Mapstr's Google Play listing says you can save favourite places onto a map, sort them by tags and open that map offline. I built NomadSwipe, an Android app that works the other way round: it deals you real places in a city one card at a time, and the places you say yes to go on a map. Here are the three alternatives compared, mine included, and where Mapstr is the better pick.
Mapstr keeps the places you already know on one map. NomadSwipe helps you choose the places you do not know yet.
Disclosure: I built NomadSwipe, which is Android only. It is one of the three apps compared. Facts about the other apps come from their public pages and store listings, read on 29 October 2026. Quotes from Mapstr's site are my translation of its French pages.
People look past Mapstr in two situations: when they have a list of places but no way to decide between them, or when they want suggestions rather than their own saves. This page covers the alternatives for the second job and says plainly when Mapstr is the right tool.
At a glance
| App | Best for | Price | Key difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| NomadSwipe | Choosing real places in one city by swiping | Free plan with limits; Premium (Monthly or Lifetime) bought in the app | Swipe deck instead of saving by hand; Android only today |
| Mapstr | Keeping places you already know on one map | Play listing shows in-app purchases; prices not confirmed | Imports from Instagram and TikTok; friends' maps |
| Wanderlog | One itinerary and map for places and reservations | In-app purchases; Pro price not confirmed | Places pinned on a map as you add them; offline is a Pro feature |
| Google Maps | Custom lists of saved places in the map app | Price not stated on its listing | Lists you can share; no deck of suggestions in its listing |
NomadSwipe
Best for: choosing places in a city by swiping, not by saving them one at a time
NomadSwipe is an Android trip planner for finding places. You pick a city and it shows real places one card at a time. Each card shows the category, rating, distance and opening status. The places you save are pinned on a map for that trip, and the list sorts by rating, distance or A to Z.
A sample Lisbon trip on the map: 16 places, all picked by swiping.
- Strength: you do not have to find the places first. The deck suggests them, and you keep the ones you choose.
- Limit: it does not import saves from Instagram, TikTok or other apps. Its listed features are swipe, save, map and go.
- Limit: it is Android only today. iPhone is coming soon.
The free plan includes 3 trips, 2 destination searches a month, 2 custom pins a month and a limited number of swipes. Premium (Monthly or Lifetime, bought in the app) includes up to 20 saved trips available offline.
Mapstr
Best for: putting the places you already know about on one map
Mapstr's Google Play listing says you can save favourite places onto a map, sort them by tags, bookmark the stops of a trip, follow friends' maps and open your map offline. The listing shows 4.0 from 4.41K reviews, 500K+ downloads and in-app purchases. Its home page lists importing addresses from Instagram and TikTok, seeing friends' addresses and creating a collaborative map.
- Strength: one map for saves from friends, social posts and your own searches.
- Limit: its listing describes storing places you already know. Suggestions appear on its site as one feature among several.
- Limit: I did not confirm what any paid option costs, so check the listing before you buy.
Wanderlog
Best for: an itinerary and a map for places and reservations
Wanderlog's Google Play listing shows a 4.7 average rating from 37.6K reviews and 1M+ downloads. It says each place you add is pinned on a Google Maps-based travel map straight away, and that offline access to trip plans is a Pro feature. I did not confirm Pro prices from its pages this time, so this article does not state them.
- Strength: places, map and route sit in one itinerary, with each place pinned as you add it.
- Limit: offline access to trip plans is a Pro feature, and its listing does not show Pro prices.
Google Maps
Best for: custom lists of saved places in the app you already use for maps
Google Maps' Google Play listing says you can create custom lists of your favourite saved places and share them with others. The listing shows 10B+ downloads and a "Contains ads" label. I did not find a paid tier on the listing, so this article does not state a price.
- Strength: saved places in custom lists, shared from the app you already have.
- Limit: its listing describes saving and sharing lists, not choosing places from a deck of suggestions.
Which to choose
- You already have a list of places from friends and social posts and want them on one map: Mapstr.
- You want to choose places in one city by swiping, on Android: NomadSwipe.
- You want an itinerary with reservations and a map of your stops: Wanderlog.
- You want custom lists of saved places in the Google Maps app: Google Maps.
Questions people ask
Is Mapstr free? Its Google Play listing shows in-app purchases. I did not confirm the price of any paid option, so check the listing before you pay.
Does Mapstr suggest places? Its home page lists personalised suggestions as one feature, and its listing mentions friends' recommendations. Its main job, as the listing describes it, is saving places you already know.
Can Mapstr import places from Instagram or TikTok? Its home page lists importing addresses from Instagram and TikTok.
Does NomadSwipe import saves from other apps? No. Its listed features are swipe, save, map and go.
Does NomadSwipe work offline? Premium includes up to 20 saved trips available offline.
Does Google Maps let you save places in lists? Its Google Play listing describes custom lists of favourite saved places that you can share with others.
Want to choose places in a city by swiping? Get NomadSwipe on Google Play. It is Android only.
Prices and features change, so check the current listing of each app before you buy.
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