Comparison

PackLyst vs PackLight

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

Head to head
About

PackLyst

Create personalized packing lists for every trip, tailored to travelers, destinations, and activities. Avoid generic checklists and ensure you have everything you need for any adventure.

Highlights
  • Personalized packing lists per traveler
  • Automatic quantity adjustment for trip length
  • Activity-aware suggestions (camping, beach, business)
  • Shared and group item management
  • Traveler profiles for specific needs
  • Family sharing across devices
Features
Read full description

Never forget what to pack again. PackLyst builds a smart, personalized packing list for every trip — tailored to each traveler, the destination, the trip type, and how long you're gone. No more generic checklists or scrambling the night before. WHY PACKLYST • Per-traveler lists — everyone gets their own list, from toddlers to grandparents • Scales with your trip — quantities adjust to trip length automatically • Activity-aware — camping, hiking, beach, business, ski? Tell us what you're doing, where you're going, and who's going with and we'll get you a solid list of things to pack • Shared & group items — one tent and one first-aid kit for the whole family, not four • Traveler profiles — medical needs, dietary notes, and always-pack items remembered • Family sharing — plan and pack together across everyone's devices HOW IT WORKS 1. Create a trip — where, when, who, and what you'll be doing 2. PackLyst generates a personalized list for each traveler 3. Check items off, add your own, and share with the family 4. Arrive with everything you need BUILT FOR REAL TRIPS Family beach week? Solo backpacking trip? A wedding, a business conference, a camping weekend with friends? PackLyst adapts the list to the trip — so a 3-day work trip and a 2-week family vacation never look the same. — Premium is an auto-renewable subscription (monthly or yearly). Payment is charged to your Apple ID; it renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple ID settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://packlyst.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://packlyst.app/privacy

About

PackLight

Create smart packing lists based on trip type, track packed items by bag, and avoid forgetting essentials. Features include trip templates, progress tracking, and a memory card for past forgotten items. Export checklists or item lists to PDF or CSV.

Highlights
  • Smart trip templates
  • Bag-by-bag packing tracking
  • Memory card for forgotten items
  • Multi-traveler support
  • Weather notes
  • Printable PDF/CSV export
  • iCloud sync
Features
Read full description

Packing lists that remember what you forgot last time. PackLight starts every trip from a real, complete list for the kind of trip it is, then tracks what is packed bag by bag. No more blank pages and no more discovering the charger is still at home. Start from a smart template - Beach, ski, business, and camping each come with a full, hand-built list of 20 or more items, already sorted into the right bags with sensible quantities. - Trim what you do not need and add your own. Save any trip as a template to reuse your own packing style. Pack with confidence - A progress ring on every bag shows at a glance what is still out. - Give each traveler their own list, and flag the items the group shares so they only get packed once. - Add a weather note and expected temperatures so you remember the layers and the sunscreen. Remember what you forgot - Repack from a finished trip turns it into a fresh, unpacked list in one tap. - The memory card shows what you packed on your last trip of the same kind but have not added yet, so the same forgotten item does not catch you twice. Hold it in your hand - Export a printable PDF checklist grouped by bag, or a CSV of every item, and share or print it. Yours, everywhere - Your trips sync across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac through your own private iCloud. No account to create, no ads, no tracking. You can erase everything from every device at once from Settings. Free and Pro - Free: one trip and the beach template, with progress rings, travelers, and the memory card. - Lifetime unlock ($9.99 USD, one time): every template (ski, business, camping), unlimited trips and travelers, and PDF and CSV export. Pay once, keep it forever. No subscription.

Screenshots

PackLyst4 screens
PackLight4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: PackLyst at 5.0 against PackLight's 1.0. PackLyst also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). PackLight's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. PackLyst sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and PackLight sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PackLyst holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
PackLyst versus PackLight: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPackLystPackLight
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better1.0 (1 ratings)
Number of ratings2 — better1
Update frequency—Fortnightly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size56 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJacob HershbergerInnovaLabWorks

In-app purchases

4 purchases

PackLyst

Subscriptions3
  • Premium$4.991 Month
  • Family$9.991 Month
  • Premium (Annual)$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$99.99
1 purchases

PackLight

One-time1
  • PackLight Lifetime$9.99

Questions

Is PackLyst free?
PackLyst is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PackLight free?
PackLight is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PackLyst or PackLight?
PackLyst is rated higher. PackLyst averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while PackLight averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.
Do PackLyst or PackLight have ads?
PackLyst shows ads; PackLight does not.

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