Comparison

BackMaps vs Staywise

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

Head to head
About

BackMaps

Features
Read full description

BackMaps is a community-sourced collection of travel recommendations at backpacker hotspots around the world. Some of its features include: - An interactive world map to view all of the most popular backpacker travel recommendations around the world - Community-sourced backpacker travel guides for countries around the world, including where to stay, what to do, and where to eat - Bookmark recommendations so that you can easily return to them later - See which recommendations are most popular in the backpacking community by looking at the community upvotes and downvotes

About

Staywise

This app automatically tracks your travel and visa compliance, preventing overstays and fines. It offers proactive alerts, an AI travel assistant for visa requirements, and multi-passport management. Securely manage your travel history and access country-specific information for peace of mind.

Highlights
  • Automatic visa tracking
  • Smart notifications for deadlines
  • AI travel assistant for visa info
  • Multi-passport management
  • Travel history timeline
  • Country information hub
  • Data export and reports
Features
Read full description

Staywise is the privacy-first day counter that keeps you visa- and tax-compliant in every country you visit. Automatic tracking counts your days across borders, warns you before you overstay, and helps you stay on the right side of tourist-visa limits, the Schengen 90/180 rule, and the 183-day tax-residency threshold — so a great trip never turns into fines, bans, or a surprise tax bill. Built for iOS, Staywise uses intelligent, battery-friendly location monitoring to detect border crossings, count your days in each country, and alert you before deadlines hit. Your precise location never leaves your device — Staywise stores country names only. KEY FEATURES Automatic Day Tracking Background location quietly logs your stays in real time. Clear dashboards show days used, days remaining, and your departure deadline for every country — tourist, business, and special permits like Thailand's DTV included. Visa & Schengen Calculator Know exactly where you stand against tourist-visa limits and the rolling Schengen 90/180 window before you book your next flight. Tax-Residency Tracking Watch your day count against the 183-day rule and other thresholds, so you never accidentally trigger tax residency — or can prove you didn't. Smart Alerts Proactive reminders at 7, 3, and 1 days before any deadline, customizable by timing and urgency. Never miss an overstay risk. AI Travel Assistant Ask anything in plain language — visa requirements, document checklists, entry rules, and travel tips for 195+ countries. Multi-Passport Support Manage multiple citizenships, see visa-free access at a glance, find the best passport to travel on, and track expiry dates. Travel History A complete timeline, calendar, and stats of every trip. Add, edit, or annotate entries by hand anytime. Country Info Hub Stay limits, extensions, visa runs, and special zones like Schengen and ASEAN — all in one place. Reports & Export Generate PDF/CSV reports for tax residency, employer compliance, or your own records in seconds. WHO IT'S FOR Digital nomads and remote workers juggling multiple visas, frequent business travelers, dual citizens, and anyone spending serious time abroad who can't afford an overstay or an accidental tax-residency mistake. WHY STAYWISE - Prevents real problems: avoid fines, overstays, deportation, and unexpected tax exposure with accurate, automated tracking. - Privacy-first: country names only, never your coordinates; core tracking works offline. - Built to trust: grounded in real visa and residency rules, updated often. Staywise Pro unlocks full access: unlimited tracking, sync across devices, and an ad-free experience. Download Staywise and travel with peace of mind. Questions? Email support@staywiseapp.com. Requires iOS 16.0+. Subscription auto-renews unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the period. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account.

Screenshots

BackMaps3 screens
Staywise4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BackMaps at none against Staywise's 4. BackMaps also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.4). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Staywise sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. BackMaps asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BackMaps ships an update every 5 days, Staywise every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
BackMaps versus Staywise: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBackMapsStaywise
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Subscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better18.4
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB20 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperShane KadishArcadia Innovate LLC

In-app purchases

None

BackMaps

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Staywise

Subscriptions4
  • Staywise Premium (Weekly)$9.997 Days
  • Staywise Premium3 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Staywise Premium (Yearly)$34.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Staywise Premium (Yearly)3 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is BackMaps free?
BackMaps is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Staywise free?
Staywise is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do BackMaps or Staywise have ads?
Neither BackMaps nor Staywise shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BackMaps or Staywise?
BackMaps ships an update every 5 days, and Staywise every 3 weeks. Most recently, BackMaps was updated on October 28, 2026 and Staywise on November 5, 2026.

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