Wanderlog creates visual trip plans while TripIt organizes your bookings perfectly. Discover which platform is best for your travel plans.
"Great app! It was quite handy to use to plan our trip and to share our trip itinerary and travel notes with friends / co-travelers in the group. The app also proactively gives helpful suggestions like travel tips and even tells you when certain restaurants or attractions in your travel list might be closed. I've used the free version and it was still very helpful."
"I was so excited to find this for an upcoming trip with lots of stops. I began adding all my hotels and others places I wanted to check out to discover I have to pay for the map usage. 50 bucks for a once in a lifetime trip is so not worth it. Maybe if you travel multiple times a year, it would be worth it. You really should consider a monthly rate with options to put the account on hold."
Wanderlog offers a robust itinerary creation system that allows you to build detailed day-by-day travel plans. The drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to organize flights, accommodations, activities, and transportation in a visual timeline format. Unlike basic planning tools, Wanderlog automatically populates location details including descriptions, photos, ratings, hours of operation, and contact information when you add destinations.
The platform integrates seamlessly with Google Maps, showing travel times and distances between locations to help you plan realistic daily schedules.
One of Wanderlog's standout features is its Google Docs-style collaborative editing. Multiple travelers can simultaneously edit the same itinerary, making it perfect for group trips where everyone wants input on the plans. Team members can add suggestions, vote on activities, and contribute to different aspects of the trip planning process.
The collaboration extends to expense splitting, where group members can track shared costs and settle bills at the end of the trip, similar to apps like Splitwise.
Every destination you add is automatically plotted on an interactive map powered by Google Maps. The visual representation helps you understand the geographic relationship between locations and optimize your daily routes. For road trips, Wanderlog connects your destinations with route lines, giving you a clear view of your travel path.
The Pro version includes a route optimization feature that automatically rearranges your daily activities in the most efficient order based on location and travel times.
Wanderlog can automatically import your travel reservations by forwarding confirmation emails to a unique trip-specific email address or by connecting your Gmail account. The system recognizes booking confirmations for flights, hotels, rental cars, and activities, automatically adding them to your itinerary with all relevant details.
This eliminates manual data entry and ensures all your important travel information is centralized in one place.
The platform provides personalized recommendations for attractions, restaurants, and activities based on your destination and preferences. These suggestions come from travel guides, user-generated content, and integrations with services like TripAdvisor. You can add recommended places to your itinerary with a single click.
The Pro version includes an AI assistant that provides local tips and suggestions as you plan your trip.
Wanderlog includes comprehensive budgeting tools that let you set trip budgets and track expenses by category (flights, accommodation, food, activities). The expense tracker supports multiple currencies and provides visual breakdowns of your spending patterns.
For group travel, the bill-splitting feature allows you to specify who paid for what and how costs should be divided among travelers, with automatic calculations for settling up.
The mobile app stores your itineraries locally, allowing you to access your plans even without internet connectivity. This is particularly valuable for international travel or when visiting areas with poor cellular coverage. The Pro version enhances this with offline maps and full functionality.
The app syncs seamlessly across devices, so changes made on your phone are instantly available on your computer and vice versa.
Wanderlog integrates deeply with Google Maps, allowing you to export your daily itinerary directly to Google Maps for turn-by-turn navigation. This creates a seamless transition from planning to execution, as you can follow your pre-planned route using the navigation app you're already familiar with.
The system shows estimated travel times between destinations and can factor in different transportation methods.
The platform hosts user-generated travel guides that you can browse for inspiration and practical tips. These guides include detailed itineraries, photos, and recommendations from real travelers who have visited your destination. You can save items from these guides directly to your own trip plan.
This community aspect helps you discover hidden gems and local favorites that might not appear in traditional guidebooks.
Wanderlog serves as a central repository for all your travel documents and notes. You can attach files, add detailed notes to each destination, create packing lists, and store important travel information. The checklist feature helps ensure you don't forget important tasks or items.
The platform also allows you to add custom sections and organize information in whatever way works best for your travel style.
Unlike many travel planners that work best for single-destination trips, Wanderlog excels at complex, multi-city itineraries and road trips. You can add unlimited stops, plan routes between cities, and organize your trip by geographic regions or time periods.
The visual map interface makes it particularly useful for planning driving routes and understanding the spatial relationships between destinations.
Plan group trips like working on a Google Doc—everyone can edit simultaneously, add suggestions, and contribute to the itinerary in real-time.
See all your destinations plotted on an interactive map with travel times and distances, making it easy to plan logical daily routes.
Get full itinerary building, collaboration, budgeting, and recommendation features without paying a subscription fee.
Export your daily plans directly to Google Maps for navigation, creating a smooth transition from planning to exploring.
Handle everything from detailed itineraries and expense tracking to document storage and packing lists in a single platform.
Unlike TripIt's automatic email scanning, you often need to manually input reservation details and lesser-known attraction information.
Wanderlog doesn't provide flight delay notifications or gate changes like specialized travel management apps—you'll need airline apps for that.
At $39.99/year, some users find the Pro subscription costly for features like offline access and route optimization that could be essential.
If you prefer spontaneous travel or just need basic planning, Wanderlog's comprehensive feature set might feel like overkill.
While you can research flights and hotels, you can't book them directly through the app—you'll need to use separate booking sites.
"TripIt has helped me stay organized on all of my trips!! It places all of my complex trip details in one well organized location and has served me better than a hundred travel agents!! Plus its lited in a fun way and I've loved being able to go back through a 10 year history of trips remembering each flight, lay over, cruise, car rental, hotel, & excursion with fondness!! Anyone serious about their travel adventures absolutely must have this 5 star travel app!!!!"
"I'll update my review when TripIt fixes their app! I've been using it for years and within the last month it's suddenly gotten all glitchy. The app seems to keep resetting because it won't keep my trips. I've built multiple itineraries and they keep disappearing. I have to be online and reload the app to see my information. I've uninstalled and reinstalled multiple times with no luck. I even put in a support ticket and the response I got back was, 'you can still access trip through the web.'"
One of TripIt’s standout features is its ability to automatically generate travel itineraries. Users simply forward their confirmation emails for flights, hotels, rental cars, and other bookings to plans@tripit.com, and the app organizes all the details into a structured itinerary. For even more convenience, TripIt can sync with email providers like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo to detect and import bookings automatically.
This eliminates the need for manual data entry, saving time and reducing the chances of missing important trip details.
TripIt acts as a one-stop hub for all travel-related plans, making it easy to keep track of flights, accommodations, car rentals, restaurant reservations, and activities.
The app consolidates everything into a single, easy-to-read itinerary that updates in real time. Even better, it organizes multiple trips separately, so frequent travelers can quickly switch between upcoming itineraries. This means no more digging through emails or scrambling to find booking details while on the go.
A key advantage of TripIt is that users can access their itineraries even without an internet connection.
This is particularly useful for international travelers who may not always have reliable mobile data or Wi-Fi. Once an itinerary is created, all trip details are stored locally on the device, allowing travelers to check flight information, hotel addresses, and activity schedules anytime, anywhere.
TripIt Pro offers real-time flight alerts, notifying users about delays, gate changes, and cancellations before airlines even send out notifications.
This feature can be a game-changer for frequent flyers, as it helps them adjust plans quickly and avoid unnecessary stress at the airport. Additionally, Pro users get baggage claim details upon landing, reducing the time spent searching for luggage carousels.
If a flight is canceled or delayed, TripIt Pro provides alternative flight options, helping users find a new route to their destination.
This feature is especially useful for business travelers or those on tight schedules, as it eliminates the hassle of searching for backup flights manually. It also provides details on available seats, departure times, and airline contact information, making it easier to rebook quickly.
Navigating large airports can be overwhelming, but TripIt Pro offers interactive airport maps to help users find gates, lounges, restaurants, and other essential services.
Additionally, Pro users receive security line wait times, which can help them plan ahead and avoid unnecessary delays at TSA checkpoints. For those who frequently travel through unfamiliar airports, this feature can make layovers and transfers significantly smoother.
TripIt provides a secure space to store important travel documents, such as passport copies, travel insurance details, and visa information.
Having everything accessible in one app eliminates the need to carry physical copies, reducing the risk of losing crucial documents while traveling. This feature is especially helpful for international travelers who need quick access to paperwork for border crossings or airline check-ins.
TripIt seamlessly integrates with calendar apps like Google Calendar, Outlook, and Apple Calendar.
Once linked, all upcoming trips automatically appear in the user’s schedule, ensuring they never forget flight times, hotel check-ins, or activity bookings. This feature is especially helpful for business travelers who juggle multiple meetings and trips, as it keeps everything aligned in one place.
TripIt Pro includes an expense tracking tool, allowing users to log travel-related costs such as airfare, hotel stays, and dining expenses.
This is particularly beneficial for business travelers who need to submit expense reports. Additionally, TripIt tracks carbon emissions from flights and provides recommendations for offsetting one’s environmental impact. This feature is great for eco-conscious travelers who want to reduce their carbon footprint while flying.
For those traveling with family, friends, or colleagues, TripIt makes it easy to share itineraries so everyone stays informed.
Users can grant others access to their trip details, ensuring that travel companions know the flight schedule, hotel information, and planned activities. This feature is particularly useful for corporate travel, where teams need to stay coordinated on business trips.
TripIt Pro removes all advertisements, providing a cleaner, distraction-free experience. While the free version includes some ads, upgrading to Pro ensures a seamless interface with no interruptions. This is a small but appreciated benefit for users who prefer an uncluttered experience.
Simply forward confirmation emails, and TripIt organizes everything into a neat, easy-to-access itinerary.
Flights, hotels, car rentals, and activities are stored in a single, centralized location.
Get notified about delays, cancellations, gate changes, and baggage claim updates.
Access your itinerary even without an internet connection.
Seamlessly integrates with Google, Outlook, and Apple calendars for easy scheduling.
Many of the best features (like real-time flight alerts and seat tracking) require the paid Pro version.
TripIt scans your inbox for travel confirmations, which some users might find intrusive.
Unlike some competitors, TripIt doesn’t allow you to book flights, hotels, or activities directly within the app.
While functional, the app's layout might feel overwhelming or outdated compared to more modern travel apps.
The Pro version costs $49/year, which might not be worth it for infrequent travelers.
The choice between Wanderlog and TripIt ultimately comes down to whether you want comprehensive trip planning or streamlined trip organization. Wanderlog offers the more planning-focused experience with collaborative itinerary creation, visual map interfaces, and budget tracking that make it particularly appealing for leisure travelers and group coordinators. Its planning-centric approach consolidates attraction discovery, route optimization, and collaborative editing in ways that TripIt doesn't match.
However, Wanderlog's comprehensive features come at the cost of simplicity and business travel optimization. The complex interface for simple organization needs, focus on pre-trip planning over real-time management, and lack of specialized business features make it feel more suited for vacation planning than efficient travel logistics. For business travelers or those who just want organized itineraries from existing bookings, Wanderlog's extensive planning tools may feel excessive.
TripIt prioritizes streamlined organization and proven reliability over comprehensive planning features. Its industry-leading email parsing automatically organizes any booking confirmations, offers superior flight tracking with real-time alerts, and provides the efficient itinerary management that frequent travelers need. While it lacks Wanderlog's collaborative planning tools and visual discovery features, it delivers dependable trip organization that works seamlessly for any traveler without planning complexity.
The verdict: Choose Wanderlog if you want comprehensive trip planning with collaborative features and enjoy researching and organizing detailed itineraries for leisure travel or group trips. Choose TripIt if you're a business traveler or frequent flyer who books travel elsewhere and wants automatic, reliable organization of your existing reservations with superior flight tracking and minimal planning overhead.
Wanderlog is a comprehensive trip planning tool where you actively research attractions, build itineraries, plan routes, and organize detailed travel plans from scratch.
TripIt is a trip organization tool that takes your existing booking confirmations (flights, hotels, etc.) and automatically creates clean, organized itineraries without any planning features.
TripIt excels for business travel with features like automatic email parsing, flight tracking, real-time alerts, loyalty program integration, and efficient organization of complex business itineraries.
Wanderlog is optimized for leisure travel with collaborative planning, attraction discovery, budget tracking, and detailed itinerary creation that vacation travelers and families need.
Wanderlog offers robust collaborative features where multiple people can edit itineraries together, share budgets, split expenses, and plan trips as a group in real-time.
TripIt is designed for individual use with basic trip sharing capabilities. Others can view your itinerary but there's no collaborative planning or group coordination features.
Wanderlog requires active engagement - you research attractions, build itineraries, organize activities, manage budgets, and create detailed plans. It's comprehensive but demands time and effort.
TripIt is largely automatic - you simply forward booking confirmation emails and it creates organized itineraries instantly. It's designed to work with minimal input while you focus on other things.
Wanderlog offers excellent value for leisure travelers and groups with its free version covering most needs and Pro features around $40-60/year for enhanced collaboration and planning tools.
TripIt provides strong value for business travelers and frequent flyers at $49/year for Pro features like flight alerts and seat tracking, especially if you travel regularly and need reliable organization over planning features.
