Wanderlog

  • Wanderlog — Map-First Collaborative Trip Planner with Manual Build + Light AI Assist

    1. One-line positioning

    Wanderlog (Travelchime Inc., SF; launched 2019) = map-first collaborative trip planner​ that fuses a Google-Maps-embedded itinerary builder, reservation importer (Gmail/forwarded email), multi-currency expense splitter, and a light AI assistant — you build the day-by-day plan by dropping pins, the route lines draw themselves, friends co-edit live. Not TripIt (booking-parse-only, no map), not Roadtrippers (NA road-trip POI engine), not Google My Maps (static layers, no itinerary/budget), not AI-prompt generators (TripGen/MonkeyTravel) that draft a plan for you. Fits ai-productivity-data; pipeline_stage none (spans scrape-reco → map-pin → day-order → reserve-import → expense-split → offline-view). 2026 trap: core is manual, AI is a $39.99/yr teaser​ (5 msgs/trip free), and offline maps — the one thing you need in a dead-zone — are Pro-only.

    2. Core features

    Layer Capability Notes
    Map build Embed Google Maps, drop unlimited places, color-code by day, route lines auto-draw, drag-reorder Split list/map view, desktop planning + mobile viewing
    Itinerary Day-by-day timeline, start/end times, categories (stay/eat/see/transport), notes/links per stop No native bus/train segment type
    Import Forward booking emails or Gmail connect → flights/hotels/cars parsed into timeline Free tier has auto-import; Gmail perms broad (privacy knock)
    Collab Real-time multi-cursor edit, share link, view/edit roles, no paywall for collaborators “Google Docs for trips”
    Money Budget setter, multi-currency expense log, Splitwise-style settle-up Built-in, no extra app
    AI Assistant suggests places/answers trip Qs, 5 msgs/trip free, unlimited on Pro Not a full itinerary generator; needs hand-cleanup
    Road Route optimizer (reorder to cut backtrack), drive times/distances, export to Google Maps Pro-only optimizer; free can add stops manually
    Offline Download itinerary+maps to phone Pro only​ — biggest complaint
    Surface 🌐 Web · 📱 iOS/Android · 🧩 Chrome clipper · 🔌 no public REST API Desktop-heavy plans, mobile for on-ground

    3. Pricing (2026-08, USD)

    Tier Price Limits Unlocks
    Free $0 Unlimited trips/places, collab, email import, budget, 5 AI msgs/trip, ads shown, no offline, no route optimizer, no G-Maps export, 20 attachments/trip Core manual planning workflow
    Pro $39.99/yr​ (annual only, ~$4.99/mo equivalent, 7-day trial) — + Offline access, route optimizer, unlimited AI, G-Maps export, auto Gmail scan, unlimited attachments, flight/car deal alerts, dark mode, ad-free
    (Legacy mention) $49.99/yr seen on some app-store pages regional variance same Pro feature set

    pricing_type = freemium; starting_price = $0; free_tier = "yes; unlimited trips/places, live collab, email/Gmail import, budget+split, 5 AI msgs/trip, ads; NO offline, NO route optimizer, NO G-Maps export"; pricing_note = "pro-39.99-annual-only-no-monthly-2026; free-ai-5-msgs-per-trip-then-paywall; offline-maps-pro-only-major-gripe; gmail-scope-broad-privacy-knock; attach-20-per-trip-on-free; pro-trial-7day; appstore-49.99-regional-residue"

    4. Access Type (v2)

    access_type: web-app, mobile-app

    access_display: 🌐 Web · 📱 iOS/Android · (Chrome clipper; no API, no desktop app)

    5. Reviews (split — App Store high, Trustpilot low)

    Platform Score Volume Signal
    App Store (iOS) 4.9/5​ ~18k Map view, collaboration, free tier generosity
    Google Play 4.7/5​ ~17k Same + Android parity
    G2/Capterra n/a (consumer app) thin —
    Trustpilot ~1.8/5​ ~hundreds Refund friction, Pro paywall surprises (offline), Gmail-permission unease, “AI not real planning”
    Reddit r/travel positive consensus — “Best free visual planner”; paired with TripIt for flight tracking

     

    Recurring praise: kills spreadsheet+Maps-tab sprawl, route lines stop backtracking, group co-edit beats Google Docs, expense split saves Splitwise, free tier genuinely usable.

    Recurring gripes: offline behind $39.99 is harsh for international/backpackers, AI is 5-msg teaser not planner, Gmail scope too broad, complex 15-day itineraries scrub lag, no train/bus segment, export-to-GMaps locked, performance drops on 40+ pins/day.

    6. Best for / Not for

    Best for Not for
    Friends/couples/small groups co-building multi-stop city or intl trips Strict-privacy users unwilling to grant Gmail scope
    Road-trippers (US/CA/EU) who want drive-order optimized Ultra-budget backpackers needing offline but not paying $40
    Visual planners who think in “map clusters by day” Business travelers wanting auto-flight-track + receipt parse (TripIt wins)
    People replacing Sheets + Maps lists + Splitwise AI-prompt users expecting “give me a 5-day Kyoto plan” (use TripGen/MonkeyTravel)
    Travel bloggers clipping recos via Chrome ext Public-transit-heavy trips (no bus/train row type)

    7. Competitors (table)

    Tool Lane Starts vs Wanderlog
    TripIt Email-parse booking timeline + flight alerts Free / Pro $49/yr Better auto-import + flight tracking, no map/day-build
    Roadtrippers NA road-trip POI + scenic routing Free / $35.99–59.99/yr Better offbeat stops/fuel, weaker city/group/budget
    Google Maps + My Maps Free pin lists / custom layers $0 Free offline nav, but no itinerary/budget/collab structure
    Sygic Travel Map itinerary + attractions DB Free / $14.99/yr Smaller community, weaker collab
    Opus-style AI gens (TripGen, MonkeyTravel) Prompt→day-by-day draft Free AI-first, no deep manual map/build ecosystem
    Polarsteps Auto-track + journal Freemium Post-trip doc, not pre-plan
    Rome2Rio A→B multimodal feasibility Free Transport discovery only, not planner

     

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