# Polarsteps vs Travel Route

The clearest difference is rating: Polarsteps at 4.9 against Travel Route's 4.1. Polarsteps also leads on review sentiment (90% vs 63%) and ratings volume (10K vs 322). Travel Route's advantage is iOS requirement (15 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Polarsteps sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Travel Route sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Polarsteps holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Polarsteps has 10K ratings behind it against 322, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of Polarsteps's written reviews are positive against 63% of Travel Route's.

Polarsteps ships an update every 4 days, Travel Route every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Polarsteps | Travel Route |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polarsteps/id947925763/reviews)** | [4.1 (322 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/travel-route-3d-map-and-plan/id1617762821/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **10K** | 322 |
| Positive reviews | **89.8% of reviews** | 63.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#65** | — |
| Size | 219 MB | 167 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Polarsteps B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/947925762) | [SMART WIDGET LABS COMPANY LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1561934122) |

## What reviewers say

### Polarsteps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polarsteps/id947925763)

**Currently charting:** #65 Top Grossing · Travel, #209 Top Free · Travel (US App Store)

This travel app helps you plan, track, and share your journeys. Automatically record your routes, add photos and stories, and create beautiful digital memories or printed books. Keep friends and family updated on your adventures.

**Highlights:** AI itinerary planner, Automatic route tracking, Photo and video capture, Trip sharing with friends and family, Digital memory creation, Printed travel books

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Plus Yearly | $34.99 | per year |
| Plus Yearly | $44.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💻 Excellent app for travel blogging
- 👍 Easy to use and share with family/friends
- 🗺️ Great GPS tracking and map features
- 📷 Seamless photo/video integration
- 📚 Ability to create high-quality travel books

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔄 Difficulty editing/rearranging photos and steps
- 🔋 Can be battery-intensive
- 🗺️ Inaccurate GPS tracking in some cases
- 🤖 Struggles with importing past trips and photos

**Reported bugs**

- Trouble uploading videos
- Incorrect time zone and location tracking
- Steps and photos randomly disappearing
- Crashes and freezes during usage

**Requested features**

- Ability to collaborate on trips with others
- Option to customize page layouts for travel books
- Improved video support and integration
- More flexible map and route editing tools
- Synchronization across multiple devices


### Travel Route

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/travel-route-3d-map-and-plan/id1617762821)

Plan your travel routes and visualize your journeys in a unique 3D map. Create engaging 3D videos of your trips with various transport options and customizable styles.

**Highlights:** Plan routes by typing start and destination, Drag to create intermediate points, Select 3D transport options, Create 3D journey videos, Customize journey visuals, Various transport modes, Wide range of map styles

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Premium 2 | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Premium | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Trial Premium | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Premium | $5.99 | per month |
| Monthly Premium 2 | $5.99 | per month |
| Premium Model 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Premium Model | $1.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium 2 | $19.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good app
- 🚀 Great to use
- 💡 Multiple via routes
- 👍 Excellent app with funny 3D effect

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes when trying to input too many locations
- 🐛 Doesn't follow roads, only goes direct
- 🐛 Can't rearrange points in route list
- 🐛 Doesn't search well for destinations
- 🐛 Can't preview video before paying

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices
- Can't get past startup screen without paying
- Can't save video
- Crashes when trying to input too many locations

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to demo output before purchase
- Optimize for iPad
- Ability to rearrange route points
- Better search functionality for destinations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Polarsteps free?

Polarsteps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Travel Route free?

Travel Route is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Polarsteps or Travel Route?

Polarsteps is rated higher. Polarsteps averages 4.9 out of 5 from 10K ratings, while Travel Route averages 4.1 from 322 ratings.

### Do Polarsteps or Travel Route have ads?

Neither Polarsteps nor Travel Route shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Polarsteps or Travel Route?

Polarsteps ships an update every 4 days, and Travel Route every 10 days. Most recently, Polarsteps was updated on November 3, 2026 and Travel Route on October 30, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*