Comparison

Offbeat Japan vs DETOUR

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

Head to head
About

Offbeat Japan

Features
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The Japan that regular guidebooks don't show. Offbeat Japan brings you 400+ adventures off the beaten path, photographed and told by Jordy Meow, an explorer based in Japan for over fifteen years: forgotten villages, mountain shrines, cat islands, abandoned places, and festivals tourists never see. The app is made for dreaming, learning and planning — whether your next trip is in a month or in ten years. EVERYTHING OFFLINE Every story is synced to your iPhone. On the subway, on a plane, deep in the Japanese countryside: everything reads without a connection, photos included. Instant search works offline too. IN TUNE WITH THE SEASONS The app lives to Japan's rhythm: winter, spring, summer, autumn — each season has its own color, places and moods. A dedicated section covers urban exploration (haikyo) for fans of abandoned places. ONE DISCOVERY A DAY Every day, the app surfaces a new discovery from the archives. Let yourself be surprised. THE MAP OF SECRETS Every geolocated place on one map, colored by season. Perfect for building an itinerary unlike any other. LIVE JAPAN ALERTS Real-time earthquakes, typhoons and tsunamis, straight from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). Follow what's happening, or keep an eye on a region you love. IS JAPAN EXPENSIVE? An interactive tool compares the cost of living in Japan with your country, using today's exchange rate: ramen, subway, rent, movies… The answers will surprise you. AND MORE • Practical guides: itineraries, visas, etiquette, onsen, ryokan… • Photo and alert widgets for your home screen • Favorites, dark mode, gentle notifications when new stories arrive NO ACCOUNT, NO ADS, NO TRACKING No sign-up, no advertising, no data collected. Just Japan. Note: article content is currently in French. English stories are coming in a future update.

About

DETOUR

Features
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Et si le plus beau n'était pas la destination, mais tout ce qu'on rate en filant tout droit ? DETOUR, c'est le copilote des voyageurs curieux et pas pressés. Un départ, une arrivée — et entre les deux, on va voir. Une villa oubliée avec vue mer, un col que le GPS évite, un marché du matin. Le genre d'adresse qu'un ami vous glisse à l'oreille. TRACEZ VOTRE ROUTE Départ, destination — France ou Italie. DETOUR déroule plusieurs itinéraires, du plus direct au plus buissonnier. Vous gardez une étape, vous en passez une autre : la route se dessine à votre main. DES PÉPITES, PAS UNE LISTE DE COURSES Ni « top 10 », ni « incontournables ». Chaque étape a son pourquoi, sa durée, son accès, sa bonne saison. Sur votre route, ou juste à côté. TOUT DANS LE 4×4 Vos favoris et vos road trips vous suivent, même sans réseau. Un tap, et le guidage démarre dans votre GPS. LA CARTE SE COLORE Chaque coin partagé révèle un bout de territoire et vous fait grimper les paliers. France et Italie à défricher. À VOUS DE JOUER Une adresse qui vaut le détour ? Ajoutez-la en quelques écrans. On la relit, on la publie. Slow travel. Zéro pub. Juste l'envie de prendre la route autrement.

Screenshots

Offbeat Japan4 screens
DETOUR4 screens

Verdict

The call

Offbeat Japan and DETOUR are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Offbeat Japan versus DETOUR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOffbeat JapanDETOUR
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB70 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMeow Arts KKNathan Grassin

In-app purchases

None

Offbeat Japan

No in-app purchases

None

DETOUR

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Offbeat Japan free?
Offbeat Japan is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is DETOUR free?
DETOUR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Offbeat Japan or DETOUR have ads?
Neither Offbeat Japan nor DETOUR shows ads.

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