Almost every trip planner says it is free. What matters is what the free plan does, and the limit you will run into first.
We make SwipeSights, one of the apps below. Everything about the other apps comes from their own sites, help pages and store listings, checked in October 2026, and we have put our own limits in as plainly as everyone else’s.
What does free mean in a trip planner?
- Free, with no paid plan: Google Maps, KAYAK Trips, Tripadvisor’s planner, Mindtrip and Pilot.
- A free plan with limits: most planners. The free plan works, and a paid one removes a cap or adds features.
- A free trial: the full app for a few days, then a subscription. We left out apps that are only a trial.
What does each free trip planner include, and where is the limit?
SwipeSights
Full disclosure: we make this one. A trip planner for going with friends: everyone picks places on their own phone, and the app builds the days from the picks, in walking order around opening hours.
Free
Unlimited trips. The plan is built from everyone’s picks, with each day in walking order and lunch and dinner near the stops.
The limit you hit first
The plan opens 3 days, for groups of up to 3.
Paid: Trip Pass from $12.99 or Year Pass from $29.99: every day, groups of up to 20, multi-city, offline and a PDF. One person upgrades and the whole group gets it. There are no per-person fees.
Google Maps
Completely free, with no paid plan. Saved lists of places double as a light trip planner.
Free
Lists of places with notes, shared by link or edited together, directions with several stops, and map areas downloaded for offline use.
The limit you hit first
Lists have no days or times, so you split the places into days yourself; a route takes up to 9 stops.
Paid: None.
Wanderlog
The most complete free plan for building a detailed itinerary, alone or with friends.
Free
Unlimited trips with a day-by-day itinerary and map, real-time co-editing, and a budget with bill splitting.
The limit you hit first
Route optimization, full offline access and Gmail import are on Pro.
Paid: Pro $39.99 a year on its site (store prices vary).
TripIt
Free for organizing what you have booked: it builds one itinerary from your confirmation emails.
Free
Email forwarding and inbox import, one itinerary across your devices, calendar sync, sharing and offline access.
The limit you hit first
No real-time flight alerts on the free plan, and it does not plan what to do.
Paid: Pro $49 a year, with a 30-day free trial.
KAYAK Trips
Free, with no paid plan: an itinerary from the confirmation emails you forward, whatever site you booked on.
Free
One itinerary of your flights, stays and bookings, flight alerts, sharing and key details offline in the app.
The limit you hit first
It only organizes what you have booked and forwarded.
Paid: None.
Tripadvisor
A free AI trip planner that builds a day-by-day plan from a chat and saves it into Trips.
Free
The AI planner, Trips itineraries, and sharing or collaborating with friends.
The limit you hit first
An account is needed to save a plan, and plans are built around Tripadvisor’s own listings and booking links.
Paid: None.
Mindtrip
A free AI travel assistant that builds trips in a chat and books flights, stays and restaurants.
Free
Planning in a chat, itineraries with a map, inspiration saved from social posts, and friends invited to plan with you.
The limit you hit first
It runs on the web and iPhone only, with no Android app.
Paid: No paid plan for travelers.
Polarsteps
Free planning and tracking: an AI trip planner, and a map of your route recorded as you travel.
Free
The AI trip planner, trip planning, route tracking, sharing and following trips; Polarsteps says the core stays free.
The limit you hit first
Up to 5 travel buddies can plan a trip with you.
Paid: Polarsteps Plus €8.99 a month or €29.99 a year (varies by region): 3D maps, more map styles and up to 10 buddies.
Stippl
A free plan made for co-planning a route with many stops.
Free
Unlimited trips, co-planners and expenses, packing lists, a journal, and your first AI itinerary.
The limit you hit first
More AI itineraries need Pro, and so does AI route optimization.
Paid: Pro from €4.99 a month (varies by country).
Pilot
Completely free for travelers, with stays to book inside it; the desktop version is the most complete.
Free
Shared editing, hearts on ideas, a group chat, an AI itinerary builder, offline access and file attachments.
The limit you hit first
The phone apps are still in early development, with some features limited.
Paid: No paid plan for travelers.
Roadtrippers
A road trip planner for the USA and Canada whose free plan is mostly a taste.
Free
One saved trip, places to see along the route, and routing.
The limit you hit first
1 trip with up to 3 stops.
Paid: Basic $35.99, Pro $49.99 or Premium $59.99 a year; collaboration from Pro, the AI trip builder on Premium.
Tripomatic
A day-by-day planner on a map, called Sygic Travel until 2024.
Free
Planning with places, opening hours and routes, and planning together from one shared link. The free plan shows ads.
The limit you hit first
Up to 5 days with planned activities a month, across all your trips, and 25 places a trip.
Paid: Premium from $3.99 a month or $23.99 a year on the U.S. App Store, with offline maps.
How do the free plans compare?
| App | Free includes | The limit you hit first | Paid from |
|---|---|---|---|
| SwipeSights | Unlimited trips, the plan built from everyone’s picks | The plan opens 3 days; groups of up to 3 | Trip Pass from $12.99 |
| Google Maps | Lists, shared lists, directions, offline areas | No days or times; 9 stops a route | No paid plan |
| Wanderlog | Unlimited trips, co-editing, budget | Route order and full offline on Pro | $39.99 a year |
| TripIt | Itinerary from your emails, sharing, offline | No live flight alerts | $49 a year |
| KAYAK Trips | Itinerary from forwarded emails, flight alerts | Only what you booked | No paid plan |
| Tripadvisor | AI planner, Trips, sharing | Account to save; its own listings | No paid plan |
| Mindtrip | AI chat planning, map, invites | Web and iPhone only | No paid plan |
| Polarsteps | AI planner, planning, tracking | 5 travel buddies | €29.99 a year |
| Stippl | Trips, co-planners, expenses | One AI itinerary | €4.99 a month |
| Pilot | Co-editing, chat, AI itinerary builder, offline | Phone apps in early development | No paid plan |
| Roadtrippers | One trip, routing | 3 stops | $35.99 a year |
| Tripomatic | Planning on a map, with ads | 5 planned days a month | $23.99 a year |
From each app’s own site, help pages and store listing, checked October 2026. U.S. prices unless a currency is shown, and prices vary by country. Apps change often, so check before you choose.
Can you plan a whole trip for free?
Yes, if you are happy to use two or three apps. Save ideas in a shared Google Maps list, plan the days in Wanderlog’s free plan, keep the bookings in TripIt or KAYAK Trips, and settle up with Splitwise, which is free with a daily expense limit.
With friends, the planning is the part that takes the time. In SwipeSights the group picks together and the plan is built from the picks, free for the first 3 days. For more on planning with a group, read the best app to plan a trip with friends, and for every kind of trip, the best trip planning apps.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free trip planner app?
For saving and sharing places, Google Maps, which has no paid plan. For a full day-by-day itinerary, Wanderlog’s free plan. For bookings, TripIt or KAYAK Trips. For a trip with friends where the plan is built from everyone’s picks, SwipeSights, free for unlimited trips with the first days of each plan open.
Is there a completely free trip planner?
Yes. Google Maps, KAYAK Trips, Tripadvisor’s Trips and AI planner, Mindtrip and Pilot have no paid plan for travelers. Polarsteps keeps planning and tracking free and sells extras. Most other planners have a free plan with limits.
Which free trip planner works offline?
TripIt’s itinerary, Google Maps’ downloaded areas, Polarsteps, Pilot and KAYAK Trips in its app all work offline for free. Full offline access is on Wanderlog Pro, and offline maps on Tripomatic Premium.
What is the best free trip planner for groups?
Wanderlog and Stippl let any number of friends plan together for free, and Google Maps lists can be shared or edited together. In SwipeSights everyone picks places and the plan is built from the picks, free for groups of up to 3; Polarsteps allows 5 travel buddies.
Is Wanderlog free?
Yes, Wanderlog has a free plan with unlimited trips, co-editing and a budget. Pro, $39.99 a year on its site, adds route optimization, full offline access and Gmail import.
Is SwipeSights free?
Yes. Trips are free and unlimited: the plan opens 3 days, for groups of up to 3. A Trip Pass from $12.99 or a Year Pass from $29.99 opens every day and groups of up to 20, and one person paying covers the whole group.
Plan the trip together, for free
Start a trip, invite the group, and let everyone’s picks become the plan.
SwipeSights: plan the whole group trip together.
