Comparison

Lonely Planet vs ZenPacker

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

Head to head
About

Lonely Planet

Discover curated travel advice from local experts for over 400 destinations worldwide. Explore guides, walking tours, and interactive maps to find hidden gems, save points of interest, and build custom itineraries. An AI assistant provides quick answers to your travel questions.

Highlights
  • Expert-vetted destination guides
  • Interactive maps with local recommendations
  • Save points of interest to travel collections
  • Build custom itineraries
  • AI-powered travel assistant
  • Exclusive member content
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Travel the world with the Lonely Planet app. Every recommendation, route and restaurant we share is vetted by our global community of 450+ local experts for different kinds of travelers.  Explore their curated travel advice inside our trusted guides to 400+ places all across the globe: Italy, Vietnam, Ireland, Spain, Japan, Costa Rica, Portugal and Greece. More on the way, too.  Not sure where to go, or what to do once you're there? Browse destination guides, explore walking tours and use our interactive maps to uncover locals’ favorite restaurants, places to stay, museums and hidden gems. Save whatever catches your eye to travel collections to use whenever you’re ready to plan your next trip. Then build an itinerary from everything you've saved, or just edit one of ours.   Or just ask our AI Assistant your burning travel questions –  such as,  where to eat in Rio. Faster answers, always and only rooted in actual advice from real Lonely Planet experts. The Lonely Planet app is your travel app for discovering, saving and planning to make the most of every vacation. Unlock even more as a Lonely Planet member with exclusive access to premium itineraries, walking tours and experiences in our app plus more travel perks and Lonely Planet benefits. See our Terms&Conditions: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/legal/app-terms

About

ZenPacker

Features
Read full description

Packing for a family trip should not mean juggling multiple checklists or wondering who packed what. ZenPacker helps families create organized packing lists for every traveler, making it easy to prepare for vacations, road trips, weekend getaways, cruises, camping trips, and business travel. Instead of one giant packing list, ZenPacker keeps each person's items separate so everyone knows exactly what to bring. Features: Organize packing by traveler - Create separate packing lists for adults, kids, and babies. Smart trip organization - Keep all packing information in one place for the entire family. Visual travel themes = Choose a theme that matches the mood of your trip. Track progress easily - See what is packed and what is still left to prepare. Beyond packing lists - Stay organized with pre-departure, arrival, and travel preparation checklists. Designed for families - Built specifically for family travel instead of individual travelers. Perfect for family vacations, road trips, beach vacations, camping adventures, international travel, weekend getaways, and business travel. Whether you are packing for yourself, your children, or the whole family, ZenPacker helps make trip preparation simpler, calmer, and more organized.

Screenshots

Lonely Planet4 screens
ZenPacker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ZenPacker at none against Lonely Planet's 2. Lonely Planet's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and chart position (#105 vs unranked). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Lonely Planet sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $72.00 per year. ZenPacker asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lonely Planet ships an update every 2 weeks, ZenPacker every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Lonely Planet versus ZenPacker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLonely PlanetZenPacker
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (218 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews58.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings218 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
Best chart rank#105 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size148 MB37 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLonely Planet Global, Inc.Tiny Rice LLC

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Lonely Planet

Subscriptions1
  • Annual Membership$72.001 Year
One-time1
  • Trip Pass$30.00
None

ZenPacker

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Lonely Planet free?
Lonely Planet is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ZenPacker free?
ZenPacker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Lonely Planet or ZenPacker have ads?
Neither Lonely Planet nor ZenPacker shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lonely Planet or ZenPacker?
Lonely Planet ships an update every 2 weeks, and ZenPacker every 2 months. Most recently, Lonely Planet was updated on November 4, 2026 and ZenPacker on October 31, 2026.

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