# Polarsteps vs Routely

The clearest difference is ads: Polarsteps at none against Routely's shown. Polarsteps also leads on ratings volume (10K vs 4) and chart position (#61 vs unranked). Routely's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 90%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Polarsteps sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Routely sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Polarsteps against 5.0 for Routely. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Polarsteps has 10K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of Polarsteps's written reviews are positive against 100% of Routely's.

Polarsteps ships an update every 4 days, Routely every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Polarsteps | Routely |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polarsteps/id947925763/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/routely-itinerary-planner/id6760367525/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **10K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 89.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 5 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#61** | — |
| Size | 219 MB | 91 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | +4 |
| Developer | [Polarsteps B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/947925762) | [AHMET AKIL](https://appshunter.io/developer/1884135124) |

## What reviewers say

### Polarsteps

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

**Currently charting:** #61 Top Grossing · 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


### Routely

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/routely-itinerary-planner/id6760367525)

Organize all your saved travel ideas from various platforms into one place. Create detailed itineraries, map out your destinations, and collaborate with friends to plan unforgettable trips.

**Highlights:** Save spots from social media and web, Automatic place extraction from links, Interactive map view of saved spots, Build day-by-day itineraries, Collaborative planning with friends, Voting system for group decisions

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Routely Pro Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Routely Pro Weekly | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Routely Pro Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Routely Pro | $24.99 | per year |
| Routely Pro | $29.99 | per year |
| Routely Pro Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Routely Pro | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Polarsteps free?

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

### Is Routely free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Polarsteps or Routely?

Routely is rated higher. Polarsteps averages 4.9 out of 5 from 10K ratings, while Routely averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Polarsteps or Routely have ads?

Routely shows ads; Polarsteps does not.

### Which is updated more often, Polarsteps or Routely?

Polarsteps ships an update every 4 days, and Routely every 5 days. Most recently, Polarsteps was updated on November 6, 2026 and Routely on November 5, 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.*