms of Use: planark.app/legal/privacy-policy.html#terms-of-use EULA: apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ GET IN TOUCH A place you think should be on Planark? A bug? hello@planark.app Planark. Open it anywhere. See what's there.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Planark at every 2 weeks against Playground Locator's every 2 months. Playground Locator's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Playground Locator sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Planark sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Playground Locator ships an update every 2 months, Planark every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Playground Locator | Planark |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 43 MB | 244 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sebastian Niemann | Marco Paulo Da Silva Lopes |
In-app purchases
Playground Locator
- PRO version$1.99
Planark
- Planark Pro$2.991 Month
- Planark Pro$24.991 Year
Questions
Is Playground Locator free?
Is Planark free?
Do Playground Locator or Planark have ads?
Which is updated more often, Playground Locator or Planark?
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