Comparison

Troupe vs Vacationist

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

Head to head
About

Troupe

Streamline group trip planning and expense splitting in one app. Share itineraries, track shared costs, and settle debts effortlessly without the chaos of multiple chat apps. Works offline and syncs via iCloud for seamless collaboration.

Highlights
  • Shared itinerary planning
  • Automatic expense splitting
  • Real-time balance tracking
  • Fewest transfers for settlement
  • Offline access to trip details
  • Shared packing lists
  • Booking confirmation storage
Features
Read full description

Plan the trip together. Split the costs automatically. No WhatsApp chaos. Every group trip runs across three apps: one for the itinerary, one for the money, and a group chat for the mess in between. Troupe is all of it in one shared space. ONE SHARED TRIP Invite your group straight from Messages or WhatsApp — they tap the link and see everything. No accounts, no signups: it works through iCloud, which everyone already has. The itinerary, the costs, the packing list — everyone sees every update, live. THE MONEY SORTS ITSELF • Whoever fronts the Airbnb adds it once — split across the group in two taps • Balances update instantly: who's ahead, who owes • "Who pays whom" works out the fewest possible transfers to settle up • Expenses attach to plans, so the dinner on Tuesday knows Jess paid the deposit • No daily expense limits. Ever. THE PLAN EVERYONE CAN SEE • Day-by-day itinerary: flights, stays, dinners, activities — with times, places, and confirmation refs • Shared packing list with check-off • Booking confirmations and tickets stored as photos, offline • Works with no signal — everything lives on your phone BUILT FOR THE ORGANIZER Planning a hen weekend, a stag do, a family holiday with eight opinions? You're the one holding it together. Troupe Pro is priced for exactly you: the organizer subscribes, and everyone you invite collaborates completely free — always. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Troupe has no servers. Your trips sync through your own iCloud and are shared with exactly the people you invite — Apple's infrastructure end to end. No analytics, no tracking, no ads. PRICING THAT MAKES SENSE Free: one active trip with up to 4 people — a full group trip, genuinely free. Troupe Pro: unlimited trips and any group size — $3.99/month, cancel anytime, or $29.99 once, yours forever. Terms of Use (Apple Standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://yuzool.com/apps/troupe/privacy.html

About

Vacationist

Features
Read full description

Vacationist is the free group trip planner that keeps everyone in sync - from the first idea to the last flight home. Plan trips together, not alone. Vote on activities and accommodations, split expenses fairly, share packing lists, and manage every detail of your group's plans in one place. Group Voting Vote on activities and accommodations with a clear, honest scale - must-do, like, open, skip, or flag a group blocker. No numeric scores, no confusion about what the group actually wants. Expense Splitting Track shared costs and split them automatically. Every trip can use its own currency, and expenses can be entered in different currencies too - Vacationist handles the conversion. Accommodations & Activities Compare places to stay, plan your itinerary, and keep everyone's schedule in sync with a shared trip calendar. Shopping Lists & Recipes Plan meals together and generate shopping lists automatically from recipes. Flights, Vehicles & Rentals Coordinate flights, shared rides, and rental cars - who's flying together, who's driving, who's picking up the car. Encrypted Travel Documents Save passport and ID details securely, protected with AES-256 encryption and Face ID / biometric unlock. Encrypted Travel Documents Save passport and ID details securely, protected with AES-256 encryption and Face ID / biometric unlock. No Account Needed to Join Invite friends with a single link. They can join as a guest and start voting and contributing immediately - no sign-up required. Vacationist is free to use, with no ads. A Pro upgrade is available for larger or longer trips, but the core planning experience is free for everyone. Whether it's a summer vacation, a ski trip, a bachelorette weekend, or splitting rent with roommates - Vacationist keeps your group organized and in sync.

Screenshots

Troupe4 screens
Vacationist4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Vacationist at none against Troupe's 2. Vacationist also leads on update cadence (daily vs weekly) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). 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. Troupe sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Vacationist asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Troupe ships an update weekly, Vacationist daily. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Troupe versus Vacationist: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTroupeVacationist
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB45 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperMichael FranklandGary Lude

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Troupe

Subscriptions1
  • Troupe Pro$3.991 Month
One-time1
  • Troupe Pro Lifetime$29.99
None

Vacationist

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Troupe free?
Troupe is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Vacationist free?
Vacationist is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Troupe or Vacationist have ads?
Neither Troupe nor Vacationist shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Troupe or Vacationist?
Troupe ships an update weekly, and Vacationist daily. Most recently, Troupe was updated on October 10, 2026 and Vacationist on October 15, 2026.

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