Comparison

PackLight vs Packing List

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

Head to head
About

PackLight

Features
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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.

About

Packing List

Features
Read full description

Never forget your charger, your passport, or the kids' swimsuits again. Packing List builds a smart, complete packing list for any trip in seconds - then checks it off with you. Tell it where you're going, how long, and who's coming; it does the rest. Works completely offline, with no account and nothing uploaded. MOST PACKING APPS HAND YOU A BLANK LIST. THIS ONE DOESN'T. Pick your trip type and the list writes itself - the right items, in the right amounts, for your exact trip. A quick weekend getaway or a long-haul flight: the quantities adjust automatically. TEMPLATE PACKS FOR EVERY KIND OF TRIP - Beach, road trip, ski, cruise, camping, festival, business, and baby & toddler - A Travel Essentials base on every trip: documents, chargers, toiletries, meds - Going abroad? The International list adds passport, visas, adapters, currency and more - Start from the closest template and rename or add items until the list is exactly yours A CHECKLIST THAT KEEPS UP WITH YOU - Tap to pack; a live progress bar shows exactly how close you are to done - Add your own items; everything stays grouped by category - A departure date, with the countdown on your trip card - A reminder the evening before you leave, if anything is still unpacked - A satisfying "you're all packed" moment when the last box is checked - Light, dark and sunny themes PACK FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY OR GROUP - Add everyone travelling, assign each item to whoever is carrying it, and filter the list to one person at a time. Good for getting kids to pack their own bag - Everyone's items live on the same list, so nothing doubles up and nothing gets left for "someone else" to bring TRIPS YOU CAN REUSE - Save trips side by side, and duplicate last summer's - you're ready in one tap - Export or print any list as a PDF PRIVATE BY DESIGN - Works completely offline - in airplane mode, on the plane, anywhere - No ads, no account, no sign-up, no cloud - Nothing is ever uploaded; your trips stay on your phone Whether it's a weekend road trip, a honeymoon abroad, a family cruise, or a ski week - pack faster, forget nothing, and start your trip relaxed. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ - Privacy Policy: https://kanac.github.io/syanac-legal/

Screenshots

PackLight4 screens
Packing List4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Packing List at 16.4 against PackLight's 18.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. PackLight sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Packing List sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PackLight ships an update fortnightly, Packing List every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 7 level
PackLight versus Packing List: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPackLightPacking List
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB39 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperInnovaLabWorksAnthony Chui

In-app purchases

1 purchases

PackLight

One-time1
  • PackLight Lifetime$9.99
2 purchases

Packing List

Subscriptions1
  • Pro Yearly$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pro Lifetime$14.99

Questions

Is PackLight free?
PackLight is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Packing List free?
Packing List is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PackLight or Packing List have ads?
Neither PackLight nor Packing List shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PackLight or Packing List?
PackLight ships an update fortnightly, and Packing List every 2 weeks. Most recently, PackLight was updated on October 24, 2026 and Packing List on October 10, 2026.

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