Guide · Updated October 2026
The best trip planner apps in 2026
There is no single best trip planner app — it depends on the trip. For a group that wants an AI itinerary, real-time co-planning, shared costs and offline access in one app, Traveluns covers all four for free. Wanderlog is the most established map-based planner, TripIt is best at organising bookings you already made, Mindtrip has the most polished AI chat, and Splitwise remains the standard if you only need to split costs.
Updated
Our picks, by what you need
1. Traveluns
Best for groups: AI itinerary, shared expenses and offline in one app
Say where and when, and Traveluns builds a day-by-day plan with every stop on the map. Everyone you invite can edit, vote in polls and log what they paid; the app keeps the trip on your phone with no signal. Planning, sharing, splitting and offline are free. iPhone and web today, Android on the way. (We make Traveluns — weigh this pick accordingly.)
Learn more2. Wanderlog
Best established map-based planner
A mature planner with the itinerary and map side by side, free real-time collaboration, and apps on iOS, Android and the web. Its AI assistant, offline access and Gmail scanning sit in the paid Pro tier.
Compare with Traveluns3. TripIt
Best for organising bookings you already made
Forward confirmation emails to TripIt and it assembles the itinerary for you — the best at this, by a distance. It does not plan a trip or suggest places, and real-time flight alerts need TripIt Pro ($48.99 a year on iOS).
Compare with Traveluns4. Mindtrip
Best AI chat for inspiration
A polished AI travel chat that builds itineraries, including from links, videos and screenshots, with group chat and offline itineraries. Free. iPhone and web; we found no Android app.
Compare with Traveluns5. Stippl
Best for multi-stop routes
Strong on routes and transport between stops, with co-planning and bill splitting. The AI planner and offline access are in Stippl Pro. iOS, Android and web.
6. Polarsteps
Best for tracking and remembering the trip
Tracks your route automatically and turns it into a travel journal and printed book. Good for during and after; lighter as a planner, and it does not split costs.
7. Google (Gemini and Maps)
Best free place data
Gemini drafts itineraries from Maps, Flights and Hotels data and can read bookings in your Gmail, and Maps lists can be shared with editors. The pieces live in different Google products rather than one shared trip, and nothing splits costs.
8. Splitwise
Best stand-alone expense splitter
The standard for who-owes-whom across any group, not only trips. The free tier caps new expenses per day and shows ads; Splitwise Pro removes both.
Compare with Traveluns
Feature comparison
| App | AI itinerary | Group co-planning | Split expenses | Offline | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traveluns | Yes | Free, unlimited people | Yes, free | Yes, free | iPhone, web (Android coming) |
| Wanderlog | Yes (Pro beyond a few messages) | Free | Yes | Pro | iOS, Android, web |
| TripIt | No (it organises bookings) | Shared plans | No | Yes | iOS, Android, web |
| Mindtrip | Yes, free | Group chat, shared itineraries | No | Yes | iOS, web |
| Stippl | Pro | Yes | Yes | Pro | iOS, Android, web |
| Polarsteps | Yes | Travel buddies | No | Yes | iOS, Android, web |
| Splitwise | No | Shared groups | Yes (daily cap on free) | — | iOS, Android, web |
Checked on each app's own site or App Store listing, October 2026.
How to choose
Most trip planner roundups end with the same advice: use one app for the itinerary and another, usually Splitwise, for the money. That works, but it means the plan and the costs never meet, and everyone has to install two apps.
Decide what the trip actually needs. If you travel alone and your bookings are already made, TripIt is hard to beat. If you want inspiration, an AI chat like Mindtrip is a good start. If several people are deciding together and paying together, pick an app where planning, voting and splitting happen in the same trip.
- Travelling with friends or family: Traveluns, or Wanderlog plus Splitwise
- Business travel with many bookings: TripIt
- Long multi-stop route: Stippl or Traveluns
- Keeping a journal of the trip: Polarsteps
Questions
- What is the best free trip planner app?
- For a group trip, Traveluns gives you an AI itinerary, unlimited collaborators, shared expenses and offline access on its free plan. Wanderlog's free plan is strong for map-based planning with friends, and Mindtrip's AI chat is free.
- What is the best app for planning a trip with friends?
- Pick one where everyone can edit the same plan and the costs live in the same place. Traveluns does both for free; Wanderlog has free collaboration and expense tracking; TripIt shares plans but does not split costs.
- Is there an app that plans the trip and splits the costs?
- Yes. Traveluns builds the itinerary with AI and keeps a shared expense ledger with who owes whom in the same trip — friends without the app can be included. Wanderlog and Stippl also track expenses alongside the plan.
Plan your trip with Traveluns
Free to start, no card needed. Plan on the web, take it with you on iPhone.