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The 12 Best Budgeting Apps for Travelers

Ashley Rossi

Ashley Rossi is always ready for her next trip. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram for travel tips, destination ideas, and off the beaten path spots.

After interning at SmarterTravel, Ashley joined the team full time in 2015. She's lived on three continents, but still never knows where her next adventure will take her. She's always searching for upcoming destination hotspots, secluded retreats, and hidden gems to share with the world.

Ashley's stories have been featured online on USA Today, Business Insider, TripAdvisor, Huffington Post, Jetsetter, and Yahoo! Travel, as well as other publications.

The Handy Item I Always Pack : "A reusable filtered water bottle—it saves you money, keeps you hydrated, and eliminates waste—win-win."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience : "A week in a bamboo beach hut on India's Andaman Islands."

Travel Motto : "Travel light, often, and in good company."

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat : "Window—best view in the house."

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While you’re stuck daydreaming about your next bucket-list vacation, why don’t you get a hold of your finances and make it a reality by first budgeting out your travel expenses? Whether it’s a road trip or international vacation that you’re planning, easily forgettable items like parking fees can add up. That’s why you should use a travel-specific budgeting app to help streamline your costs on your next trip. Here are 12 budget apps to help you plan your expenses.

PocketGuard

Link all of your financial accounts and cards to this app, and it will automatically update and categorize your spending in real time. It then tells you what spending money you have with the “in my pocket” feature. It also automatically builds you a spending budget based on income, bills, and the goals you set. It even finds ways to lower some of your monthly bills for you … sign us up.

Download: iOS | Google Play

Tripcoin lets you enter in your expenses per day and even works offline. It then processes your spending to give you a spending summary of your trip, which you can export for other uses. This lets you see how much you’re spending on each category of your trip, broken down by day, so you can monitor your vacation expenses in real time.

Download: iOS

9 Sneaky Travel Costs You Might Forget to Budget For

Trip Expense Manager

The Trip Expense Manager app is ideal for large traveling groups that need help planning and monitoring travel expenses. For each trip you take, you can add Google users, a list of places to go, and expenses, and even mark who paid which bill.

Download: Google Play

TravelSpend

I love TravelSpend for its easy-to-use features and simple design. How it works: You add expenses as they happen (the app works offline and even converts foreign currencies) and the app tracks your spending by total and by day. You can even follow your spending on a map throughout your vacation.

Wally connects to your current financial accounts and tracks your spending so you can get a handle on your cash flow and spending by category. Wally is useful because unlike some of the other budgeting apps, it lets you use private groups for managing trip spending or other budgets. You can even add reminders, notes, lists, documents, and comments.

Users love TripMate for its simplicity and easy-to-use features, plus it’s all free. This travel expense tracker app lets you create a trip and then add and remove users as needed. You can add expenses, receive a personalized summary, and even get hotel, and other booking-related information.

Trail Wallet

If you’re looking for a travel-specific budget tool and expense tracker, this is your best bet. Input your expenses into Trail Wallet and the app will split them up based on category so you can get a closer look at your spending. Note that only the first 25 items you enter are free.

11 Budget Travel Lies You Should Stop Believing Right Now

This travel expense app makes splitting costs a breeze. Simply invite your travel partners to the trip you’ve created on the app, and each person can enter in his or her expenses. Once the trip is over (and all expenses have been entered) you can see who owes whom what amount.

Splitwise is another useful cost-tracking platform that easily lets you split group expenses while traveling. You can split by percentage or shares, and it’s even available in offline mode. It’s great for international trips, too, as the app is available in seven languages and over 100 currencies. Plus, it’s integrated with Venmo and PayPal for easy payback.

Mint is so much more than just a travel expense app—it connects with all of your bank accounts to give you an overall summary of your cash flow. You can then easily create a budget for different categories, like saving for a vacation.

30 Essential Non-Travel Apps for Travelers

For those who have been involved in the planning of a bachelor or bachelorette party, you know the trials and tribulations that come with splitting large group expenses. This app was created specifically for those organizing large group trips and includes building an itinerary, polls, and chat features as well as ways to track payments and bar tabs within your group.

YNAB (You Need a Budget) is a popular software used for budgeting. While it’s slightly pricey ($84 annually), the positive reviews are endless. On the app version, you can set savings goals and itemize your vaca expenses. There is a free 34-day trial to get you started.

More from SmarterTravel:

• Single Travel: Essential Tips for Planning a Solo Trip
• 5 Ways to Stay Sane When Planning a Trip with Friends
• The 7 Best Trip Planner Apps for Travelers

Ashley Rossi is always ready for her next trip. Follow her on  Twitter   and  Instagram   for travel tips, destination ideas, and off the beaten path spots.

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

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8 apps that will help track your travel expenses

Keeping track of travel expenses can be challenging. With paper receipts, email receipts and not being handed any receipt at times, it's important to be organized for both the business and leisure traveler.

Fortunately, for those who are not the best at having a good grasp on their expenses, there are many apps that can simplify your life. These apps help with expense reports, budgeting purposes, tax preparation and splitting expenses among friends.

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With something for everyone, here are the best apps to help you keep track of your expenses.

TrabeePocket

TrabeePocket is a straightforward app that allows you to keep track of your expenses for a given trip. Before you even start your trip you can add all prepaid expenses to the "preparing" tab. This allows you to account for your flights and any tours you might have booked in advance. Once your trip begins you can easily add all additional travel expenses. You can categorize your expenses into eight different categories, but with the paid version, you can add as many additional categories as you want if you have very specific expenses you want to track. The free version also only allows you to track one currency per trip, but the paid version allows you to track multiple currencies in one trip file.

Not only will TrabeePocket serve as a place to file your expenses, it also helps you on the budgeting front as well. You can set a monthly budget and have your expenses track against that overall number. If you are earning income during your travel, you can also enter income to a specific trip expense.

One neat feature of this app is that you can take pictures and tie it to a specific expense. This is great for the backpacker or family traveler who wants to remember exactly what the expense was used for, or to keep track of trip suggestions. Business travelers can also use this feature by taking a picture of a receipt if it is needed for a corporate expense report.

Cost: Free; Upgraded version is $1.99 and includes some additional options (i.e., multiple currencies, additional categories, view and export expense report)

Download: Google Play Store or iTunes App Store

Trail Wallet

Trail Wallet is very similar to TrabeePocket, but unfortunately is not available to Android users. With this app, you can add as many categories as you want to separate expenses and everything is color coded to make the app more visually appealing. (Unlike TrabeePocket, you do not need to pay for an upgraded version to add more categories).

When you enter your travel expenses, you'll tie it to both a trip and a date. This allows you to view your expenses at a Month View or Trip View. You can also spread expenses across multiple dates so you can see your daily expenses for a certain trip. This is handy if you are on a daily budget to ensure you're not exceeding the amount you can spend on a particular day.

One nice feature of this app is that you can add as many currencies as you'd like within a certain trip. This comes in handy if you are paying in multiple currencies — for example, flight and hotel costs in USD, but food expenses in euros.

This app caters more toward individual or family travel as you cannot invite friends to add expenses. You can, however, take pictures of receipts and tie them to a specific expense, and then export the images — perfect for keeping all receipts or for business travelers for expense purposes.

Cost: Free for the first 25 expense items added to a single trip; Upgraded version is $4.99 which allows you to enter an unlimited number of expenses per trip.

Download: iTunes App Store

Concur is one of the top expense programs for business travel. This app is definitely more involved then some of the others on the list, but it has all the bells and whistles for keeping your expenses fully organized. If you work for a large corporation, you might already find that this is the required app to use for your business expenses.

Expenses from corporate credit cards will automatically be uploaded and you can also manually add out-of-pocket expenses. For manually entered expenses, employees can take a picture of their receipt which will be included in their expense report. For the business traveler with many paper receipts during the week, this app helps ensure that all expenses are reimbursed properly.

If you run a small-business, this is a great platform for you and your employees to use as it allows you to manage expenses and prepare expense reports. When I worked for a large consulting company, I used this program on a weekly basis. Being able to keep track of my work expenses to ensure I was reimbursed with every amount paid out of pocket was huge. For solo and group travelers, this is not the app I suggest using as there is no need to pay the monthly fee as there are many other free apps available.

Cost: Fee depends on number of users and account type.

Related: 5 tips to turn business travel into family vacations

Tripcoin is a very simple app to use that will track all of your expenses against a particular trip. You can tie each expense to a specific category, enter a city location and a defined date and time. You can also include notes and a screen shot to keep better track of every purchase you make.

This app has an atheistically pleasing filter capability, where you can look at expenses between a given date, within a certain category, a type of payment method or within a particular country. There is also a real-time currency converter or you can set custom currency exchange rates if needed.

Best of all, you can automatically back up all of your data by enabling the Dropbox integration. With many of the other apps listed here, if you lose your phone or if your data gets wiped out, you will lose all of the expenses entered. If this does happen, with this specific app, all of your expenses are saved and can be re-imported.

Unfortunately, this app is only available for iPhone users.

SplitWise is one of my personal favorites and an app I've been using for years. If you are traveling in a group , this is the app for you. The best, and unique feature, is that you can have friends or family members join a group and everyone can enter all expenses incurred for the joint trip. The app will then itemize expenses and tell each individual how much they owe to make things equal. You can even designate which expenses should be split among certain individuals. Like most of the other apps, you can also take include a picture and notes for every expense entered.

I have used the app for friend and sibling trips, including bachelorette parties, group ski trips and even just day trips. Aside from travel expenses, you can even use it to split up expenses among roommates or just everyday purchases with friends.

Cost: Free; Upgraded version is $2.99/month ($29.99/year) which includes receipt scanning, currency conversion and more.

Tricount is a simple app, but a great choice for group travel . It works very similar to SplitWise where you can split expenses among multiple travelers in your group. Everyone can add their own expenses and designate the specific amount (or percentage) for each individual within the group. At the end of the trip, you'll then receive a breakdown of what everyone owes each other.

The app supports multiple currencies and allows you to take pictures of images or receipts to go along with every expense entered.

Cost: Free; Upgraded version is $0.99 and allows you to have an ad-free experience.

Related: 30 essential travel apps every traveler needs to know

If keeping track of receipts is high on your priority list, then the Foreceipt app will be perfect for your needs. You can attach a receipt with all expenses entered and all images will automatically be saved to your Google Drive account. Additionally, all email receipts can be tracked as well by forwarding them directly to Foreceipt email address and including your unique ID.

Other features include the capability to batch upload bank transactions and downloading excel reports for tax return purposes — perfect for those who need to write off travel expenses.

Within the app, Foreceipt allows you to enter your income, bills and travel expenses to track against your overall budget. You can also tie all travel expenses to one of many pre-populated categories.

With these more involved capabilities, business travelers and those who own small businesses will probably find this app more useful than solo or group travelers.

Cost: Free; Upgraded version is $3.99/month ($38.99/year) and includes more receipts scans per month, email receipts and expense reports.

Expensify caters toward both individual and group travelers traveling primarily for business. This app allows you to complete all the simple tasks such as documenting your expenses and taking a picture of your receipt, but goes one step further where you can submit your expenses to your manager or accountant (or really whomever you'd like).

For those who need to keep track of mileage driven, this app allows you to not only manually enter your information but also has a GPS calculator which you can turn on to track your distance. You can also enter your time worked, which helps those needing to track billable hours.

The app also features more than just a place to submit your expenses, as you can keep track of business operations and even set expense policies.

On the feel good front, Expensify will also donate $2 for every $1,000 in expenses to Expensify.org. These donations are given to a broad range of campaigns to help organizations around the world.

Cost: Free up to five scans a month; Upgraded version is $4.99/month per user giving you unlimited scans and additional automatic capabilities.

Bottom Line

With many apps to keep track of your expenses, it helps to find one that fits your needs. Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, with a group or on your own, there are many apps out there that work well depending on your needs.

20 Best Travel Apps in 2024 (Plus They’re Free)

We frequently search for the best travel apps to make travel easier. We’ve tested hundreds of travel apps over the years, and we’re often asked to recommend the travel apps we can’t live without.

So, we wrote this post on the 20 best travel apps that helped us to visit every country in the world!

Hi, we’re Rach & Marty!

We’ve visited every country in the world and want to help you get the most out of your travels!

Whether you need an expertly planned itinerary , some experienced hints and tips , or just craving a delicious food adventure , we’ve got you covered!

We may earn affiliate commissions from websites we link to, at no cost to you. Click here for details.

These travel apps were essential to navigating some remote places, saving money, and communicating with locals to experience unforgettable encounters and find unique places to stay.

Whether you’re looking to reserve a hotel room, dorm bed or apartment, book cheap flights, bus or train tickets on the go, translate a restaurant menu, ride local transport or chat with a local in a foreign language, we’ve compiled a list of the best travel apps you should have!

Let’s Dive In! 20 Best Travel Apps To Make Travel Easy

Table of Contents

1. Skyscanner

Skyscanner is the best travel flight app out there! It’s so easy to use and the prices are unbeatable!

Skyscanner is a metasearch engine that compares multiple airlines’ prices. To find cheap flights, enter your departure airport, destination, and date. 

You can filter results based on stops, duration, and airline. The’ everywhere’ option allows you to discover the cheapest flights from your departure airport. 

Don’t miss out on this one—it’s hands down one of the best travel apps for nabbing cheap flights! It’s worth mentioning here that the Skyscanner app is also a metasearch engine for finding cheap car hire and hotels. 

Our Favourite Feature: Skyscanner  allows you to compare multiple airlines, flight times, and prices. 

2. Booking.com

No travel app comes close to beating Booking.com for reserving accommodation for your trip.

From budget dorm beds in hostels and affordable hotels in great locations to luxury accommodations, including villas, apartments, and everything in between, Booking.com is hands down one of the best travel apps for reserving a place to stay.

Once you’ve made several reservations on Booking.com, you can reclaim awards and discounts on accommodation. Using this app has helped us reach Genius Level 3, saving us up to 15% on future reservations.

The Booking.com app makes it easy to keep all your bookings in one place, and you can impress taxi drivers with the app’s handy hotel address feature, translated into the local language.

Download this must-have travel app before you leave on your adventures!

Our Favourite Feature: Booking.com has i n-app only deals and discounts

3. Airalo eSIM

Nowadays, the best way to stay connected on your travels is with Airalo eSIM . 

The Airalo travel app has been essential for us to stay connected in multiple regions and countries as we traverse the globe. 

This travel app allows you to download an eSIM for 190+ countries effortlessly. It’s so easy, and it’s affordable too! Just download, activate and go! 

We LOVE this product. Read more about why we choose eSIM for International Travel.

Our Favourite Feature Is Discovering eSIMs that cover up to 130+ countries on one eSIM! Choose from a Data-Only eSIM or a Data, Call, and text eSIM to save you   huge $$$. View ALL Discover eSIM Packs here . 

Skype is an excellent means to stay connected with loved ones back home while you’re away.

We use the Skype app when calling a business or private number that isn’t on WhatsApp. 

One of the best things about the Skype app is the ability to make free video calls globally, provided that both parties use Skype.

Additionally, you can place calls to landlines or mobile phones for a fee. 

Keeping your Skype credit topped up with $10-20 allows seamless calling from your mobile or landline, making it a cost-effective way to communicate worldwide.

Access to a wifi signal makes the possibilities endless; you can reach any number globally with super affordable bills.

For digital nomads and business owners who are constantly on the move, Skype proves to be an indispensable app. It lets you quickly jump on work calls, making it an ideal tool. 

  Best feature:  Make free calls/video calls to any country worldwide.

5. Google Maps

Google Maps is an essential app for every traveller. It’s one of our phones’ most frequently used travel apps. We especially love that you can save cafes, hotels or places you want to visit and mark that spot with selected labels. 

We use the ‘heart’ label to add our favourite places to eat, and in the notes section, we add what dish we’d like to eat there.

We like to use the ‘green flag’ label for places we’d like to visit, including attractions and landmarks. There’s a ‘blue bag’ label to pin accommodation options, too. This is handy for saving our hotel or apartment address, and you can customise the label and add notes here, too.

Our Favourite Feature:  The option to download and save offline maps. 

6. WISE 

WISE is an online account that lets you send money, get paid, and spend internationally.

This service has saved us loads of money in international transactions & ATM fees. With a Wise account, you can get paid in other currencies and send money overseas. The app is lightning-fast and super savvy.

This is a must-have travel app for every traveller, especially if you plan to travel long-term.

Sign up for a WISE account here  and send your first International transfer for FREE!

Our Favourite Feature is that fees are transparent and generally low, with no markup on exchange rates. Leave the big fees to the big banks and switch your banking needs to Wise!

7. Google Translate

What a savvy travel app this is! Google Translate is the best travel language app for communicating with the people you meet.

The app translates languages incredibly fast! With 100+ languages to access, you’ll breeze through interactions with locals.

From ordering the best meal, asking for directions or purchasing the correct train ticket or bus route, Google Translate has you covered. 

This app was an absolute gem to help us travel in China, our fantastic trip to Taiwan and decode menu items in Japan and Central Asia. 

Our Favourite Feature: Save particular words or phrases so you can access them quickly when needed.

Imagine checking just one place for ALL your travel details and getting notifications if things happen that may affect your trip. TripIt app is your personal travel organiser, and it will make your travelling life a breeze!

TripIt can organise your travel plans no matter where you book. Simply forward your confirmation emails to [email protected] , and in seconds, TripIt will create a comprehensive itinerary for every trip.

We used TripIt to keep our flights, accommodation, bus & train tickets and even reservations for day tours organised so we could access the app anytime and quickly source the information we needed. 

Believe me, you need this in your life! TripIt is free and one of the best travel apps for staying organised and stress-free on the road.

Our Favourite Feature:  You can also sync your plans with your calendar—no copying or pasting is necessary.

9. Surfshark VPN 

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a must-have tool for protecting your privacy and increasing your internet security.

Surfshark VPN  safeguards your connection with military-grade encryption so you can log into your accounts, make bank transfers, and shop online without worrying that your data may be compromised or hacked.

It works by encrypting communications so you’ll have an anonymous IP address. Surf Shark (or other good VPNs) allows you to access websites that are inaccessible in other countries. 

If you’re in a country like China that bans many social media networks, such as Facebook, you can still access Facebook by turning on Surfshark VPN if you’re travelling there.

Download Surfshark VPN to put your mind at ease while travelling. 

Our Favourite Feature:  Fast connection, easy-to-use app

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10. Trainline

Trainline  is an international rail and coach booking platform. The user-friendly app allows you to buy instant train tickets and railcards and gain free access to live train times and railway station information. 

It’s so handy; we use the Trainline app to book all our train tickets . It’s beneficial for those wishing to travel around Europe by train .

Our Favourite Feature:  The app has a section called ‘my tickets’, which is helpful for quick access to your already purchased train reservations.

RELATED POST –  7 Best Tips for Traveling to Europe

11. Rome2Rio

This app is excellent for comparing transportation options between destinations. 

Once you enter your origin and destination, the Rome2Rio app searches for train, flight, bus, and ferry options between locations. Cleverly, it also shows the driving distance for trips by car so you can quickly and easily see which option is best for your timing and budget.

We use this app frequently to get a quick idea of the options available to get from A to B anywhere in the world. 

Our Favourite Feature:  If you see a journey you’d like to book there and then, the Rome2Rio app connects you with transportation providers to make a reservation.

12. GetYourGuide

Travel with ease! GetYourGuide is great for discovering excellent experiences and tours. Just enter your city, and the app does the rest! 

Find the best food tours, city tours, cruises, wildlife safaris, island hopping adventures, private transfers, skip-the-line entrance tickets and more! 

GetYourGuide offers city passes like the ‘Vatican City & Rome’ Pass . This sightseeing pass provides free entry to Rome’s most popular attractions and museums, saving you up to 55%!

They’ve got everything from thrilling motorcycle tours in Vietnam to invigorating 14-day hikes in Nepal; reserve your spot here .

Book excellent activities, compare prices and read past guest reviews for peace of mind.

The best part is their flexible cancellation policy, no hidden fees, and mobile-friendly tickets.

Our Favourite Feature:  GetYourGuide offers a flexible free cancellation policy.

The ultimate activity and tour booking companion! Viator is a top-notch travel app with a stellar reputation.

Like GetYourGuide, Viator is one of the best travel apps for booking day tours, multi-day adventures, local experiences, entrance tickets, and more!

Viator offers excellent customer service, free cancellation, flexible payment options, and an overall excellent product.

Explore 300,000+ experiences across the globe – USA, Asia, Europe, Australia, and beyond! 

Need travel inspiration about where to travel next? Our guide on the cheapest countries to visit this year will help you decide. 

Our Favourite Feature:  Viator app offers 24/7 customer service & support.

Moovit provides travellers with a one-stop-shop journey experience to help them get from point A to B most quickly and efficiently. 

You may be surprised at how savvy this travel app is; a game-changer in my opinion.

Get train, metro and bus times, maps, and real-time arrival information in cities and destinations worldwide to plan your trip confidently and get mooving!! 

Our Favourite Feature:  The app allows you to add a line (frequent journey) to your ‘favourites’ section for quick access and instant information.

15. Grab (and other ride-sharing apps)

Ride-sharing apps have been a saviour for us as we’ve made our way around the world. 

As I understand, Uber was the first ride-sharing app to launch, but now there are many fantastic apps that can make your life so much easier on the road.

Depending on what country or region of the world you plan to travel to, we recommend downloading the ride-sharing apps below.

• Grab – For travel in Southeast Asia.
• Bolt – For travel in Europe, Tunisia (read these 10 Best Tips for Independent Travel in Tunisia ) and other nations in Africa too. 
• Uber – For travel in the USA, Canada, Europe & Australia
• FreeNow – Travel in Europe (up to 150+ cities)
• BiTaksi – For travel in Turkey.

And there are many more!

Most ride-sharing apps allow you to add your bank card to your profile to take care of the payment. We like this feature because you don’t need any local currency, and it cancels the chance of getting scammed by a taxi driver. Unfortunately, scams do happen.

Read our post about how to avoid 6 common tourist scams in China .

Our Favourite Feature:  Seeing the estimated price and journey time before you make a booking.

16. WhatsApp

Looking for a reliable way to stay connected with friends and family? Look no further than WhatsApp!

This is one of the best travel apps out there, and it’s used worldwide to keep people connected. 

WhatsApp offers a range of features, allowing you to send messages, make calls, and even video call other WhatsApp users for free, as long as you have a wifi connection.

Not only is WhatsApp perfect for keeping in touch with friends and family, but it also comes in handy while travelling. Nations worldwide communicate easily with WhatsApp, so it’s our top choice for the best travel apps to download to your device.

WhatsApp helps you to easily stay in contact with locals, tour operators, hotels, and companies, as many of them are readily available on WhatsApp. 

WhatsApp pairs perfectly with an international eSIM . An easy, reliable and affordable way to help you stay connected with the world.

Stay connected and travel easier out there – choose WhatsApp!

Our Favourite Feature:  The ability to video call, voice call or message other numbers for free, providing you’ve got a wifi connection (or an Airalo eSIM ) 

17. Xe Currency Converter

Use the Xe Currency Converter app to instantly check live market rates for every world currency on your Smartphone or device. 

That’s 170+ currencies that you can convert on the go. If you need to check the conversion of what 1 USD will give you in AUD, you can get your answer on this app within seconds.

We use this app to quickly check the latest exchange rates, handing over any currency in an exchange office or even to a money changer on the street. We frequently used this during our overland travels across Central & West Africa . 

If you’ve ever wondered about what it’s like to travel in this region, here are 17 ESSENTIAL Things to Know Before Travelling to West Africa from our experience.

18. Maps.me

Maps.me app is similar to Google Maps in some ways, but it’s much better for navigating rugged terrains!

Whenever we go hiking, we ensure we’ve got our map downloaded on Maps.me; it rarely lets us down. It does a great job of showing the small trails that Google Maps doesn’t usually pick up. 

It covers six continents, making it essential for unexplored or remote spots.

This travel app was handy in Africa, particularly when directing a taxi driver to our nominated address. Maps.me allows you to set up the navigation and press speak on the app, a voice will then guide you in the selected language. You should see the look on the taxi drivers’ faces when we do this; it’s pure amazement.

Maps.me is a must-have travel app for all travellers, especially those hoping to take off-the-beaten-track adventures.

Our Favourite Feature:  Maps.me offers a bookmark collection that allows you to build your ultimate trip!

19. Trusted Housesitters

If you’re planning to travel long-term, Trusted Housesitters is one of the best travel apps I’d recommend you download right now.

Every traveller finds out that accommodation is one of the most significant expenses on the road, and this app can help cancel that out entirely! 

Being a housesitter means free accommodation for you in return for looking after different homes around the globe. Choosing to join Trusted Housesitters was one of the best things we ever did!

Trusted Housesitters  is a fantastic website for saving money and house-sitting worldwide. 

Join now with our invitation  and receive a massive 25% off your membership!

Our Favourite Feature:  Use the filters on the app to set alerts for preferred cities or countries you know you’ll be visiting in the coming months. 

Omio  is the best travel app and booking platform for travellers on the go.

The Omio easy-to-use app is seamless for booking tickets for trains, buses, flights, ferries, and airport transfers so you can focus on the journey.

They’ve got 1,000+ trusted travel partners listed across the platform, giving you many choices and options to book the most direct route at the best price.

It’s quick and reliable, and most importantly, Omio offers the best deals. 

Our Favourite Feature:  The Omio app keeps your list of ‘upcoming journeys’, which is helpful to ensure your travel plans are organised.

More Travel Tips

We have so many tips to help you travel more!

These 21 cheapest countries to visit will help you stretch your hard-earned dollars further.

Read our top 6 travel hacks to save money and the  20 best travel apps to make travel easier! 

For food lovers, don’t miss our top 10 best countries for foodies. And, if history is your thing, these 30 amazing historical places worldwide will fascinate you!

We have many tips to save money for travel and consider these 20 jobs that PAY YOU to travel the world to help you travel longer.

If you become a trusted housesitter , you can also get FREE accommodation worldwide. Read more about how this works .

Check out our ultimate packing list for travellers , and remember to pack travel insurance! We recommend these two travel insurance companies for excellent coverage.

Our  12 essential tips for safe travel in any country are worth a read. 

You’ll need to stay connected while travelling the world. We recommend eSIM. It’s easy, reliable and affordable. View eSIMs for individual countries , or consider  a Global eSIM if you travel to multiple countries or regions. This eSIM connects you in 124 countries , offering data-only eSIM and data/call/text eSIM .

The Global eSIM has been a game-changer; we couldn’t imagine travelling without it now.

If you want to travel with like-minded travellers, consider joining a group tour. Get the best deals on worldwide group tours with Tourradar .

Check out our best-ever travel tips compiled from more than twenty years of experience.

Travel Planning Resources

✈️ Flights : We use Skyscanner to book cheap flights worldwide.

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🚌 Transportation : Trainline is the best website to reserve trains. We use Omio to book transport worldwide. For travel in Asia, we use 12Go.  

🚘 Car Rental : We use DiscoverCars to book rental cars worldwide.

👫 Group Tours :  G Adventures OR compare multi-day tours worldwide with Tourradar .

📸 Day Tours & Trips :  GetYourGuide  & Viator are the only two platforms you need.

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🎒 Luggage :  Osprey Farpoint 40L Backpack  or  Samsonite Luggage Range.

🛄 What to Pack:  Don’t forget your Universal charger and a good  power bank .  To help you pack the essentials, here is our ULTIMATE Packing List for all Travellers .

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💰 Send Money Anywhere: WISE  &  Revolut  are the best online accounts that let you send money, get paid, and spend money internationally. Both are so easy to use and way cheaper than any bank transfer.

📶  Stay Connected: Airalo eSIM allows you to get connected the moment you land at your destination, and you can avoid those expensive data roaming charges. We LOVE this product! Use promo code NOMAD15 for 15% off ALL eSIMs (new Airalo users only) OR use NOMAD10 for 10% off ALL eSIMs (for existing Airalo users)

✅ Check out our Travel Gear  and  Travel Resources for more valuable tips to save you money!

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Heyy, very useful article, thanks! Perhaps to add on your list might also be this super useful app – ATM Fee Saver – gives ATM fees and withdrawal limits in many countries, really needed needed these days as atms abroad can become so expensive. Never seen anything like this before – it us sure to help lots of other international travellers like me!!!

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The Top 8 Travel Apps That'll Help You Save Money

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People love to travel and people love to save money. But often these two don’t go hand in hand. Budgeting for travel can be tricky as you often tend to underestimate or overestimate the travel expenses and in both cases, you could lose money.

Thankfully, digital innovations in the travel industry gave rise to thousands of travel apps that not only ease your stress in planning the travel, but also help you save money.

Here are some of the top travel apps to consider on your next trip.

Whether you know exactly where you’re going and need a ticket, or you’re just looking to escape to a random destination , KAYAK is one of the most robust flight comparison tools. In addition to flights, you can also book hotels and car rentals at the best available price.

Keep an eye on the Price Forecast tool of KAYAK uses data from over a billion annual queries to anticipate whether airfares will rise or fall in the coming week. It also suggests package deals where you can save up to 32 percent by choosing a flight and hotel package together versus booking them separately.

You can also set price alerts on your desired route and let KAYAK do the grunt work for you by finding the best deal for you. If you are not connected to the internet it notifies you via text or email as soon as the hotel prices or airfares change.

Download: KAYAK for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

2. GasBuddy

If you want to find the cheapest fuel prices in your vicinity, GasBuddy is the go-to app.

When travelers use the app to pay for gas at stations that accept payment using GasBuddy, they get a discount of $0.10 per gallon for the first fill-up and $0.05 for every gallon pumped after.

Another cool feature is the Gas Price Chart , which you can customize by destination to see the fluctuation of gas prices in the past 18 months, as well as the Trip Cost Calculator , which shows you how much you will spend on gas by entering in specific details, like your car's year, fuel type, tank, and more.

Keep an eye out for additional seasonal and station-specific promotions throughout the year to save even more at the pump.

Download: GasBuddy for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

3. Getaround

Getaround is a car-sharing application that lets you rent out your car whenever you’re not using it. Simply put, Getaround is like Airbnb for cars.

Getaround claims that car owners can earn up to $10,000 a year through this app, depending on the type of car they own and how often people rent it. Check out the process of enrolling your car for rent in their owner's manual .

Getaround rental rates start from as low as $4 per hour which is one of the cheapest options available when it comes to short trips. Checkout the renter's manual for more information on renting.

Using Getaround is a win-win for both the car owner and the renter in terms of saving money!

Download: Getaround for Android | iOS (Free)

4. HotelTonight

If you’re one for spontaneous adventures and saving money, then HotelTonight offers the perfect solution by loading up last-minute deals of hotel rooms that are still available.

Every time you see a hotel that has a GEO RATE or HT PERKS badge, you get an extra discount to use on that booking. Or you can exchange it for credit to put toward a future stay at participating hotels.

For example, say you decide not to use the $40 discount on your next booking and save it for a future booking–do that five times and you'll have $200 in Save for Later Credits added to your account to use for a fun future stay. Also, Save for Later Credits never expire.

HotelTonight is available in 1,700 cities and with a database of more than 50,000 properties so you can always get the best deal for an entry-level room or a suite.

Download: HotelTonight for Android | iOS (Free)

Hopper is a flight-watching app that tells you roughly how much flights will cost in a nicely laid-out calendar view. You can set alerts and watch flights for when the price goes down.

You can also use Hopper to gauge how much a trip will cost and when they predict prices to rise or fall. Hopper's calendar view makes it easy to see when flight prices are generally higher and lower for your destination.

Related: Essential Mobile Apps for Digital Nomads

The app has a nice extra feature called Fair Bear , which clearly explains all the restrictions of the airfare you are about to buy (cancellation fees, baggage fees, and so on). Give it a spin before your next trip; you could end up saving more than you expected!

Download: Hopper for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

6. Rome2rio

Rome2rio is a multimodal transport planner with worldwide coverage. This means that you can plan local and long-distance trips. The best part is you can use this platform to plan your trips by public transport or by car.

Rome2rio searches any city, town, landmark, attraction, or address around the world. With access to thousands of multi-modal routes, it will tell you how to get from A to B in the cheapest or fastest way possible.

The search engine even knows how to surprise seasoned travelers sometimes by flying to alternative airports or using alternative transport options where you might be able to save some extra money.

Download: Rome2rio for Android | iOS (Free)

7. TravelSpend

TravelSpend is an app to track your spending while traveling the world. It's perfect for you if you're planning your next group vacation with friends or you're already on a vacation. If you travel in a group you can share expenses with friends and family to see who owes who.

It's quick and easy to use and works offline. You can add photos and spread expenses over multiple days. The app will help you to keep track of your travel budget and to save money. Add expenses in any currency; they automatically convert to your home currency.

Split bills, check your balances, and settle debts all within TravelSpend. See your spending data visualized. You'll be able to analyze your spending so you can avoid overspending and eventually save more.

Download: TravelSpend for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

Klook offers a simple way to discover activities, attractions, and things to do wherever you travel. You can use it to discover and book in-destination services at the best prices.

Klook offers discounts through partnerships with some of the top attractions and operators worldwide. It ensures all their offerings are at the best price; if you find a better deal you’ll get the difference as a refund.

It also works offline to find discounts whenever the prices drop and send them to your inbox. Finally, you can earn credits whenever you complete a Klook activity, which you can redeem as discounts in your next booking, letting you save even more!

Download: Klook for Android | iOS (Free)

Explore and Save

Traveling is expensive and planning it out can be tough. But with the help of these apps, everything you need to have a fantastic, organized vacation on a budget is available at your fingertips.

Choose the best app depending on the nature of your travel and you are all set for a stress-free and money-saving trip!

• Productivity

7 Useful Apps Every Traveler Should Know About

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Technology continues to make travel easier for millions of people around the globe. New apps offer travelers fresh ways to research a destination, connect with fellow globetrotters, communicate with locals, and track their flights. As a full-time digital nomad , I’ve learned the importance of having the right tools at your disposal when on the road.

Over the past few years, I’ve visited dozens of countries, flown hundreds of thousands of miles, and tested countless apps to find the ones that prove to be the most helpful. And while tools like Meetup, Google Maps, Google Translate, currency converters, and vacation rental , airline, and hotel–specific apps are in fact indispensable on most trips, I find that many of the best travel apps are still undiscovered by my fellow travelers.

Below, seven travel apps that make life on the go markedly easier (and more fun), from real-time flight trackers to photo-sharing gems—all of these apps are free, but some have paid pro versions worth considering. Don’t think these apps are only for full-time travelers—they prove useful for every type of traveler, whether you're in a brand-new destination or back for a return visit.

Discover the best apps for travelers:

Apps for flying, apps for exploring, apps for photo sharing.

My favorite app on this list is Flighty, a must-have for any frequent flier . The free version is fantastic, but I recommend splurging for the premium version, which gives you even more useful information and comes at a reasonable cost of $48 per year. The functionality it provides more than justifies the price.

The free version allows you to input all future flights plus past journeys you've taken within the last year. It provides updated information if any schedule changes occur to upcoming flights and allows you to track all the miles you’ve flown in one place.

The other main benefit is that it allows you to share your flight information with friends and family members who are also on Flighty. They will receive real-time updates about your flight without you having to text them. My parents love to make sure I’m safe so they appreciate getting detailed information about my travels—even while I’m in the air.

Flightradar24 is a favorite app among fellow aviation geeks. It lets you track almost any aircraft you see in the air throughout the day or night. You can track your own flight, a friend's flight, or any plane you see in real-time. It shares plenty of cool data, like the altitude, speed, arrival and departure airports and times, and tail number.

There are tons of eSIM apps on the market, but Airalo is probably my favorite, with digital SIM cards available for dozens of countries. I find it to be the most reliable and offers the best data packages. It can be a little pricey, but it is the best option if you’re only taking short trips. Holafly is another eSIM app that offers unlimited data and works well, but I find the app to be much more glitchy than Airalo and would recommend using the desktop version.

This one is for the planner of the group. Wanderlog merges the best of a bunch of different apps into one. Imagine an app that lets you plan a trip with ease: collaborate with friends as if you’re on Google Docs, manage expense tracking like Splitwise, and have a central place for your reservations, checklists, and more. Tripit is a similar travel planner app, so you can download both and get a feel for which interface you like better.

Been allows you to track the countries you’ve visited and make a wish list of places you can’t wait to cross off your travel bucket list . It gives you information like the percentage of the globe you’ve been to and shows you a world map of your trips. It’s always fun to add in a new country whenever I reach my destination.

This app was introduced to me by fellow nomads I met at a cafe in Montevideo, Uruguay . It automatically tracks your route across the world, allowing you to quickly upload pictures throughout your travels that can be viewed by anyone who has access to your profile. It’s an excellent way to share important moments with loved ones without needing to send photos to each person individually. Users can also create easily accessible guides filled with up-to-date information to help you plan your own trip.

Steller is another app that a friend recently introduced me to, and I’ve quickly fallen in love with it. It uses a combination of AI and user experiences to help you plan trips around the globe. From recommendations of things to see, like the Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires or the Royal Palace of Naples, to full guidebooks created by users, you can get inspired, book experiences, and discover hidden gems within this app.

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• Best Budgeting Apps

Compare the Top Budgeting Apps

• Budgeting App Reviews
• Introduction
• Features to Look for
• How to Choose an App
• Setting Up and Using an App
• Pros and Cons
• Alternatives
• Why You Should Trust Us

Best Budgeting Apps of July 2024: Manage Your Finances Efficiently

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Budgeting can already feel difficult, but with the right money management tool, you should be able to track your spending habits, find ways to spend less and save more, or budget effectively as a couple.

50% off for new customers (offer ends July 14, 2024)

$3.99 monthly subscription or $47.88 annual subscription

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Connect all your bank accounts, investments accounts, and credit cards
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Help you save for individual savings goals
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Create a budget
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Track expenses
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. 30-day money-back guarantee
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Must buy a subscription (no free option)

Quicken Simplifi is a great budgeting tool if you want to create a detailed monthly spending and savings plan and don't mind paying for a subscription. If you would rather get a budgeting app that doesn't have a subscription fee, you'll have to consider other options.

• Up to 50% off on Simplifi for all new customers
• Stay on top of your finances in under 5 minutes per week.
• Check your custom budgeting plan — anytime, anywhere!
• Track your spending
• See where your money is going and discover places to save.
• Keep your bills in check
• Find subscriptions you don't use and start saving from day one.

Check out our picks for the best budgeting apps, and read more about how we chose the winners.

Best Budgeting Apps of July 2024

• Rocket Money : Best overall for reducing spending and creating a budget
• Monarch Money : Best for saving toward financial goals
• Quicken Simplifi : Best for robust budgeting features
• Honeydue App: Best for couples

The top budgeting apps have a straightforward sign-up process, a decent fee structure, strong budgeting tools, and an overall positive user experience. Learn more about the best budgeting apps, below.

Free to create a budget. Subscription fee applies to premium services.

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Connect all your bank accounts, credit cards, and investment accounts to track spending
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Bill negotiation feature
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Free plan available
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Limited features available with free plan
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Limited customer support availability

Rocket Money is featured in our best budgeting apps guide. While the Rocket Money app is free, there is a subscription fee if you want to use Premium features, like concierge services or premium chat.

Offers a 7-day free trial

Premium Plan with a 7-day free-trial, then $14.99 per month or $99.99 annually

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Link bank accounts
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Create unlimited budgets and make customizable categories
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Track individual savings goals
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Graphs and charts that track your spending and savings
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No free plan

Monarch Money is an overall solid option if you prioritize creating monthly budgets and saving for individual savings goals. The main downside of the app is that it doesn't offer a free plan. You'll have to a monthly or annual subscription fee.

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Budgeting app for couples
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Can have individual and shared finances
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Create monthly bill reminders
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Can discuss finances through chat feature
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Only available through mobile app

Honeydue is featured in our best budgeting apps guide as the best option for couples. It's a great option if you don't want to pay a fee. It also allows you to have individual and shared finances.

Top Budgeting App Reviews

Budgeting looks different for everyone, so we selected four picks for budgeting apps. We selected a well-rounded budgeting app, one designed for couples, another that's appealing for setting goals, and lastly one with more detailed budgeting features.

We have a mix of free budgeting apps and ones that have premium plans with subscription fees, so you can choose an option based on your financial needs and priorities.

Best Overall: Rocket Money

Rocket Money (previously known as TrueBill) is our best budgeting app overall because it has a variety of tools to help you save and limit spending.

Rocket Money has both a free plan and a premium plan. With the free plan, you'll be able to link bank accounts, credit cards, and investment accounts to track spending and you'll also be able to create a budget .

The premium plan includes concierge services, which review your bills and subscriptions to help you cancel or get refunds for these services on your behalf. It also includes premium customer chat, unlimited budgets, customizable budget categories, a savings account, real-time updated syncing, and a credit score report.

The app's standout feature is Bill Negotiation. You'll upload a copy of your bill, and Rocket Money will determine whether you can get the same service with the company for a lower price. Rocket Money may also help you get refunds if you're charged bank overdraft fees or late fees.

When Rocket Money negotiates a bill, you'll have to pay a percentage (you may choose any amount from 30% to 60%) of whatever it will save you for the year. If you plan to change your internet, cable, phone, or wireless provider in the next year, you could end up losing money, though.

Pricing: You may choose how much to pay each month through a sliding scale. Rocket Money has a free plan that's $0. The Premium plan has a 7-day free trial; after the free trial, you'll have to pay around $6 to $12 per month (the lower-price plans are billed annually instead of monthly).

Rocket Money Review

Best for Couples: Honeydue App

Honeydue is a budgeting app designed specifically for couples. The sign-up process is short and simple — you'll create an account by setting up your email, then invite your partner to Honeydue.

Honeydue allows you to see both your individual and shared finances in one place. You also have to option of setting limits to how much your partner can see. When you connect a bank account to the app, you may choose to share both balance and transaction information, share information only, or share no information.

With Honeydue, you can organize your finances by creating monthly bill reminders or discussing personal financial information through the app's chat feature.

If you would like an additional place to store money for a common goal, like a holiday budget or a couple's vacation.

You won't be able to access Honeydue through your computer; it's only available through a mobile app. Some of our other top picks have both online and mobile platforms for more convenience.

Regular Pricing: Free

Best for Saving for Financial Goals: Monarch Money

Monarch Money may be worthwhile if you are looking for a budgeting app that helps you save for financial goals and create a budget. It's also become one of the most hyped-up Mint alternatives among Redditor users since Mint shut down.

Through Monarch Money, you'll be able to make unlimited personalized savings goals . You can customize goals, organize them by order of importance, and link them to bank accounts. The app also helps you create a zero-based budget, track your net worth, and analyze your cash flow.

Monarch Money doesn't have a free plan. You can try out a 7-day free trial. However, after that, you'll need to pay a subscription fee. If you do not want to pay a subscription fee for a budgeting app, you'll want to consider one of our other picks.

Regular Pricing: Premium Plan with a 7-day free-trial, then $14.99 per month or $99.99 annually

Best for Robust Budgeting Features: Quicken Simplifi

Quicken Simplifi might be a good choice if you want a budgeting app that provides a detailed breakdown of your spending and savings.

In addition to letting you create budgets with customizable categories and make individual savings goals, Quicken Simplifi analyzes your spending and savings through charts and data.

You can receive monthly reports for spending, general income, income after expenses, savings, and net worth . You can also now check your credit score through the web application if you have early access (This feature is currently only available to U.S. residents). Checking your credit score through Simplifi won't affect it.

The one major downside to this app is that it doesn't have a free plan. You'll have to pay a subscription fee, although you can try the app for 30 days with a money-back guarantee.

There's also a special promotion available right now — 50% off for new customers (offer ends July 14, 2024).

Regular Pricing: $3.99 monthly subscription or $47.88 annual subscription

Quicken Simplfi Review

Budgeting App Trustworthiness and BBB Ratings

We review the ethics of each company so you can see if a specific financial institution aligns with your values.

We also include the settlement history of the last 3 years so you're aware of any recent public controversies involving the bank.

We include ratings from the Better Business Bureau to evaluate how companies address customer issues and handle transparency.

Rocket Money has a B rating due to a high volume of customer complaints.

Honeydue has an F rating because it hasn't responded to three customer complaints and it hasn't been in operation for a long time.

Quicken has an F rating because it has received a high volume of customer complaints filed, and failed to respond to 13 customer complaints.

A good BBB rating won't guarantee you'll have a good relationship with a company. You also might want to read customer reviews or talk to current customers before making your decision.

Intuit does have some public issues surrounding its tax-filing software, TurboTax.

Introduction to Budgeting Apps

Why use a budgeting app.

A budgeting app can help you understand where you spend your money. It's also useful for building and maintaining an effective budget.

The top budgeting apps let you create a monthly budget using customizable categories.

Many also help you save money effectively . For example, budgeting apps use your transaction history to make charts and graphs. You can use this information to analyze your spending patterns and figure out where to make adjustments in your budget.

Key Benefits of Budgeting Apps

The primary benefit of using a budgeting app is that it gives you a big-picture view of your financial situation.

Many budgeting apps let you link different types of bank accounts, investment accounts, credit cards , and loans. You'll be able to see all your accounts in one place and see how you're spending versus saving.

Budgeting apps also help you build better money habits. If you've struggled to maintain a budget in the past, it might be easier to track your spending on an app than completely on your own. Budgeting apps do the work for you by syncing all your accounts — you just need to make sure everything is synced correctly and make small adjustments when they aren't.

Features to Look for in a Budgeting App

User-friendly interface.

A good budgeting app has a design format that's easy to use. The app should load quickly and make it easy to get started. You should be able to create a budget on your own without much help. If you encounter technical difficulties, you should also easily be able to contact a customer representative through the app.

Syncing with Bank Account

Many easy-to-use budgeting apps for beginners allow you to sync savings accounts, checking accounts , investment accounts, or credit cards.

Apps often use Plaid to link bank accounts. Plaid can connect more than 11,000 U.S. banks and credit unions, including the best banks .

Expense Tracking

Once bank accounts are linked, your spending will be updated on the app so you have up-to-date information. A strong budgeting app will provide updates frequently, and during the same day so you can stay on top of your budget.

Customizable Budgeting Categories

Many budgeting apps allow you to create a zero-balance budget. With a zero-balance budget, you're figuring out where every dollar of your income is going. You can create budget categories for every expense. You can also create savings goals if you're setting aside money for a specific purpose, like a down payment on a home or a future vacation.

A good budgeting app allows you to make customizable budgeting categories rather than pre-set categories. That way, you can make a budget that's tailored to your life and make categories as broad or specific as you want.

Charts and Visual Analysis Features

A top budgeting app analyzes your habits so you can see how you manage your money over time. Some apps provide charts of your monthly budget so you can see how your categories compare to one another. Others might have visuals to indicate how much money you have left to spend in a certain category for that month.

Several budgeting apps also provide reports for broader areas of your finances. For example, you might be able to view your cash flow balance over several months or how your money in your retirement plans has grown over time.

How to Choose the Best Budgeting App for You

To find the right budgeting app, you need to know what features you're looking for. Are you looking for ways to cut back on spending? Do you want a free plan or a subscription plan for your budgeting app? Do you want a detailed breakdown of your finances or more of a general overview? Knowing the answers to these questions can help narrow down your options.

If you have your eye on a few budgeting apps, you can try out the free trials or free versions of each before settling on the right one. That way, you can see if the interface is also user-friendly and manageable for the long-term.

Setting Up and Using a Budgeting App

Step-by-step guide to setting up your budgeting app.

To use a budgeting app, you'll have to download it through the Android or Apple store. To set up most budgeting apps, you'll enter your name and email address. If the app charges a subscription fee, it will prompt you to sign up for a plan or free trial.

The best budgeting apps will walk you through the app's different features and help you get started. You'll typically be prompted to link accounts. Then, you can create a budget or set savings goals.

Tips for Effective Budgeting with the Apps

If you're new to budgeting apps, it may be helpful to start off with some structure.

For example, you could use a popular savings method like the 50/30/20 rule or pay-yourself-first strategy.

The 50/30/20 rule breaks down your budgeting, so 50% goes to needs, 30% goes to wants, and 20% goes to debt or savings. The pay-yourself-first strategy focuses on savings — you'll automatically transfer money from your paycheck to some of your savings and then distribute what's left over to your expenses.

Another tip for effective budgeting is to look at your expenses to see if they reflect your financial goals and values. If you have certain goals that are of higher priority than others, find ways to reduce spending in categories that aren't a priority for you. That might mean waiting before making a purchase, creating a meal plan or grocery list to limit spending on food, or auditing your subscriptions to see if there are any you can cancel.

Common Mistakes to Avoid on Budgeting Apps

Experts recommend trying out a budgeting app's free plan or free trial before committing to an annual plan.

There are many budgeting apps out there, so you want to try to find the one that best aligns with your financial needs. Testing a few apps can help you decide the best one, and it also keeps you from paying too much for a budgeting app that you won't end up using.

Pros and Cons of Budgeting Apps

Alternatives to budgeting apps, budgeting apps vs. spreadsheet or diy budgeting methods.

You may prefer building a spreadsheet budget if you don't want to link all of your bank accounts or credit cards in a mobile app. However, setting up and maintaining your budget will primarily hinge on how much work you're willing to put into it.

A budgeting app does the tracking for you. With a spreadsheet, you'll have to either start from scratch or use a template. Either way, a budgeting app still offers more comprehensive features.

Budgeting Apps vs. Personal Finance Software

Budgeting apps and personal finance software share the same features. The best option for you will depend on whether you have preferences on the tool's accessibility.

A budgeting app is primarily designed for mobile experiences. Some apps also have an online dashboard which you can access through your computer, but it is always something that's offered.

Meanwhile, personal finance software is designed for computer access. You'll either download the software to a desktop or use an online platform. Some will also have apps, but some features might not be available.

Budgeting Apps vs. Savings Accounts with Goals Features

Some of the best online banks have added unique features to their savings accounts to help customers with goal-setting.

If you're specifically looking for a way to save for goals, it may benefit you to get a savings account with buckets . Buckets are customizable tools that separate your savings so you can save for specific goals. Since they are an integrated bank account feature, they also might be easier to manage than a budgeting app.

If you would rather have more robust budgeting tools, a budgeting app will likely still stand out to you. Budgeting apps also connect investment accounts, credit cards, and loans, so you'll be able to see everything in one place.

Budgeting App FAQs

A budgeting app is beneficial for tracking expenses and sticking to a budget. It can also help you save for financial goals and prevent lifestyle creep .

To choose the best budgeting app for your needs, consider what your financial goals are and how a budgeting app can best help you achieve them. If you need help cutting back on expenses, you might consider a budgeting app with bill negotiation features. If you need help with savings, you might prioritize an app that helps with goal-setting features.

Most budgeting apps have encryption to store data, making them secure to use if you're linking your accounts. To keep your username and password safe, budgeting apps might also have multi-factor authentication so they can verify your identity when you're logging in.

A budgeting app can help you understand your financial situation so you can create a budget that saves you money over time. These apps can help you find areas where you can reduce your spending. Some also offer a bill negotiation feature so you can see if you can save money on subscriptions.

Yes, there are free budgeting apps available in the Apple and Android stores, though they typically have more limited features than apps with paid subscriptions. The best free budgeting app is Honeydue, which is specifically for couples.

Mint shut down in March 2024. You'll have to switch to Credit Karma if you want to continue using an Intuit personal finance platform, or you can switch to an alternative budgeting app.

In most cases, the best budgeting app for beginners will be one that makes budgeting easy — this means it has an easy-to-use interface and links to your accounts, so you don't have to enter every transaction manually. It can also be good to have an app that teaches you about money.

Rocket Money is our best budgeting app overall, and it has a free plan. If you're in a couple, our top pick is Honeydue which is also free to download.

Why You Should Trust Us: Experts' Advice on the Best Budgeting Apps

We consulted banking and financial planning experts to inform these picks and provide their advice on finding the budgeting app for your needs.

• Sophia Acevedo, banking editor, Business Insider
• Mykail James, MBA, certified financial education instructor, BoujieBudgets.com

Here's what they had to say about budgeting apps. (Some text may be lightly edited for clarity.)

What should I look for in a budgeting app?

Mykail James, MBA, certified financial education instructor, BoujieBudgets.com :

"My best tip for people who are looking to start using a budgeting app is to figure out what you're missing in your financial system. For example, if you are a person who knows that you want to stick to a zero-based budget, and you've been doing that manually, but you need maybe a little bit more help with the organization, then you can center your focus on searching for apps specifically solve your problem."

Sophia Acevedo, banking editor, Business Insider :

"I would look for features that would help me with my goals. Like if I'm trying to curb spending, I would look for a budgeting app that helps me minimize payments in certain spending areas."

How do I know if a budgeting app is right for me?

Mykail James, MBA, CFEI:

"Give it time. Every budgeting app is going to feel uncomfortable during the first month. Give it at least three months before deciding if it's not something for you. Actively try and use it before considering a switch."

Sophia Acevedo, CEPF:

"I would first try out the free version and see how it works. Some budgeting apps are entirely free, while others have different plans or trials at a variety of price points."

Methodology: How Did We Choose the Best Budgeting Apps?

At Business Insider, we aim to help smart people make the best decisions with their money. We understand that "best" is often subjective, so in addition to highlighting the clear benefits of a financial product, we outline the limitations, too.

First, we compiled a list of 18 popular budgeting apps available in both the Google Play Store and Apple Store.

Then, we reviewed each budgeting app for a week. To determine our top picks, we reviewed the initial sign-up process, pricing, budgeting tools, and user experience. We also considered whether each app accomplished everything it advertised, and how regular users reviewed the product on the Apple and Google Play store.

• Bank accounts
• Savings and CD rate trends
• How banks operate

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

**Enrollment required.

• Main content

25 Travel Apps That'll Help You Save Money

And, they're all free!

Best for Finding Cheap Flights: Hopper

One of the best travel apps for flights, Hopper analyzes billions of airfare and hotel prices a day—as well as its vast archive of historical data—to tell you whether to wait or book your trip.

Here’s how it works: Type in your destination and a color-coded calendar will show you the cheapest (and most expensive) dates to fly. Hopper will then recommend whether you should go ahead and buy now, or hold off until the rates get better.

If it tells you to stay tuned, you can set up a price watch and put your phone away. When the fare has dropped to its lowest point and it’s time for you to swipe, Hopper will send you a notification.

Best Travel Planner App: TripIt

TripIt organizes all of your itineraries in one place. Available for both iPhone and Android , users simply forward confirmation emails to [email protected], and the app will create you a *free* master doc for each trip. You can access the itinerary anywhere, even without an internet connection.

Their premium service, TripIt Pro ($49/year) boosts your organizing power with additional features. These include real-time flight alerts, refund notifications, and the ability to track reward points and miles as well as a currency converter, a list of socket and plug requirements, and tipping advice for 180 countries.

Download Now

Best for Road Trips: Roadtrippers

You have a considerable amount of flexibility on a road trip , but planning them requires effort. Try Roadtrippers the next time you're inspired to grab a car and go. The app allows you to map your route with up to 7 waypoints free of charge. After that, there's an option to upgrade to Roadtrippers Plus.

Along your route, the app will recommend local food options , roadside attractions, scenic stops and more. They even have pre-made guides for popular road trips.

Best for Finding Unexpected Destinations: Skyscanner

Skyscanner's "everywhere" feature allows you to look for surprising destinations simply by sorting by your budget and your travel timeframe. For example, you may think Europe will be out of your price-range, but this feature could make the trip possible. Like Hopper and Kayak, it also helps you find the best airfare rates by alerting you when prices dip.

Best Travel Weather App for Road Trips: Drive Weather

The last thing you want is to get caught in a nasty, vision-obscuring storm when you're on a long stretch of highway with your family or friends. DriveWeather was designed to help road travelers avoid the worst weather conditions. The app lets you track your best (read: sunniest) departure time, providing radar views and routes from one point to another—with rain, freezing rain, ice, and snow icons that let you know when there's slippery roads ahead.

The free version offers 2 days of forecasts, city-to-city routing, and a 900-mile trip limit; the ad-free $9.99 a year version offers 7 days of forecasts, wind direction info, specific address-to-address routing, and no cap on trip length.

Best Last-Minute Hotel Deals: HotelTonight

Booked that spontaneous flight, and now you're trying to figure out where you're going to sleep at night? In the middle of a road adventure and need to find lodging ASAP? Don't panic, there's an app for that. HotelTonight finds last-minute deals on hotels near your location, ranging from "basic" to "luxe" options, including unique boutique hotels.

The app allows you to filter for location, dates, the number of guests, pet-friendly options, and amenities like a gym.

Best for Navigating Traffic: Waze

Waze makes it easy for you to avoid congestion, blocked roads, police, accidents or other hazards that might increase your driving time—because starting off vacation by sitting in traffic is a major mood killer.

The app has a speedometer to help you make sure you're staying within the speed limit, and it updates your arrival time based on live traffic data.

Best for Filtering Airlines and Hotels: Kayak

The beauty of KAYAK is that it aggregates the best fares from most airlines, allowing you to filter flight options based on your airline preference and departure times, while easily changing dates and destinations. You can also find deals on car rentals and hotels.

Once you've booked, the app, available on iOS and Google Play, keeps your plans organized and updates you on flight status, airport terminals, and security wait times.

Best for Non-Hotel Lodgers: Airbnb

Whether you're looking to rent a room, a house, or an entire hacienda, you can search for accommodations in your desired location. The app (free on Google Play and iTunes) lets you filter through photos and reviews, as well as sort by amenities—like a pool or washing machine. Plus, a local host can provide insight about great dining spots.

Best for Preventing Jet Lag: Timeshifter

If you have an international trip in the works and you're hoping to fend off jet lag, give Timeshifter a try. The app was developed by scientists who used sleep and circadian neuroscience to help inform the personalized jet lag plans they craft for you. According to the app's website , even astronauts and elite athletes have used it to arrive at their destinations in tip-top shape.

The first "jet lag plan" is free, so try it out on your next adventure across the world.

Best for Connecting With Locals: Meetup

One way to fully immerse yourself in your travel destination is to meet and talk with locals. Meetup can help you connect with people who are interested in the same things as you, even while on vacation. Whether it's cooking, tech, sports, music, or photography, the app will help you make new friends all over the world.

Best Voice Controlled App: Hound From SoundHound

Free on iOS devices and Android, Hound from SoundHound is a voice assistant app that you can chat with like you would a travel agent. For instance, say, "Okay, Hound. Show me hotels in Chicago for this weekend that cost less than $300 and are pet-friendly.”

Best App for International Travel: Rome2rio

With data from over 160 countries, Rome2rio is one of the best international travel apps. Simply enter any address, landmark, or city as your destination and the app displays info about accommodations and things to do.

Free on iOs and Android, Rome2rio also shows you how to get around, and compares costs, if, for example, you're debating flying from Florence to Rome versus taking the train.

Best for Frequent Flier Travel: App In The Air

This one's been placed on Apple’s coveted “Best App” list because it not only keeps track of itineraries, boarding passes, and frequent-flier programs, but it also tracks boarding and landing times, along with current waits for check-in, security and customs. Through augmented reality, it even helps you figure out if your carry-on is the right fit for your next flight.

For the best place to grab airport coffee, or where you can get a mimosa before 7 a.m. in a specific terminal, the app also pulls tips from fellow travelers. And, if you're the competitive type, you can keep "score" of all of the places you've been on the worldwide leaderboard.

The app is free on iOS and Google Play but also offers a paid upgraded version.

Best for Finding Recommendations: TripAdvisor

For the unacquainted, TripAdvisor has over 700 million reviews of 8 million destinations to peruse before booking your hotel, dinner reservation, or even planning a day at the museum. Free on both iOS and Google Play, the comprehensive app is available in 28 languages.

You can also follow friends and travel experts for advice that matches your interests, view travel videos, read articles for inspo— and write your own reviews, if you're so inclined.

Best for Budgeting: Trabee Pocket

Perfect for the business traveler who needs to track spending and receipts—or anyone who likes to stay on top of budgets—this app also boasts a helpful exchange rate calculator. It's free on iOS and Android with option to upgrade.

Best for Remembering Items: PackPoint

"Never Forget Your ______ Again!" is the slogan for PackPoint , which helps you build a packing list based on your trip. Input the dates, location, the type of travel, and the activities you plan on doing, and the app will conveniently generate a list of items you should bring. It even checks the weather to make sure you bring an umbrella or a heavier jacket depending on your destination.

Best for Refueling On Road Trips: GasBuddy

Despite the cost-saving benefits of a road trip, gas money can really start to add up if you're driving for days. Enter GasBuddy , which helps you find the best gas prices near you. With at 4.7/5 rating and over 300,000 reviews on Apple, the app has helpful features like a gas price map, outage tracker during natural disasters, a trip cost calculator, and useful search filters like brand, price location, available restrooms, and more.

Bonus, you can save 5¢/gal on every gallon if you use the app's free "Pay with GasBuddy" card.

Best For Nature Lovers: AllTrails

If you're like Oprah and think "hiking is so fun," you need to download this app. AllTrails is for nature lovers, hiking enthusiasts, and even those who just want to fit in a cardio workout while on vacation. The app has over 100,000 curated trails—which all but guarantee you'll find one near you—and lets you create and share custom maps with friends.

Best For Bathroom Breaks: Flush

When you gotta go, you gotta go, but finding a public toilet when you're traveling can be quite the task. The Flush Toilet Finder saves you time and helps you avoid an accident with the over 190,000 public bathrooms in its database. Flush will tell you which ones are free, accessible for the disabled, or require a key—and users can even rate and report a toilet.

The Flush app is available for free on iOS and Google Play.

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40 Best Travel Apps for 2024: Plan, Book, Tech, Tickets & More

Home » Travel Style » Technology and Gear » 40 Best Travel Apps for 2024: Plan, Book, Tech, Tickets & More

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Updated: 24th November 2023

During the last decade, how we travel has been thoroughly reshaped. The internet and, more significantly, the smartphone have revolutionised how we plan our trips and explore this planet. Yet, with so many websites, apps, guides and resources now available, it can be overwhelming to decide which travel apps deserve a space on our home screens.

Of course, the travel apps you’ll need to download before your trip will vary depending on where you’re visiting, the type of traveller you are, and your priorities on the road. From those pre-trip essentials, such as finding cheap flights and securing hotel deals, to the boring but necessary tech to manage reservations, money and sometimes even access to the internet, there truly is a travel app for organising everything these days.

Then there are those glorious pocket-size pieces of tech that make our experiences so much richer. Travel apps that allow us to read constellations in the sky above Peru’s Andes, mind-blowing translation software which instantly reads a menu on a long train journey through China , or friend-finding solutions which can connect us with fellow travellers, generous hosts, road trip buddies and even waste-avoiding discount food. Sure, this little device might have taken some of the spontaneity out of our journeys, but there’s no denying that the best travel apps can also enhance our experience while exploring.

Editors note (AI): While I’m sure later in 2024, I’ll update this article again to include some AI travel apps, I haven’t as yet found one I believe is reliable enough. Having tested a selection of itinerary planning AI travel apps using Portugal as a destination (the country I live in, know very well, and write guidebooks for), I’ve received results littered with errors, out-of-date suggestions, or proposals that skip some of the best offbeat experiences in the country — likely because the training material that has been used is also not in-depth or up-to-date. I’m sure when live information integration arrives and things advance this year a few apps will start to stand out. But for now, I’ve skipped any solely AI-powered tools, especially as some seem to have been built exclusively to sell affiliate-linked tours and activities.

In this article...

Best travel apps for flights, lounges and compensation

These are my go-to apps for all things flying. You might also want to consider signing up for cheap flight-finding newsletters so you can get the best deals directly to your inbox.

Skyscanner (free travel app)

For over a decade, Skyscanner has been my preferred travel app for finding flights. While there are plenty of other options these days, such as Kiwi or Kayak, I still always opt for Skyscanner. It has a clean interface, there is no cookie tracking or worries about going incognito, and I nearly always find the best deals here.

Of course, the ‘search everywhere’ feature is always a winner for finding those bargain flights when you are up for going on a trip but don’t really mind where. The app also features ‘Price Alerts’ so you can track fares going up and down and third-party reviews to know how reliable the company advertising the flight is. As a bonus, the Skyscanner travel app now has a ‘Top Deals’ tab for spontaneous trips away alongside additional searches for hotels and car hire. Download on iPhone | Android

If you’ve ever dealt with trying to claim for a delayed flight under EU regulations , you’ll know it can be a challenging process. While there are various protections across the world to ensure compensation when delays or cancellations happen, sometimes it can be a drawn-out and even unsuccessful process. That’s where Colibra comes in, as it takes a different approach and pays out compensation for delays of over one hour or more due to any reason, such as strikes or weather, with the money supposedly hitting your account within 24 hours.

However, it’s good to know that the compensation you’ll receive through Colibra isn’t as high as doing it yourself. Their model works by getting you to download the app and register your flight before arriving at the airport — essentially taking a gamble as you then assign the legal right to Colibra to make the full claim. The advantage is that whether Colibra is successful or not in getting the compensation to them (often, if delays are just an hour or two, there is no cash compensation), you’re guaranteed to get your share of the pot.

The funds for this come from those who have been delayed for over three hours and get compensation via EU rules but take a lower share of their cut from Colibra’s claim, leaving money in the pot for those with shorter delays. There is also a flight booking feature called “Fly Now, Pay If Okay”, which allows you to book flights and pay after flying – thus, if there is a delay of three hours or more, you don’t pay anything. You can read more about how this works on their website. Let’s see if they become one of the best flight booking apps as they expand this feature. Download App

Priority Pass

Frequent flyers who don’t usually fly premium or own a credit card that comes with the benefit of lounge access may want to consider signing up for Priority Pass.

Offering membership to more than 1000 lounges in some 140-plus countries, this travel app, in connection with the Priority Pass Airport Lounge program , allows you and potentially a guest to enjoy all the amenities of a lounge; this usually includes both pre-flight and layovers. There are a few different pricing models, including a lower option with paid entrance to the lounges and a mid-range membership, which allows for ten free lounge visits. Of course, this means if you’re only flying a couple of times a year, it’s most likely not worth it. Sign up here and download the app

Best apps for booking travel by train, bus, ferry or car share

These are some of the best apps for travel planning in Europe; especially helpful if you’re considering an overland trip across the continent to seek out some of Europe’s hidden gems .

Rome 2 Rio (free travel app)

This website really is a leader in finding the best way to travel within or between countries. For example, I didn’t think getting a reliable bus timetable in Sri Lanka was possible until I fired up this trusty app. But where it really excels is when it comes to working out more complicated journeys, especially those that cross borders.

Simply type in your start and end point, and you’ll get a whole list of overland/water/air routes for your trip, often ones that other similar booking sites don’t bring up. The reason for this is that Rome2Rio was created to be a useful resource rather than to make affiliate income (the commission websites make by selling something), and therefore formed one of the most impressive databases of transport options in the world; it even often helps me where Google Maps fails. That said, they have recently started shifting into selling more tickets (also handy), but it seems they still show every option they know. With heaps of helpful info, such as approximate prices, distances, route numbers, and which operators to book with, it’s honestly the travel app I use most, and I can not praise these heroes enough for making multi-country travel so much easier to plan. Download on iPhone | Android

Omio (free travel app)

Omio is one of the best travel apps for planning your travels around Europe, allowing you to book and manage various transport and accommodation options in one interface. They proudly boast of an extensive collection of bookable bus and train options that some other aggregator websites and apps miss.

That said, they don’t cover all operators in every country. So, while this is a handy app for researching, planning and keeping your bookings together, it’s always worth checking local operators too. Often, smaller local players don’t have an integration with travel apps (or don’t want to pay them a commission for taking reservations), so you might need to hunt them out and book directly. Download App

Eurail / Interrail (free travel app)

The Eurail app is a godsend for planning train travel across Europe, as it covers more than 30 countries. While it’s actually designed for Interrail/Eurail pass holders, anyone can access and utilise the planning feature for free. Their travel app particularly stands out when it comes to planning multi-country train trips, often showing far more choices in connections than the other applications and websites I’ve detailed in this section.

For example, I just searched for Lisbon to Paris, and the Eurail planner highlighted all the train connections across Portugal, Spain and France I would need to take. Omio, on the other hand, tells me this journey isn’t possible by train as it sometimes struggles with cross-border rail searches.

While you don’t need to have purchased a pass to use the app, it’s well worth considering buying one if you plan to do a lot of rail travel on the continent over a month or two. If you live in Europe, you should look into the Interrail Pass, while non-European residents will need to learn how to use the Eurail Pass to be sure they get their money’s worth. Either way, their travel app is a great tool to have on your phone, especially as it even works offline. Download iPhone | Download Android

Rail Europe (free travel app)

Acting as an official agent for many of the leading train operators in Europe, Rail Europe is something of a one-stop shop for searching for and booking train travel on the continent and unlike the Eurail app, you don’t need a pass to book your tickets with these guys — hence my inclusion here.

However, not all countries are signed up. For example, in Portugal , you would still need to book with the local CP rail service directly, although much of central and western Europe is covered. Download the Rail Europe App

12Go (free travel app)

While many of my recommendations here are particularly geared up for planning travels around Europe, one of the best websites for researching and booking flights, ferries, buses and trains in Asia is 12GO . They cover a large range of countries, operators and transport options, and you can even book taxis in some countries too. That said, the Android version of their travel app seems to be much better quality than the iPhone version (which is unsurprising given Android holds more than 70% of the market share on the continent), meaning IOS users may find the website more helpful than the app. Download iPhone | Android

FlixBus (free travel app)

FlixBus (and now FlixTrain in Germany) has quickly grown to be one of the biggest inter-country bus operators in Europe. I remember when it first launched, and you’d be on a random local bus that sold tickets through the platform. Nowadays, the majority of the bus routes are operated by the official, modern, and green FlixBuses, although some remain franchises.

While Flix certainly isn’t a luxury option – what is on an 18-hour night bus? – They are fairly reliable and affordable, have toilets, and usually have wifi and plug sockets. Mainly operating in Europe, they also offer limited services in the USA with plans to expand into other markets in 2024. Download App

BlaBlaCar (free travel app)

BlaBlarCar might not appeal to everyone due to safety concerns, but it’s one of the most helpful travel apps for travellers like myself who can’t drive and are reliant on public transport. Sometimes, it’s hard to reach certain places, or you have restricted bus options, and that is where this app can be a life saviour. Think of it as a mix of Uber with normal people driving and pre-planned hitchhiking — it’s essentially a carpooling app which helps drivers split the cost of fuel. If you’re doing a big road trip and are looking to split some costs and share some company, you might even want to add your own trips to the app as a driver rather than a rider.

On the travel app’s simple interface, you search where you are going to and from, like on any other ride-share app, and it will show you any drivers doing the same route on the date you’ve searched for. If you find a good match, you can book a seat in their car and join them on a ride. The price usually is based on sharing the gas. Not only does this help you get from A to B, but it also helps you make new travel friends. I’ve mainly used this in Portugal and Spain, but they cover 22 different countries across Europe & Latin America. Recently, they have started offering bus services in France. Download on iPhone | Android

Best travel apps for accommodation

These are some of the best apps for finding alternative accommodation ideas , hotels, hostels or even free hosts. Just remember, you can often get a better deal directly from a hotel or hostel if you email them directly. This way, they won’t need to pay a commission to the OTA (Online Travel Agency) and can often pass that saving on to you. I haven’t recommended Airbnb here because I’ve seen first-hand how it sucked the life out of Lisbon, but there are a few more sustainable and community-concerned websites that I do love, Faribnb and Ecobnb ; however, as of 2024, they still haven’t launched dedicated apps.

Couchsurfing

Sadly, Couchsurfing is no longer as useful as it once was, which has led to plenty of alternative hosting sites cropping up, such as the free-to-use BeWelcome and women-only Travel Ladies app . However, in terms of membership numbers, Couchsurfing still seems to lead the way — even if it now costs a few dollars a month. There are a lot of complaints from long-term members about how the ethos of the company was destroyed after it went from community-owned to private, yet it still remains one of my favourite resources for both finding cool hangouts and traveller-focused events in new destinations, as well as offering to host, or finding a place to stay while on the road.

That said, the actual travel app isn’t the best (the website is easier to navigate), but it’s still worth having if you’re a member to use the ‘hangout’ and ‘local event’ features. Even though the app was born as a place to offer, or seek, a sofa/bed/room to crash for a night or two, even those who aren’t keen on staying with strangers will find good connections. While the payment model introduced has reduced the number of people active on the platform throughout 2023, I still made plenty of connections in person via the travel app, but mainly in larger cities. Download App

CozyCozy (free travel app)

One of the most interesting and newest accommodation search engines that has cropped up in recent years is CozyCozy , which has both a travel app and a website. I particularly like that it searches not just hotel booking websites but also the likes of Airbnb and VRBO, so you don’t need to run different searches on different platforms to find the best listings or the lowest prices. The filtering for the searches is also quite interesting and helpful. For example, you can look for camping or select the ‘ Unusual Places ‘ tab, which is always interesting for finding a different kind of stay. Think of unique stays such as hiring a houseboat in a marina to call a temporary home, treehouses, or mountain chalets.

The additional filters are also convenient, whether it be free cancellation or accessibility filters, which means not only do you need to search only one website, but you also don’t need to click into individual stays to check they meet your criteria. While CozyCozy only searched in around 40 destinations when it launched, it’s now expanded, with plenty more countries added heading into 2024. Download on iPhone | Android

Booking.com (free travel app)

I used to be a big hotels.com fan due to the book ten nights and get one free, but their app sucks. It’s slow to load, you need great wifi, and I’ve realised that the reward nights for booking ten and then getting an allowance for a free night means the costs are more than rivals. As such, I’ve returned to using booking.com as my go-to travel app for hotel stays. Yes, I know it’s not the best business model for the industry, and often you can get better rates if you email a hotel directly (Booking usually requires that the best ‘public-facing’ price is on their website, something I talk about more in this article on finding luxury travel deals ), but for ease of use and range of accommodation offered, it’s unrivalled.

Two other reasons that Booking is such a catch-all is they now have heaps of Hostel listings (hence why I no longer feel the need to recommend Hostel World) and even plenty of apartment stays, many of which are better value than those I see on Airbnb, particularly because cleaning and platform fees are nearly always included in the final quote.

Booking’s travel app also often has ‘Mobile Only’ pricing, meaning stays can be cheaper on the app than on the website, and after you have booked a certain number of nights, you’ll get access to ‘genius benefits’ such as additional discounts, late checkouts, in-hotel extras and quicker customer service. Having had a few problems in the past — such as hotels not existing or no one available for check-in — I’ve personally always had excellent service in resolving the issue with the support chat, and often an upgrade apology elsewhere at no extra cost. Download App

Best travel apps for tours and tickets

In many destinations, booking tickets for attractions directly is best. However, sometimes you want to book in advance or arrange a tour in a rush, and in those cases, these tour and ticket apps will come in handy.

Get Your Guide (free travel app)

Offering tickets to attractions around the world and a huge range of tours and attractions on their website , Get Your Guide also now has a handy app where you can make use of those tickets without the need to print anything — and I genuinely believe it’s better than competitors like Viator, though recently I have also started to use Tiqets for some museums that were better deals than GYG. I first started using this when I went to Milan to skip the lines for the Duomo rooftop, and if you have ever spent ages waiting to get into a big-ticket attraction, you’ll know how handy those fast-track tickets can be.

Likewise, when you’re planning a trip, it’s a good place to get some inspiration and see what activities are around. Recently, I was looking at stuff to do near home in Portugal and only found out about mountain Quad Bike tours from the app — so it can be a handy research tool too. New users of the app get a host of discounts and exclusives, such as discounts on luggage storage and partner bookings. Download App

TourRadar (free travel app)

TourRadar is another tour booking app, but it covers lots of big operators, such as G Adventures and Intrepid, alongside small local companies. This makes it a great search engine and one of the best travel apps for finding and booking multi-day tours, as they all appear in one place. While GYG is going to be helpful while travelling in general, the TourRadar app is a great resource for finding and booking a group or private tour before arrival. Download App

Best travel apps for maps, road trips, camping and hiking

These are some of the best apps for travelling overland, whether you’re in an RV, hiking, camping, or just looking for the best way to get from A to B.

Roadtrippers

For those who are planning an epic road trip across the USA, this travel app is a great starting point. You can punch in up to 100 stops when planning your route, and the app provides interesting suggestions for other places to pause on the way. Additionally, it allows you to collaborate with friends to pull plans together; it’s a super helpful pre-trip tool. Then, while on the road, the app provides live traffic updates, ensuring you don’t wast valuable vacation time. Download App

Google Maps (free travel app)

I’m not gonna lie: I find the recent November 2023 update to Google Maps frustrating. There seems to be more clicking and a more complicated interface than before. However, it’s still an absolute must for me when travelling, mainly because of the vast database of reviews, photos and public transport options — especially in destinations where it’s linked with public transport GPS to show you bus or train locations — that it provides. I also appreciate that when I’m travelling somewhere without a data connection, I can select which parts of the map to download to my phone to use offline. It’s a staple for me; I just hope in 2024, they revert back from this slightly more clunky interface. Download on iPhone | Android

Maps.Me (free travel app)

Sometimes, Maps.Me is the superior choice, and this can be especially true in more offbeat destinations. I was especially impressed at how much more helpful this travel app was compared to the big players when I visited Oman and Tajikistan.

The maps are downloadable, so you can be offline and still use them anywhere, but the best thing is they are powered by OpenStreetMap, which is open-source, so anyone can update details and add new openings and finds. Often, people also had helpful points for trails and viewpoints. This community aspect (rather than Google’s more curated, business-centric approach) ensures that not only is this one of the best travel apps for navigating more remote destinations, but it can often be the most helpful on certain types of trips. Download on iPhone | Android

While nothing can usually beat a local walking guide’s knowledge, the All Trails app comes pretty close. Hosting a huge database of official — and not-so-official — walking routes, reviews and crowd-sourced paths, this travel app can really help you explore more of a destination on foot or by bike. The free version is okay, but for those often hiking in new destinations, the paid additions may be handy.  Go Janutly is another excellent app to have if you’re looking for local walking trails and routes. Download App

What3Words (free travel app)

This is a unique map that gives a three-word name to every spot in the world. If you are travelling to more remote places where street names aren’t a thing or streets don’t exist, this can help you to get there. Likewise, in case of an emergency, it can be used to give a very precise location to emergency services. When I first listed this travel app here a few years back, it was very niche, but now, as we enter 2024, even delivery companies and guidebooks are using it. Download on iPhone | Android

Best app for travel itinerary management: TripIt (free travel app)

TripIt is a super handy piece of kit that will even auto-scan your emails and compile all your travel plans into one place. If you are a frequent traveller, this can become a super handy PA in your pocket.

The free version is still one of the best travel apps for most average people planning a trip, but if you are often on the road, the business upgrade will make things much more streamlined, compiling all of your plans into one place. Download on iPhone | Android

Best travel apps for documenting (and inspiring) your trip

Beyond the normal suspects, such as TikTok, Instagram, or even starting your own blog, there are a few travel app newcomers for documenting and keeping track of your travel.

Framey (free travel app)

So, if you have become as fed up with Instagram as I have, then you might be seeking a photo-focused app to document your travels and inspire your future trips, and Framey does exactly that. No more endlessly scrolling through random reels; Framey’s feed is the perfect place to share your photos with specific locations and find inspiration from your friends or travel ambassadors/creators. The search function also works great, so you can scan your next travel destination and find quick, bite-sized information underneath fantastic visuals or scroll through ‘collections’, bringing together everything in one place.

While on the road, it’s also a helpful travel app to find your way to key sights and great photo points around your location, thanks to the inbuilt map feature, which pins photos on an easy-to-use road map. Both during and before your trip, you can easily save your favourite finds to your own collections so you don’t miss or forget that perfect spot. Download on iPhone | Android  

Visited App (free travel app)

Simple and easy to use, VisitedApp is one of the best travel apps for country counters to keep track of everywhere they have been. Simply add in your visited destinations, and you can see them both on a list view or a highlighted map. The inspiration section, which works a little like Tinder where you swipe left or right depending on if you want to add it to your ‘wishlist’ is a nice feature as it doesn’t just focus on countries as a whole but also cities, national parks, and regions — with nice photos for inspiration — so you can use it both for documenting where you have been but also where you still want to go.

There are also specific categories for various types of travel, such as Art Museums and Wonders of the World, so you can keep adding to your lists of places you have visited and want to visit. The paid pro version allows you to record the places you have visited in even more detail, such as specific cities or regions. Download on iPhone | Android

Best apps for backpackers and solo travel

These are some of the more useful travel apps if you’re travelling solo or as a backpacker.

Radical Storage (free travel app)

One of the biggest hassles when backpacking is finding a place to stash the bags, especially if you’re not able to check in early or are just stopping somewhere for the day before taking the bus or train. Radical Storage is one of many new handy travel apps (others include Luggage Hero and Bounce) that will help you find a pre-booked place to store your bag if the local bus or train station does not have an option. Usually, the fees are pretty decent, and both times I’ve used it, I’ve had no problems, although sometimes the storage options can be a little obscure, and the exact location isn’t always displayed until after booking. Download App

Travello (free travel app)

Travello has made some significant inroads in the travel world over the past few years and has even been named one of the top apps by the Apple store — it’s come a long way since I first met the founders back in 2016. Still, this will mostly come in handy if you’re travelling in Australia and, to a lesser extent, New Zealand and Asia.

But what is it? Well, think Tinder, but for travellers. With a well-developed interface, this travel app will help you find other travellers with similar interests who are already in or heading to the same areas. You can also search the noticeboard for your upcoming plans and arrange shares/swaps in advance. Recently, they have expanded into selling tours and travel experiences through partners, so you can also book activities directly in the app too, and discounts are applied depending on how many ‘points’ you’ve earned through activity within the app community. Download on iPhone | Android

Meetup (free travel app)

Meetup is great whether you’re travelling or not; I’ve used it to attend events in my home city before. It will help you connect with fellow travellers nearby to attend group events and activities, which can be searched and filtered by interests. If you’re travelling and seeking new connections and people to share experiences with — but don’t want to get Couchsurfing — this is a useful app to have on your phone while travelling. Download App

Top travel apps for staying connected

VPN, eSIM, internet-only mobile numbers — the web has provided a whole new world of ways to stay connected while travelling, and these are some of the most handy travel apps to ensure you don’t get lumped with a hefty data roaming bill.

HolaFly eSim

An eSim is a virtual sim card and provides an alternative to having to buy a new sim card at each destination. There are many benefits to this, such as speed, ease and forward planning, although the costs can sometimes be more than buying a local card. I’ve written a detailed guide to the pros and cons in this eSim for Europe guide . However, HolaFly is my go-to choice, especially since they have started offering some unlimited data packages in certain destinations. Get a 5% discount with my code: DANFLYINGSOLO when you sign up, then Download the App

A VPN is handy for security, but in some places, like when I went on a tour through China, it is essential to keep you connected to all your favourite apps that may be blocked in other countries. I would love to recommend an underdog here, but ExpressVPN is the best and most consistent I have used, so they are the winner. A free alternative is Windscribe , which I’ve found useful in many situations, though sometimes it’s unreliable and doesn’t always work. Enjoy a free trial of ExpressVPN via their website

WhatsApp (free travel app)

I feel like everyone should know and use WhatsApp, but I’ve discovered that plenty of folks in the USA still don’t rate it — though perhaps that’s changing since Meta brought it into the Facebook family.

An end-to-end encrypted communication app, it provides all the benefits of iPhone devices, such as calls, video chat, and messaging over data, but it is open to Android users as well. But the reason this is one of the most helpful travel apps is that in many regions (particularly in some Asian countries), nearly everything is organised through WhatsApp. From booking guest house stays in Indonesia to arranging tour guides in Kazakhstan, without this app, I’d have missed out on a lot of local experiences you won’t find on the big travel aggregators. Download on iPhone | Android

I haven’t personally used Rebtel, but a good friend in the USA recommended I include it in this article as it offers cheap international calls (via actual phone numbers, so it is a good alternative to internet calling) without always needing an internet connection. Thus, it’s a handy app to have if you’re going to be travelling and need a way to call physical numbers rather than communicating through WhatsApp. Signup is required to download the app

Best apps for language translation and learning

These are some of the best language learning apps to master some basics before arriving at a new destination. Of course, these are quite generic, so if you want to take a deeper dive into a specific language, such as learning Spanish online , you’ll likely want a more in-depth course. 

Duolingo (free travel app)

I spent all of 2022 using Duolingo Plus (the paid version of the app) and covered the first half of the Spanish course and all the (Brazilian) Portuguese courses. For me, the adverts in the free version are now really annoying, and I didn’t love the recent redesign; however, as far as free language travel apps go, Duolingo remains one of the best if you have a little patience.

I like the fact it is more like a course in the palm of your hand than a list of jumbled words. It uses repetition and reviewing to make sure you have grasped it and mixes audio learning with visual prompts. You aren’t going to become fluent here, but you will have more than enough to get by. They also have a relatively wide range of languages, although some courses, such as French and Spanish, are more in-depth than others. Download on iPhone | Android

I seem to go through phases with different language apps, dropping in and out when travelling, but now, having moved to Portugal, I’m using language apps not just for a short trip but to support myself in learning a brand new language, Portuguese.

Drops is a relatively new language app, and my favourite thing about it is the different mediums it uses to support learning words. You get both written and audio words, but also visual graphics to help support the learning. You also have complete control over the phrases that you go through this process with, so if you are already confident with certain words, you can tick them off, and they won’t show up in the lesson format. Another thing I love about Drops is their commitment to lesser-known languages and preserving traditional and regional dialects, such as Samoan and Ainu. Download on iPhone | Android

Google Translate (free travel app)

Okay, so it might not be teaching you a language, but it is undoubtedly one of the absolute BEST travel apps that you absolutely must have on your phone. Be sure not just to download the app itself before your trip but also to download the language of the country you’re visiting. Then, the translations will continue to work offline. But it gets even better, as you don’t actually have to type; pointing the camera at a menu or an info board at a translation will near-instantly give you the image back in your own language. The app will even work with voice translations, and I can’t tell you how happy it has made me to be able to talk to locals on night trains in Uzbekistan or hold a basic conversation while hitchhiking in Georgia. Honestly, it’s the best thing Google has ever created. Download on iPhone | Android

Best travel apps for money management

These are some of the best travel apps for money management, whether it’s splitting bills, sending transfers, or working out the exchange rate.  

This super handy and simple travel app will help you keep track of costs on a group trip. I’ve used this on a few of my non-solo travels now, and it’s as easy as tapping in the costs as you go along, so you can easily divide and balance who owes who what at the end of the trip. It is much easier than manually keeping tabs on different people’s payments, and it takes the stress out of talking about money when you just want to make the most of being on the road. Download App

Wise (formerly TransferWise)

A complete game-changer in sending money abroad, the (Transfer)Wise app works uniquely. Rather than physically sending your cash overseas, they have bank accounts in multiple countries, which reduces conversion costs. Say you want to send money from Germany to the UK; you add the money into their German account, and someone else’s money, which is being held in the UK account, goes to yours. Given how low the fees are and the savings you can make when withdrawing cash from certain ATMs, it’s an excellent travel app to have. Another solid alternative is Revolut, which is particularly good if you want to set up a joint account with someone while travelling. Download App

XE Currency Exchange (free travel app)

This is a great and lightweight travel app to keep track of various currencies in your pocket in real time; it also works offline as long as you have updated your rates before leaving the internet connection. XE also has a new premium feature which will alert you when a rate hits the target you have set — handy if you want to withdraw or convert a big amount. Download on iPhone | Android

Best travel apps to improve your trip and experience

These are some of the best apps for travel which will enhance your experience. From stargazing and pollen counts to tracking the time of the month, these are some nice additions to make for a better travel experience.

Too Good To Go

This isn’t so much a travel app, but it is amazing, both for travellers and also in day-to-day life. To combat food waste, it offers businesses the chance to sell their products that may be going out of date or the day’s leftovers at a heavily discounted price to minimise food waste. Not only are you getting some great food at great prices, but you are also helping the environment. For those seeking sustainable travel tips , this could be helpful in a few ways.

Say you are staying in self-catering accommodation; you could order a ‘magic bag’ of discounted fruit and vegetables to help you cook and collect them at the end of the day. Or, perhaps you fancy a hotel-style buffer breakfast but aren’t staying in a hotel? Then you can look for hotels nearby, and often, there is something to collect around 11 am. When I lived in Granada, I would often do this to get a cheap carry-out brunch. You’ll also find restaurants on the app, so if you don’t mind eating later than usual, you can often find delicious meals that are going spare for a fraction of the price of a takeaway. Sadly, the app mainly works in European countries, Canada and the USA. Download on iPhone | Android

Weather Bug

While nearly all smartphones come with basic weather apps, Weather Bug takes it to a whole other level. Whether you suffer from hay fever and want to know the pollen count or need to keep track of lighting and storm warnings, this is a one-stop-shop for all things weather. There’s a whole host of different map options, 18-day forecasting and plenty more nifty additional features, and given how much the weather can impact your trip, it’s a handy travel app to have on hand. Download on iPhone | Android

Flo (free travel app)

Trying to make this list as broad as possible, my dear friend Vicky suggested this travel app, which is especially useful for long-term travellers. In her words: “It monitors when your period is and sends you alerts so you can plan it with travel. It’s SO useful when you’re on the go and don’t know what day it is”. Download on iPhone | Android

SkyView (free travel app)

I started digging this app when I got into night photography, but it’s a staple for anyone who has an obsession with the stars. Simply point it at the sky, and it will tell you which constellations are in the viewfinder. If you want to start photographing the Milky Way, this is a great travel app to get on your phone. Download on iPhone | Android

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I have been recently making photo books of my adventures with an app called Inkifi, their website is . They aren’t as well publicised as some of the other big print apps but their products are innovative and second to none.

great list, thanks for sharing :) i couldnt travel without apps :D there is one app i can recommend checking out, its called “ATM Fee Saver” and it shows atms around with no or low fees for withdrawing money. its super helpful i found :)

hi there – great article. Thought I’ll also share – I came across this app ATM Fee Saver – it gives atm fees and withdrawal limits in some 30-40 countries, it was super helpful, much needed these days. Helped me calculate my own fees also for my amount. Never seen anything like this before – should defo be on your list also, it will helps lots of other international travellers like me!!!

Being techy types as well as keen travellers here are a few different apps that my husband and I like to use:

* TripMapper: great for building our travel itineraries and keeping track of our budget. It also has interactive ‘inspiration’ itineraries you can download and customise which is super helpful.

* Dataman: to keep on top of our data. Our plans give us roaming, but it’s less than our typical monthly amount, so we just set the data cap to our roaming limit when we’re away.

* Surfshark: we got an excellent deal on a multi-year plan. It has been pretty good, and the unlimited device feature works really well for us as we have too many internet-connected devices.

* Flighty: for checking the status of our flights. It’s a beautifully designed app, too.

Thank you so much for that type of information. before this blog i know only about two google and apple . you share a lot of information with us thanks

Nice piece of information specially for those who wants to explore the world by him/her self. I also used to travel and looking for advice which is handy while traveling. Usually, I have few pre-installed apps which are enough for me like Google Maps is the only maps who acts as travel explorer for me in every way like tourist places I need to go, nearby hotels I need to stay, restaurants etc.

How come Xnspy didn’t make the list? It is such a cool app and its GPS location tracking and geofencing works in real-time. If you are traveling with kids and plan to split up and explore, you must get this app. You won’t regret it.

Like your list. Its got some of usual suspects, but the apps for handicapped plus meeting locals are great gems.

I’ve just come across this neat mobile app: potty poche. It highlights visiting the south of France: Languedoc and Provence, with the unique added feature of a public toilet locator for the places to visit; a necessity for France. And it identifies those that are handicap accessible plus has five language versions.

The app categorizes seaside towns, historic Cathar sites, beautiful and perched villages, famous french village movie venues, as well as practical guides to the lavender fields, favorite market towns, and places associated with famous painters.

I found the app on Apple and Google play stores

Very descriptive article it is…!! I usually use the google translate app for travel purposes. It is the best app from the above list. Thank you for the best suggestion I will try other apps also.

There are so many programs do download. I think it would be nice, if someone will made one platform for using all of these benefits on an app. I don’t have all of them, I use usually Airbnb, Skyscanner, Google maps or Maps.me and NordVPN Teams for mobile security. Till now it’s enough for my trips, maybe in the future I will need more, who knows!

Thanks for thelist. It helps me to get an overview about other travel apps. I’m also working on my own on a travel app in my freetime, which helps to create travel routes with AI. If you like it, you can maybe add it to the list :) https://yourtravelroute.com/

Greets David

I recommend “Leap” for planning and budgeting a round the world trip. Also helpful for digital nomads and full-time travellers.

I have found your article very informative and interesting. I appreciate your points of view and I agree with so many. You’ve done a great job with making this clear enough for anyone to understand.

Thanks for sharing this. This helps me a lot. :)

I am a big fan of Airbnb, and I think the good thing is I can go anywhere with my Chinese card. That’s the main reason for me to choose that App. I think your article is really useful for traveler. Thanks!

Nice list! One app which I use a lot is Leap. I heard about it from a movie on a German couple traveling the world. They basically used it to find out how much money they will need for their world travel depending on the countries where they want to go. I got inspired by them to travel the world so I have started using the app as well. It has a financial planner so I hope I will have my savings ready soon :-)

Thanks for the tip Asha!

Wow! I really enjoyed reading this post a lot because whenever I travel in a different country I tend to get lost. A couple summers ago, I went abroad to Spain and got lost many times! One of the apps I saw on this list was Google Translate, which I totally used all the time when I lived with my host mom. WhatsApp was another one I used all the time and I would agree it is very important when you are in another country. One of the favorite apps I read about on this post is Weather Bug because it seems very useful. A lot of the time my usual weather app was not accurate so this app would definitely be beneficial. I liked how you split up each up by using numbers to differentiate each app. It made it very easy to read!

Hey! you should check out Jetzy! its a travel app, and connects you with locals as well as people from all over the world! i think its pretty cool :)

i m still amazed why Make My Trip is not included in the list. No doubt that the apps which you mentioned above are great but we cant ignore make my trip too.

Great list. But what about Sygic Travel? It has offline maps and virtual reality videos… I am missing it here. I can activate you a Premium licence Daniel, if you want. Let me know. :)

Each country have their own favorite travel App. I prefer to use Tripoto while travel and it gives me good ideas about various places and things to do ! Thanks for sharing such a wonderful list !

This is a great post! Apps are so useful for every day life, but for travelling they can really make the experience much smoother and cheaper. Apps like skyscanner are a must for going around the world on a budget and making your travelling hassle free!

Awesome list. I have been hearing only good things about Skyscanner and Rome2Rio looks like heaven sent with all the local transport timings around the world. Herepin seems like a nice startup as it might make it easier to connect with fellow travelers rather than posting on Social Media and asking “who’s around”. A very useful list, thanks.

rome 2 rio just keeps getting better and better and has so much info not even google maps can pull up – god send! :)

Thanks for the great list, these are super handy – didn’t know about half of these. Another app I’d really recommend is Postsnap ( https://www.postsnap.com ), it’s a postcard sending app that’s perfect for sending travelling snaps back home when you’re abroad. Great to be able to use your own photos and write a personal message.

Sounds like a cool app!!

Thanks for this great list! We would like to add Tourlina – the first women-only travel app

Awesome, cheers Dan. I have just downloaded Rome 2 Rio and also the currency one.

Hope they came in handy. Rome2Rio is a lifesaver in some countries.

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Best iOS apps for international travelers in 2023

Roundup of iOS apps for international travelers

Traveling overseas can open your eyes to new cultures, experiences, and adventures. But it can also pose problems, such as language barriers and jet lag.

Whether you need to decipher a menu, cope with a new time zone, or deal with other common issues for people who travel abroad, here is a roundup of iOS apps to help you along your journey.

NordVPN — data protection

Free Wi-Fi at airports, cafes, or hotels can be tempting for travelers who want to avoid costly roaming data packages. But this can expose them to security risks, as hackers can access their data on public Wi-Fi networks.

A virtual private network, or VPN, can safeguard you from potential hackers on public Wi-Fi, and a popular VPN service is NordVPN , with almost 400,000 ratings on the iOS App Store .

The NordVPN app has several practical security features, such as the VPN Kill Switch. This feature prevents your device from connecting to the web if your VPN connection is interrupted even for a few seconds.

If your VPN connection cuts out suddenly, you will not be open to hackers on the public Wi-Fi network.

There is also a feature called the Dark Web Monitor, which searches for your data, such as your contact information on the dark web, and alerts you if any leaks are detected.

Another benefit of a VPN service like NordVPN is that you can access geo-restricted content anywhere in the world.

For instance, if you are backpacking through South America, you may not be able to watch the same shows as you did back home in Europe. You can change your IP address using NordVPN to keep watching your favorite shows, even if you are thousands of miles away.

NordVPN's pricing start at $15.49 billed monthly, or $160.56 for the first two years. NordVPN offers promotions regularly, so be sure to check for reduced pricing.

OneDrive — file storage and sharing

One of the worst fears of international travel is misplacing your passport. If you do, you can still retrieve your passport number and information using a cloud storage service.

Microsoft OneDrive is a cloud storage service with an iOS app that lets you access your essential documents from your device. You can also view your documents offline on your iPhone when you don't have Wi-Fi during your travels.

For extra security, you can upload sensitive documents to your Personal Vault on OneDrive.

The Personal Vault is a password-protected folder included with each OneDrive account. You can set up an authentication method to unlock the vault, such as a PIN or Face ID .

Another benefit of having cloud storage such as OneDrive is that you can back up your vacation photos and videos. Not only can this save precious storage on your iPhone, but even if you lose your phone, you won't lose your photos and videos.

If you want enough storage to hold your photos and videos for future trips, you can consider getting the Microsoft 365 Personal Plan with 1TB of cloud storage, which includes the Microsoft Office Suite.

The Microsoft 365 Personal Plan costs $69.99 per year for one person.

iTranslate — overcome language barriers

Traveling can be an enriching experience, but the language barrier can make it hard to communicate with locals. To make matters worse, if you don't have pricey international data plans, you can't translate words by searching for them online.

The iTranslate app can help you communicate with locals in their native language. The pro version allows for offline translation, so even if you are in a remote place, the app can still help you.

With over 100 languages available, it can help you navigate through many countries around the globe. You can easily translate via text, voice, image, and AR mode.

To use the AR mode, take a photo of an object, and iTranslate will give you the word for that object in the specified language.

The iTranslate app goes beyond helping you translate words and phrases. Before you take off for your trip, you can memorize essential words and phrases you will use during your stay.

The language learning features on the iTranslate include a flashcard widget, a phrasebook, and a verb conjugation chart for some languages. Although you will not become fluent in the other language, you can learn a few words and phrases that can help you get around a new city.

Download iTranslate for free or subscribe to access all features for $5.99 monthly.

Timeshifter — combat jet lag

After months of travel preparation and reservation, your plane finally lands in the new city you've been dying to discover. But while your mind is ready to explore new sights, your body might not keep up because of jet lag.

Before your trip, you can use the Timeshifter app to sync your circadian rhythm with your destination. This app helps you adapt to new time zones gradually.

It is easy to use and eliminates the confusion of adjusting your body clock to new time zones.

To use it, create a jet lag plan by entering your sleep pattern and flight information, and choose whether you want to incorporate caffeine and melatonin. Based on the data you entered, the app provides personalized prompts on when to seek and avoid light, drink coffee, take a nap, and so forth.

It can help you methodically shift your bedtime before your departure date so that you will feel less like a sleepless wreck and be more alert and energized upon arrival. This way, you can avoid the dreaded cycle of fighting sleep during the day and staying wide awake at night, which can rob you of enjoying your vacation.

If you are willing and able to put in some effort, Timeshifter can help you sync your circadian rhythm with your destination's time zone.

Try the first jet lag plan for free on Timeshifter by downloading it from the App Store . After that, prices start at $9.99 per jet lag plan or $24.99 per year for unlimited jet lag plans.

My Currency Converter and Rates — off-line rate conversion

As you explore your destination sampling the local food or shopping for unique gifts, you need to calculate the exchange rate to ensure a fair deal. Even if you use cashless payments like Apple Pay , you might still want to know if you are paying USD 15 for a bad cup of coffee.

Some local craft markets in certain destinations may expect you to bargain with them. In that case, quick calculations will help you negotiate with fast-talking vendors more effectively, especially if you are not good at math.

My Currency Converter and Rates app can help you calculate rates when traveling abroad, even without Wi-Fi. The app supports over 150 currencies and is straightforward, as the user interface is similar to a basic calculator.

Simply select two currencies you want to convert, punch in the digits, and press enter.

Exchange rates are updated automatically when your device connects to the Internet. If your device is offline, it will show you the time of the last update to the exchange rates.

When using this app, remember that the exchange rate may be outdated if your device is offline for a prolonged period. Of course, this is not a problem unique to this app, but something travelers must be aware of to make informed financial decisions on their trip.

Download My Currency Converter and Rates for free from the App Store. My Currency Converter and Rates Pro is a separate app without ads, and you can get it for a one-time charge of $1.99.

CBP's Mobile Passport Control — expedited U.S. entry

After you have overcome jet lag, language barriers, and currency conversions, you might be craving the comforts of home. If your home is in the United States, you can speed up your entry process without paying for a trusted traveler program like Global Entry.

The Mobile Passport Control app is free and provided by US Customs and Border Protection or CBP. The MPC app will not work for everyone, as it is only available to eligible American and Canadian travelers.

Even if you are an eligible American or Canadian traveler, you can only use the MPC app at limited ports of entry. Currently, MPC is available at 32 US international airports, eight Canadian pre-clearance locations, and four seaports.

The MPC app virtually replaces the traditional paper-based passport review process.

To use it, enter your passport information and questions you would find on a standard paper version of the CBP Declaration Form. When you arrive at the airport or seaport, submit the form, take a selfie photo, and you will get a QR code.

When you enter the customs area, look for the MPC-designated line and present your QR code and passport to the CBP Officer. The MPC-designated line should be shorter than the regular lines so you can get through customs faster.

Although the MPC app does not give you the same benefits as other programs like TSA Pre-Check or Global Entry, this is a free option that you can try when entering the US from your next international trip.

You can download CBP's Mobile Passport Control app for free on the App Store.

I had Nord VPN! Works great everywhere except China. China always found a way to block it. Express VPN is my choice if I have to go to China. Good luck! 😎🤘🏼😎

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22 Best Travel Apps Every Traveler Should Know About

From tracking flight delays, finding last-minute accommodations, and even locating the nearest public restroom, these are the most helpful travel apps to download before you travel.

Using the right travel apps can help you save both time and money , while making the journey much less stressful . Many of these apps also provide local recommendations and hidden gems tourists don't often get to see — and some are completely free.

Whether you're looking for an app that will give you discounts for popular local events, offer a last-minute booking at a fraction of the price, or help you breeze through the airport , these are the 22 best travel apps to download before your next trip.

Citymapper helps travelers find the speediest route to their destination, providing step-by-step instructions on where to find the nearest bus and train stations. You'll be able to see when the next arrivals are, and real-time routing means you'll get updates every minute. The app also has a chat feature that allows you to update friends and family on your E.T.A. wherever you are.

Available on iOS and Android .

PackPoint takes the hassle out of packing by creating a customized list of what you'll need for your getaway. Enter your destination, travel dates, length of stay, and activities that might require special gear, like hiking or swimming, and the app will create a custom packing list you can save for future use. Besides checking weather conditions for you, the app also allows users to share their packing lists with fellow travelers.

The beauty of Rebtel is you don't need an internet connection to call friends and family back home. The app connects to local phone lines to provide you with cheap calls in 51 countries around the world without having to deal with the hassle of getting a local SIM card or racking up your phone bill.

If you're looking to get outdoors, this app will provide you with the area's best hiking, biking, and running trails. In addition to details on length, starting location, and trail quality, AllTrails includes reviews and photos from a community of hikers and outdoor enthusiasts. You'll find useful information like what to pack, obstacles you'll find along the route, and the best scenic spots to check out.

If you find yourself in the middle of a long layover, Dayuse can get you into a hotel room for a few hours for up to 75 percent less than what the typical overnight rate would be. The app features 5,000 hotels in 23 countries, and allows you to make free cancellations at the last minute, in case you manage to catch an earlier flight.

Selections include everything from business hotels to wellness accommodations, with payments made directly when you arrive. You also get full use of the hotel's amenities for the duration of your stay.

The prices of flights can fluctuate, making it tricky to decide if you should book right away or hold off. That's where Hopper comes in, predicting the best time to find the cheapest fares, saving up to 40 percent. The app also has a price-monitoring feature so that you can select a particular flight and receive alerts if the price drops. Through Hopper, users can also compare the prices and amenities of more than 250 airlines and get alerts about airfare flash sales.

RV Parks & Campgrounds

This camping app helps you locate prime RV parks, campgrounds, rest areas, and gas stations across North America. With more than 40,000 facilities, the app sorts locations based on ratings and includes both privately-owned RV parks and public parks to choose from.

Nike Training Club

Hitting the gym while you're traveling can be tough, but with Nike Training Club , you'll feel like you have a personal trainer right in your pocket. That's because you can access hundreds of free workouts from Nike Master Trainers and celebrities like Kevin Hart, Serena Williams, and Cristiano Ronaldo. Audio and video clips help you make sure you're on top of your technique, while personalized training plans will keep you on track.

If you don't have much time to spare at the airport, Grab allows you to check out what food selections are near your gate, and gives you the option to pre-order your meal so you can pick it up on the way. The app currently operates at over 60 airports worldwide, giving you plenty of bites to choose from on your next trip.

GasBuddy is the app you'll want if you're taking a road trip. GasBuddy tracks down where to find the cheapest gas prices, allowing you to filter by price, location, brand, and amenities. It also provides you with deals at nearby convenience stores and price hike alerts so you can nail down the best prices every time.

Want to know what local events are taking place at your destination? Headout will show you the top attractions, shows, tours, and experiences in popular cities like New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orlando, Hawaii, Dubai, and more.

Activities range from catching a Broadway show, yoga in the hills, or taking a helicopter tour, with exclusive last-minute offers that can be up to 80 percent off.

If you need to access the internet during your travels, chances are you'll have to connect to public Wi-Fi, which can be sketchy. TunnelBear allows you to connect privately and securely by providing you a VPN (virtual private network) that will encrypt your browsing data to keep your information hidden from hackers and advertisers. The app comes with 500MB of free browsing data each month, or you can opt for unlimited data at a low monthly rate.

Hostelworld

Hostelworld is where you'll find more than 17,000 hostels, hotels, B&B's, and communal spaces in 178 countries. The app is great for solo travelers looking to meet fellow vacationers during their trip, including a Noticeboard that highlights events and meetups, and a translator that will help you communicate in up to 43 languages.

WeatherBug provides forecasts for millions of locations around the world, with current, hourly, and even 10-day options. The app also has specific weather maps to track everything from lightning and wind to pressure and humidity, and makes staying on top of changes to the weather easy with instant alerts.

Eatwith allows you to dine with locals, in their homes, all over the world. Menus are posted for you to see, while hosts will typically list what they cook, the languages they speak, and any alcohol pairings they'll be serving. Not only does the app give you a chance to meet locals and get superb dining recommendations, but it also allows you to enjoy a high-quality meal for less than what you'd typically pay at a restaurant.

Available on iOS and Android.

Trying to locate a public restroom can be tricky, especially in a new destination. That's where Flush comes in. The app has a database of more than 200,000 toilets, and quickly provides travelers with nearby bathrooms. You can search without an internet connection, and the app will also notify you if a restroom requires a fee.

While banks may charge you a fee for transferring money abroad, Wise allows you to make a transfer based on real-time currency exchanges, so you can send money at rates the company says are up to eight times cheaper than what you'd find at traditional banks.

TripIt makes it easy to put together a cohesive travel itinerary. Simply forward your confirmation emails, like your hotel and flight reservations, or your rental car reservation, and TripIt will build a full itinerary to help you stay organized with all of your plans.

With real-time alerts, you'll know if your flight is delayed or canceled, while the flight finder can help you book a new option should a cancellation occur.

Another good app for the road, Waze gives you community-based data about traffic jams, and information to locate points of interest like the cheapest gas stations and the fastest routes to your destination. Live maps include voice-guided navigation to easily guide you.

Xe provides live exchange rates and charts to keep you on top of money matters during your travels, easily allowing you to choose between different currencies you'd like to convert. It also has a rate alert so that you can monitor your favorite currencies — and it can be used offline.

Timeshifter

If you're sick of the jet lag battle that inevitably comes with travel, check out Timeshifter , an app that helps you to avoid jet lag long before your flight departs. Thanks to neuroscience research on circadian rhythms and sleep, the app provides personalized recommendations that take into account your age, gender, typical sleep patterns, and specifics about your trip. The app will tell you when you should avoid or seek daylight, and when you should stay awake or take a nap. The result? A gentle jet lag experience, which translates to more time exploring your destination.

FlightAware

If you have a tight connection or are picking up friends or family from the airport, look to FlightAware for help. The app tracks flights in real time, so you can see exactly where the aircraft is at any given moment. In addition to providing arrivals and delays, you can also see if weather will have any affect on certain locations.

Evie Carrick is a writer and editor who’s lived in five countries and visited well over 50. She now splits her time between Colorado and Paris, ensuring she doesn't have to live without skiing or L'As du Fallafel.

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9 Best Apps for Finding Cheap Flights

The best flight apps help you score a deal with a few swipes on your smartphone.

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With the help of technology, you may be able to save by booking at the right time, snagging a mistake fare or flying into a different airport.

Key Takeaways

• Airfare can be one of the most expensive parts of traveling.
• Apps make it easy to track trends in fare prices, look for deals and book flights.
• Some apps are completely free to use while others may charge a fee.
• While some apps charge a fee, there may be a free version available with limited features.

There’s good news for travelers: airfares dropped 5.9% during the past year as of May 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That means taking that dream vacation may be more attainable now than in the past.

You may be able to save even more by booking at the right time, snagging a mistake fare or flying into a different airport. To find the best deals, you can use an app designed to help people find cheap flights.

The best flight apps offer features that will alert you to price drops, let you search for cheaper travel times or help you find special pricing not found elsewhere.

Try one of these nine discount airfare apps and services that frequent flyers say work for them:

A good flight alert program can simplify the process of finding a deal. These services send emails or notifications whenever there is discounted airfare available to selected destinations, and Going is a favorite source for flight alerts. The company notes that most deals are 40% to 90% off normal prices and says most members save an average of $550 on economy flights.

“(It) is one of the best apps to use when searching for cheap flights,” says Alex Miller, CEO of UpgradedPoints.com. “It can narrow down what city you're located in and then alert you when a qualifying airfare, based on criteria that you set, is found.”

Users can choose from three tiers of service:

Free limited accounts receive alerts about deals on continental U.S. flights.

Premium plans cost $49 a year and include international and domestic economy flights as well as mistake fares and points and miles deals.

Frequent globetrotters may want to spring for the elite plan that provides alerts for economy, business and first-class flights as well as mistake fares from all U.S. airports. It costs $199 per year.

2. Skyscanner

Skyscanner has a free flight app that is compatible with both Apple and Android devices and provides pricing alerts when a good deal becomes available. The app is easy to use and allows you to set alerts for specific dates or routes.

Travelers can also use Skyscanner's calendar and charts to compare hundreds of flights for both international and domestic destinations. The app highlights flights that emit less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, lets users mix and match flights from different carriers and offers a search option that allows travelers to find the best prices for flights originating from their chosen airports.

When you find a flight you like, Skyscanner will direct you to a third-party booking app to make the purchase. In addition to flights, users can search for hotels and car rentals using Skyscanner.

3. Dollar Flight Club

Dollar Flight Club is similar to Going, but it structures its plans differently.

Free accounts get alerted to deals from one departure airport while premium members can choose four departure airports for deal alerts on domestic and international economy flights. Premium membership costs $69 a year. There is also a Premium Plus+ membership that runs $169 per year and includes premium economy and business class deals as well.

The service says booking a single flight using Dollar Flight Club can provide a return of 10 times your investment and that the average savings on a Premium Plus+ flight deal is more than $700.

4. Google Flights

While not currently available as an app, Google Flights offers a simple online interface that allows you to search for flights to specific airports and then see a calendar view that shows when flights will be cheapest. It also has a price graph that allows you to see pricing trends over time.

“You can plug in your start city and then let Google Flights make suggestions on where to fly from there based upon the cost of airfare,” Miller says. That’s a useful tool for travelers with flexibility.

Once you find the right airfare, you'll need to find and book it directly with the carrier or through a third-party booking service.

The Hopper app comes with a variety of tools that can help you find and lock in the best price. It is free to download and use although some features, such as price freezes and the ability to cancel for any reason, come with a fee. However, its core service is to predict future travel prices, something Hopper says it can do with 95% accuracy.

That’s one reason it’s among the best flight apps, according to Kevin Raposo, founder of KnowTechie. He used it to book a vacation to Saint Lucia and says it couldn’t have been easier. “You can do it all at the push of a button,” he says.

For those just browsing on the app – which is available for Apple and Android devices – Hopper will color code flights using green, yellow and red to indicate which flights are most and least expensive.

Compatible with Android and Apple devices, Kiwi promises its app will provide travelers with exclusive offers and prices. It searches for the best rates from all available airlines to piece together the lowest-priced itinerary.

The free app also offers the opportunity to search for all deals from a specific airport, which can be handy for those who are ready to take a vacation but don't have a particular destination in mind. Within the app, users can get price alerts, access mobile boarding passes and view airport maps.

Kiwi also offers travel hacks that can save money, such as bookings with “hidden cities” and a Nomad tool for those who want to visit multiple cities. What's more, the app offers other travel services such as destination guides and the location of Wi-Fi hotspots.

7. ExpertFlyer

The ExpertFlyer website won’t win any design awards. It looks like something from the early days of the internet and even references now-obsolete Blackberry devices. But frequent flyers say that shouldn’t deter you.

“ExpertFlyer is another great tool, though admittedly it's for the more advanced flyer,” Miller says. “Rather than perform ordinary searches to uncover good airfare deals, you can set alerts and search by specific inventory on flights.”

That means that this service is intended for those who know where, when and with which airline they want to fly. If you have a specific route that you travel frequently, ExpertFlyer can help you find discounted fares.

A free version provides seat alerts while a paid pro subscription, which starts at $4.99 per month, comes with additional features such as the ability to search for awards and upgrades.

Airfare apps aren’t only for those booking vacations. Business travelers and their employers are often searching for a good deal as well. That’s the niche Onriva fills.

“We’ve built a platform to bring everything in one place (so) you don’t have to hop from site to site,” says Onriva founder and CEO Vajid Jafri. “This has never existed before.”

While other apps may make it possible to book from multiple companies, they typically serve as a digital travel agency. With Onriva, all bookings are made directly with an airline or other vendor through the app’s platform, which it says can provide savings of 20%. For added convenience, Onriva also provides customer service.

The app brings together travel options from more than three million suppliers and then uses artificial intelligence to learn user preferences and make recommendations.

Anyone with a business email address can sign up for an Onriva account, but you’ll have to request a demo to get pricing information.

9. Your Favorite Airline’s App

In your search for cheap flights, don’t overlook your favorite airline’s app. Booking direct can sometimes be the best option, according to Sandra McLemore, a travel industry expert and TV host.

“While these (third-party) apps may feel convenient and more user-friendly than other online booking options, buyer beware,” McLemore says. If you buy your tickets through that third-party app, you may find it difficult to receive customer service should any issues arise.

“An airline will send you right back to the app or online booking engine to receive service,” McLemore points out.

Also, by focusing your spending with a specific airline you may find it easier to accumulate frequent flyer miles, which you can redeem for free flights and therefore save more money in the long run.

Drive or Fly This Summer?

Jessica Walrack May 7, 2024

Tags: money , personal finance , Travel , Airlines , personal budgets

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Best Travel Apps to Earn Money While Exploring the World

Earning money is possible when you’re traveling for a business, vacation, or other purposes. How? Use any of the best travel apps to earn money.

Table of Contents

List of 10 Best Travel Apps to Earn Money

The blog post presents a comprehensive list of the best travel apps that offer money-making opportunities while on the move. From vlogging on YouTube to renting out properties on Airbnb, each app caters to different interests and skills, allowing travelers to earn income during their journeys. Here we have listed the best travel apps to earn money while exploring the world. Check the list below:

1. Trotter It – Travel Journal & Earning App

If you love creating, documenting, and sharing your travel experiences, then Trotter It is an ideal choice for you. Alongside making money while traveling, the app also helps in getting the most useful digital travel guide to make traveling easier.

Download the App : Android | IOS

If you love being on the camera, use YouTube to post your latest vlog as you travel. You can start creating travel videos in a niche you’re interested in.

Download the App : Andriod | IOS

Business owners or entrepreneurs can get benefit from Clarity by mentoring people through telephone calls at the agreed cost.

Download the App : Andriod

This is an ideal app to monetize the travel pictures you take abroad. You can upload travel pictures, find a buyer, and earn some money.

This peer-to-peer car rental service app allows users to rent out their vehicles while they are flying across the nation.

People traveling between the United States and China can make money using this app that pays users for transporting Airmule Travel Boxes from one specific airport to another.

7. Field Agente

This app will pay you for completing certain tasks for money in another country.

Rent your place like a cottage, flat, house, etc. on your terms and earn extra cash whenever you want.

This app is somewhat similar to Airmule as it also pays for driving items. The difference is that the Roadie app requires driving items or pets across the city or the nation.

10. UberEats

It is the best travel app for earning money by delivering food through Uber from one destination to another.

Wrapping Up

The blog post highlights a diverse range of travel apps that offer opportunities to earn money while traveling. From sharing travel experiences on Trotter It to renting out vehicles on Turo, these apps cater to different interests and skills. Whether you’re a content creator, a driver, or a mentor, there’s a money-making option for you. However, users should be aware of the potential drawbacks and challenges associated with each app, such as connectivity issues, competition, or safety concerns. By exploring these apps wisely and leveraging their features, travelers can make their journeys more financially rewarding.

Don’t Miss : Why Travel Apps Have Become So Popular?

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Trotter It – Best App for Passionate Travelers

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Travel money oz app, new app coming soon.

• Android Phones: Download our NEW app here .
• Apple Phones:  Our old app has been retired, and we have a swanky new app coming soon!

In the meantime, you can use any web browser on your device to access your account and all features, which is actually the same experience as the old app, so there is no loss of functionality.

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This Tip Could Save You Money on Your iPhone App Subscriptions

All those monthly iOS app subscriptions can add up, but there's a quick way to find out if you're paying too much.

This easy iOS tip could save you money every month.

I'll say it --  monthly subscriptions  are a trap. And it's an easy one to fall into.

One monthly subscription isn't too bad, but the problem is we all have several paid subscriptions. You might be spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars every year on monthly services for music, videos, ride-sharing and home security.

And if you have autopay enabled, you might not know the full extent of how these services are truly affecting your finances.

If you're an Apple user and have monthly subscriptions, you may have paid for these with Apple Pay , which means these subscriptions can be managed from your Apple ID . And having all of these subscriptions in one place can be a good thing, because it allows you to quickly and easily check if there are cheaper options.

Read more :  I Was Spending Over $400 a Year on Unused Subscriptions. This App Canceled Them in Minutes

We'll quickly explain where you can find your app subscriptions on your iPhone or iPad, and how you can check to see if there is a way you can pay less for the apps you're already subscribed to.

Here's what you need to know. For more, check out why you should use a virtual card to pay for subscriptions and how to save money on Google storage .

Do You Know About These 17 Hidden iOS 17 Features?

How to check your iPhone for cheaper app subscriptions

If you've bought a monthly subscription via Apple Pay, you can find all your monthly or yearly app subscriptions in one place on your Apple device. In the Settings app, tap your name at the top of the page and then go into Subscriptions . Here you'll find all the active app subscriptions connected to your Apple ID, as well as inactive, or applications that you used to pay for but no longer do.

To check if an app has a cheaper subscription option that you might not know about, tap a subscription and then hit See All Plans .

You can also browse through inactive subscriptions and see if there are more affordable payment options.

 Here you'll see a list of every subscription option you can choose from, including the price per month you would have to pay.

Sometimes apps come out with cheaper subscriptions. Maybe they introduce a tier with advertisements, like the $7 a month ad-supported plan that Netflix  has.

Other times, you might simply not know about certain subscription options, like family plans, which you can save money on if you have enough family and friends to add to the account, or student plans, which you can save money on if you're currently a student in a degree-granting university. You could also save money on paying for an entire year instead of monthly, but that does require more money upfront.

Max has a yearly plan, which is $20 cheaper than paying for a monthly plan, and Apple Music has a student plan for nearly 50% cheaper than your typical individual plan.

Either way, it doesn't hurt to check to see if there are cheaper subscription tiers. And worst (or maybe best) case, you just cancel your subscription instead , and end up saving a whole lot more.

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Apple says no to PC emulators on iOS

Although apple allows for retro video game emulators, the company has rejected two apps for being pc emulators..

By Jay Peters , a news editor who writes about technology, video games, and virtual worlds. He’s submitted several accepted emoji proposals to the Unicode Consortium.

Share this story

Apple might finally allow retro video game emulators on the App Store, but this month, the company rejected submissions of iDOS 3, a new version of the popular DOS emulator, and UTM SE, an app that lets you emulate operating systems like Windows on iOS. In both instances, Apple said the new releases violate guideline 4.7 of the App Review Guidelines , which is the one that allows for retro game emulators .

Chaoji Li, the developer of iDOS 3, shared some of Apple’s reasoning for the rejection with The Verge . “The app provides emulator functionality but is not emulating a retro game console specifically,” according to Apple’s notice. “Only emulators of retro game consoles are appropriate per guideline 4.7.”

“When I asked what changes I should make to be compliant, they had no idea, nor when I asked what a retro game console is,” Li said in a blog post . “It’s still the same old unreasonable answer along the line of ‘we know it when we see it.’”

UTM posted about its rejection on X. “The App Store Review Board determined that ‘PC is not a console’ regardless of the fact that there are retro Windows / DOS games for the PC that UTM SE can be useful in running,” according to the post .

UTM also noted that Apple is barring UTM SE from being notarized for third-party app stores because the app apparently violated guideline 2.5.2 . That rule states that apps have to be self-contained and can’t execute code “which introduces or changes features or functionality of the app, including other apps.”

Apple typically hasn’t allowed just-in-time (JIT) compilation . However, and somewhat confusingly, UTM said that UTM SE doesn’t include just-in-time compilation. Additionally, Apple clarified that guideline 4.7, which allows apps to offer “certain software that is not embedded in the binary,” is “an exception that only applies to App Store apps” but isn’t one that UTM SE qualifies for, UTM said in a follow-up post .

Apple didn’t reply to a request for comment.

Unfortunately, as we’ve seen in other App Store spats , the developers are at the mercy of Apple’s fickle decision-making. “In short, as the sole rule maker and enforcer in [the] iOS ecosystem, they don’t need to be consistent at all,” Li said in an email. And UTM said it isn’t going to push further for UTM SE to be on the App Store because it thinks the app “is a subpar experience and isn’t worth fighting for.”

Apple likely opened the door to retro game emulators in April in response to antitrust scrutiny , while it launched support for third-party app stores in the EU in March so it can comply with the Digital Markets Act.

Xbox Live is down

Netflix is starting to phase out its cheapest ad-free plan, apple’s vision pro: five months later, figma pulls ai tool after criticism that it ripped off apple’s design, tap-to-pay could get more capable and more complicated.

More from this stream App Store video game emulators: all the news on retro console ports for iOS

The first iphone game streaming service brings hundreds of licensed retro games, delta gets some prideful skins., the delta emulator is changing its logo after adobe threatened it, ppsspp brings psp emulation to the iphone.

RVOvernights.com Announces Launch of Proprietary App

A NNADALE, NJ – Travel company RV Overnights is pleased to announce the release of its proprietary app for both iOS and Android. The app is free to download and the company is currently offering an introductory price allowing new members to enjoy a discount while they explore RV Overnights’ services.

RV Overnights has launched its app for Apple and Android devices.

RVOvernight is an emerging platform in the recreational vehicle (RV) travel sector. The launch of the app is a notable step forward in connecting RV enthusiasts with unique and memorable camping experiences. The app, which went live on February 20, 2024, is designed to revolutionize the way RVers discover and book overnight stays across the United States. The goal is to foster a positive and symbiotic relationship between travelers and small businesses.

The RVOvernights app introduces an array of innovative features which are geared toward simplifying the travel planning process for RVers. Central to the app’s functionality is its comprehensive database of nationwide host locations. This provides users with a diverse range of boondocking options, from farms and wineries to breweries, distilleries, and attractions, such as drive-in movie theaters. There’s even an option for roadside barbecue restaurants.

A key highlight of the app is its emphasis on accessibility and convenience. The user-friendly interface allows members to easily navigate through the hosting database, facilitating effortless searches and bookings of preferred overnight spots. The filtering functionalities allow users to find hosts with hookups like electric and water, or search by unique hashtags for locations like “waterfront” or “apple picking”. Members can also search by hosts that allow additional nights, filter by latest check-in time, and more.

Host profiles on the RVO platform include vital information like photos and descriptions; but RVO has gone a step past that, including standout new features such as the incorporation of Google Street View on every host profile, allowing RVers to see the approach of a driveway before even making a stay request. Recently, RVO added weather updates, so that members can see what to expect for temperatures and conditions during their stay.

Additionally, the app incorporates maps of over 2,300 dump stations and 1,900 propane fill locations. This convenient option further enhances the travel experience by ensuring that essential services are readily available to users.

RVOvernights.com was conceived with the dual aim of enriching the RV travel experience and supporting small businesses nationwide. The new app will make it easier to connect RVers with small businesses offering overnight parking, serving as a bridge that benefits both parties. Travelers gain access to unique, scenic, and private locations, while hosts, ranging from local farms to boutique wineries, receive a platform to showcase their goods and services and attract new customers.

The launch of the RVOvernights app marks an exciting milestone in the company’s mission to facilitate memorable travel experiences while supporting the small business ecosystem. RVOvernights.com is dedicated to continuous improvement, with plans to expand its host location database and introduce new features almost weekly.

About RVOvernights.com

RVOvernights.com is a hospitality startup that offers a platform to connect RV travelers with small businesses (hosts). Hosts provide overnight parking spots for RVs, and can list properties on the platform for free. Travelers can search and book available spots; hosts set their own availability, rules, and restrictions.

Website: https://rvovernights.com/

Contact Kurt Nehlig: [email protected] or 908-219-9119

Apple app store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/rv-overnights/id6477047355

Google Play store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rvovernights.rvovernights&pli=1

This article is published by NYTech in collaboration with Evertise Studios.

Money blog: Rival to Netflix - Tubi - launching in UK from Fox

Welcome to the Money blog, your place for personal finance and consumer news and tips. Leave a comment on any of the stories we're covering below.

Wednesday 3 July 2024 00:01, UK

• Popular electric car 'has potential fault that could pull it onto wrong side of road'
• Morrisons and Heinz team up to offer free meals
• Rival to Netflix launching in UK from Fox - and it's free
• NatWest and Lloyds hike fees for some current accounts
• Thinking about switching energy supplier? These are the cheapest tariffs available right now

Essential reads

• Women in Business : 'We don't get invited to golf' - The women who coordinated pregnancies to start virtual cancer care business and raised £5m
• What are your rights if your holiday is disrupted by wildfires?
• Basically... What is income tax?
• Money Problem : 'I hired a car via EasyJet but they are directing my complaint to someone else - what can I do?'
• How to split housework fairly with your partner
• Best of the Money blog - an archive

Ask a question or make a comment

A free streaming service to rival the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ is being launched in the UK by Rupert Murdoch's Fox Corporation.

The service called Tubi will be funded by advertising and provide personalised streaming.

It already operates in North America where Fox said it has attracted 80 million active users.

More than 20,000 films and TV episodes will be on offer, Fox said, "one of the largest and most diverse content libraries in the UK".

While no specific titles were listed, Fox said users can expect blockbusters, original stories and hidden gems.

Is it any good?

It depends who you ask. 

It has a pretty bad 2.3 score on Trustpilot - but it's a relatively small sample at 66 reviews.

A PC Mag review was way more positive - rating it "excellent" with four stars out of five.

They said: "Tubi is a free, ad-supported video streaming service that features a delightfully large and frequently updated library of movies and shows. There's no reason not to give it a try."

Drawbacks were said to include no ad-free options and the 720p streaming resolution cap.

Why is it coming to UK?

Business presenter Ian King has been looking at this today.

He says: "Tubi's entry to the UK market has got some scratching their heads.

"Not only is the market seemingly saturated but production costs are rising, obliging the streamers to either raise subscription fees or rely on an increasingly smaller pool of advertisers.

"But rivals would do well to take the new competitor seriously and not least because Tubi has already, in the US, shown a clean pair of heels to many of the businesses it will be competing with here."

Read King's full analysis here ...

The average UK house price ticked up in June, leaving first-time buyers spending almost £2 out of every £5 on their mortgages.

Typical house prices rose by 0.2% to £266,064, meaning there has been a 1.5% increase on the same time last year, a report by Nationwide found.

June saw prices rise at half the pace they did in May, but housing affordability is "still stretched", said Robert Gardner, Nationwide's chief economist.

And Amy Reynolds, head of sales at estate agency Antony Roberts, observed more people were looking to downsize to release capital to live on and pay bills in a "hugely concerning" trend.

A bank with millions of customers in the UK will soon start charging people to use their debit cards abroad .

Metro Bank emailed customers last week to tell them it will introduce a 2.99% charge on all transactions outside the UK, including Europe, as of 29 August.

Anyone wanting to withdraw cash from their account will also pay the fee plus a £1.50 ATM charge.

The bank currently does not charge for debit card use and cash withdrawals in Europe.

Walkers have confirmed one of its  snacks has been discontinued . 

The Walkers Stax, which were similar to Pringles, are no longer available in the UK. 

Writing on X, a customer said he had been able to find the product abroad and asked if he could buy them over here. 

"We used to make Walkers Stax here in the UK, but sadly they're no more," the crisp brand replied. 

It also said there were no plans to bring them back to market.

However, it seems like the crisps might not have been around for some time...

In 2021, Walkers replied to another online post saying it was sorry that they were no longer available. 

Savers transferred £4.2bn extra into cash ISAs in May, according to new figures from the Bank of England - a record for the month.

It built on the previous record £12.3bn poured into the accounts in April, as people made the most of their annual tax-free savings.

Investment platform AJ Bell said figures show the 2024-25 tax year has "started with a big bang" for cash ISA savers.

Laith Khalaf, head of investment analysis, said: "Early bird ISA savers are no doubt out in force because they know taxes are rising as a result of frozen income tax thresholds."

He added: "At the same time tax thresholds have been frozen, interest rates have risen, making it more likely that savers will breach their tax-free savings allowance," he said.

"That means more people pushed up into the higher rate income tax band, where the personal savings allowance (the amount of interest you can earn each year before paying tax) falls from £1,000 to £500, or indeed to £0 for those in the additional rate tax bracket."

ISA savers can earn tax-free interest on their ISA savings, which are limited to £20,000 each year.

The Mortgage Works has announced it will reduce its rates by up to 0.3% across a range of its buy to let products tomorrow.

The new rates, which will be available to new and existing customers, will start at 3.69%. 

Here are some of the deals: 

• Buy-to-let - two-year fixed rate (purchase and remortgage) at 3.69% with a 3% fee, available up to 65% LTV
• Buy-to-let - five-year fixed rate (purchase and remortgage) at 4.04% with a 3% fee, available up to 65% LTV
• Buy-to-let - five-year fixed switcher rate at 4.14% with a 3% fee, available up to 75% LTV
• Buy-to-let - two-year fixed rate (purchase and remortgage) at 5.69% with a £3,995 fee, available up to 75% LTV

"Our products are some of the most competitive in the sector and, with rates now starting from 3.69%, these new deals will improve affordability and help widen market access for buy to let investors," said the company's Joe Avarne.

It comes after The Telegraph reported three major lenders had already cut rates this week. 

Halifax and NatWest slashed rates by up to 0.23% - Clydesdale Bank by 0.38% 

The cuts come as economists hope interest rates will fall in August, which will increase buyer activity. 

Wimbledon is in full swing (sorry!) and the world's best tennis players are battling it out on the famous grass courts in the hopes of being presented with the trophy in under two weeks' time.

But it's not just pride that comes with winning - there's a fairly decent prize fund as well.

This year, the prize for winning the singles is a huge £2.7m - up by an inflation-busting 15% compared with £2.35m in 2023. The prize money is the same for both sexes and has been since the rules changed in 2007.

Players don't have to win the championship to get their hands on some cash though, as there's also a prize fund for getting through each stage of the competition.

Here's a breakdown for the singles championship:

• First round - £60,000
• Second round - £93,000
• Third round - £143,000
• Fourth round - £226,000
• Quarter-finalists - £375,000
• Semi-finalists - £715,000
• Runner-up - £1.4m

Meanwhile, the prize for winning the doubles is £650,000, with runners up getting £330,000. For mixed doubles, it's £130,000 and £65,000 respectively.

Players taking part in wheelchair singles have the chance to nab £65,000 for winning.

Overall, the total prize money on offer across all championships is a whopping £50m - up 12% from last year.

Food inflation has fallen to its lowest level since 2021, new figures show.

New data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC)-NielsenIQ Shop Price Index reveals that food prices in June were 2.5% higher than a year ago.

This was down from 3.2% in May, and marked the fourteenth consecutive slowing of food inflation.

It means the rate is now lower than at any point since December 2021, with the drop fuelled by tumbling prices for staple products such as butter and coffee.

Inflation on fresh food slowed to 1.5%, down from 2% in May, while overall shop price inflation fell to 0.2% - the lowest level since October 2021.

BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said the winner of Thursday's general election "will benefit from the work of retailers to cut their costs and prices, easing the cost of living for millions of households".

In the eastern Aegean, the islands of Chios and Kos experienced dangerous fires yesterday - with blazes raging on Kos for a second day today amid tinderbox conditions and unusually strong winds.

The Greek prime minister has warned his country faces another dangerous summer for wildfires.

Beyond the human tragedy these blazes can cause, there's a knock-on effect on tourism in the country.

So what are your rights if your holiday is disrupted by the fires? We've got a quick explainer here…

What if I have a package holiday and face cancellation or disruption?

The Foreign Office is not currently advising against travel to Greece, and with the majority of the country and its surrounding islands unaffected, holidays are still going ahead.

But holiday operators do have the right to cancel holidays for situations out of their control.

If the company you booked your package holiday with cancels your trip, the Competition and Markets Authority says customers are entitled to a refund within 14 days of the cancellation date.

Alternatively, they should be offered a replacement holiday of the same or better quality, or a lower-grade holiday with a partial refund.

If something goes wrong while you're away on a package holiday, Citizens Advice recommends getting in touch with the company or travel agent you booked with as soon as possible.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) advised package holiday customers during last year's wildfires they may be entitled to a partial refund for a trip cut short due to wildfires, depending on several factors including what services were included and how much of the holiday had already been taken.

Will my insurance cover any issues?

This depends on a few things - including when you took out the policy, who you took it out with and what the exact terms and conditions are.

If your policy includes trip disruption or natural disaster cover, you should be covered if you have to cut short or cancel your holiday due to wildfires, according to the ABI.

Natural disaster cover isn't included in every policy, so read the T&Cs carefully.

You're unlikely to be covered if you took out the policy or booked the trip to a specific area affected by wildfires after they were known about. You also won't be covered if you travel against Foreign Office advice.

If you have booked a package holiday with an operator and it comes with an Atol certificate, you'll have extra protections, although you'll still need insurance for health and accident cover.

If you've booked the separate parts of your trip yourself, you're more reliant on insurance and will need to make sure you've got a policy in place that would cover you for wildfires and other natural disasters such as floods and storms.

What are my rights if my flight is cancelled?

Your flight is covered by UK law if it departs from a UK airport, arrives at a UK airport on a UK or EU airline, or arrives at an EU airport on a UK airline.

Under UK law, if your flight is cancelled the airline must either give you a refund or book you on an alternative flight - either with them or a rival airline.

Each airline will have its own cancellation policy for customers.

If your flight is cancelled within 14 days of travel - and you can prove it was the airline's fault - you are entitled to compensation. However, extreme weather and other "extraordinary circumstances" mean the airline can get out of paying.

And if I cancel the holiday myself?

If the Foreign Office doesn't advise against travel to a wildfire-affected country or area then under normal booking conditions, you'd be ineligible for a refund.

However, you could speak to your travel agent or holiday company if you're particularly concerned. They may offer a change of dates or destination - but there's no guarantee.

Some holiday accommodation will allow refunds until a certain date - so just check the details of your booking first.

By Sarah Taaffe-Maguire , business reporter

The rate of price rises is slowing but consumers are still shopping "more cautiously" at J Sainsbury plc, the company that owns Argos and the Sainsbury's chain of supermarkets announced today. 

"Unseasonal" wet weather in recent weeks dampened some sales.

Argos sales were down a worse-than-expected 6.2%, particularly purchases of consumer electronics, most notably gaming sales. 

As a result, J Sainsbury plc was the biggest share price faller on the FTSE 100 index of most valuable companies with a 4.34% tumble. Overall the index was down 0.38% on Tuesday morning while the larger FTSE 250 list was 0.15% down.

The strength of the euro still means the pound buys less than for the majority of the last month - £1 = €1.1778. Sterling is also down against the dollar, around levels seen six weeks ago. One pound buys $1.2630. 

Bad news for motorists as the oil price is at a two-month high - a barrel of Brent crude oil costs $89.90. It's still below last year's September high point of $98.36. 

A popular electric car sold in the UK has a "potentially significant" issue that could veer the driver into oncoming traffic, research has found.

Consumer group Which? says it discovered issues with the MG4's lane-assist technology while testing it on public roads.

It said the system, which is designed to keep the car in lane, twice pulled the car onto the wrong side of the road, with the tester having to use a "significant amount of force" to steer it back.

In another incident on a narrow country road, the lane-assist tech steered the car towards an oncoming vehicle, again forcing the tester to manually intervene.

According to Which?, visibility was good in all cases and the wider road had a "clearly defined centre line, while the country road had a clearly defined edge line".

It said the incidents were noticed during testing outside of controlled lab conditions, and couldn't be repeated in subsequent tests.

The issues come despite MG4 boasting a five-star Euro NCAP score, which takes into account safety features such as lane assist.

A spokesperson for the assessment programme told Which? that manufacturers "have a responsibility to ensure that the vehicle performance seen on a test track is also reflected in on-road driving".

Meanwhile, MG told the consumer watchdog it was "aware of some inconsistencies relating to the lane-departure warning system", making it "oversensitive" in certain conditions.

"We have been working on a continuous improvement programme with the supplier and the relevant regulatory authorities," the company said.

"This has resulted in an improved calibration of the ADAS systems, which we are close to having approved. Once this has been completed, we will implement it as a full software upgrade at no expense to the customer."

MG added that customers can turn off the lane-assist function via the car's touchscreen menu - but it insisted it had received no safety-related reports.

Just 18% of companies in the UK are led by women, and while data suggests female entrepreneurs are on the rise, men still receive more funding and are entrusted with higher average loans to get them started.

In an eight-part series every Tuesday, Money blog reporter  Jess Sharp  speaks to women who are bossing it in their respective fields - hearing their stories, struggles and advice for those who want to follow in their footsteps by starting a business.

This week, she has spoken to Kelly McCabe, the co-founder of the UK's first virtual cancer care clinic Perci Health...

When Kelly and her co-founder Morgan Fitzsimons set up their business, they made an unusual decision - they sat down and planned when they'd both have children. 

It's a topic many men will never feel the need to discuss with their business partners, but as two women, it was something they realistically needed to think about. 

"We had a long conversation and made a decision that we would have children at different times so that one person would stay in the business to allow the other to take the time out they needed," Kelly said.

"Of course, you can't plan this thing perfectly, but we were fortunate enough that it kind of happened that way." 

Morgan was the first to have her baby and returned to work after a couple of months off, and Kelly gave birth six months later. 

A month after having her now nearly two-year-old son, Kelly returned to work and Perci Health has continued to grow ever since.

'Whether it was NHS or private care -  I saw the same problem'

Despite Perci Health being a virtual care clinic, Kelly's career background had nothing to do with app development - she started out in the NHS. 

One of the roles she had was helping people with cancer eat and drink while receiving treatment.

Working mostly with people with head and neck cancer, she supported them with tube feeding and their rehabilitation back to solid foods. 

After working in a similar area in private healthcare, she realised all cancer patients were experiencing the same problem.

"There was a universal experience at the end of treatment where you would have your final review with your cancer nurse or oncologist, and they would say 'see you again in six months or 12 months time'," Kelly said. 

"Patients would come back into our follow-up clinics with all sorts of problems they had been living with for six months or 12 months and no one was really managing them.

"They had just be grinning and bearing it, thinking it was just par for the course after having cancer." 

She decided to come up with an idea that would connect people living with cancer with professionals who could provide long-term support and optimise their wellbeing. 

Male investors in a male-bias sector 

With a plan in mind, she reached out to her friend Morgan, who had a background in digital marketing, and the pair got started working weekends and evenings to build their company.

When COVID hit, they made the decision to "just go for it", quit their jobs and put all their focus on the business. 

Their first round of funding came from family and friends, raising £500,000, which gave them enough to pay themselves a reduced salary and hire a small team. 

But more funding was needed, and they started reaching out to investors. 

With Kelly's clinical experience, the issue she was trying to solve in the health care sector seemed "obvious", but the first hurdle she faced was convincing others that it was "important enough to solve". 

"The challenges seemed very obvious to us, but they might not necessarily be obvious to investors, and I think that is particularly true if you're solving a problem that affects women," she said. 

"The majority of investors are still male... and when you are trying to describe yourself as a technology company, then sadly there is still a male bias in that sector."

"I'm really sad to say that it's kind of the old-fashioned things you think of, like a lot of them sell on the golf course or over lunch or going shooting, and we don't get invited to golf or to shoot. 

"You don't get many female-owned technology businesses, so that was a barrier." 

Pregnant, pitching and spotting red flags 

While meeting potential investors, Kelly was heavily pregnant and was "nervous" to explain her situation out of fear it would put them off investing. 

"When I had my first conversation with our now lead investor, I was 38 weeks pregnant, so we just did all the conversations on Zoom," she said. 

"She called and said 'we'd like to invite you in to meet the team and do a formal pitch. Can you do it next week?' and obviously I had to tell her I was heavily pregnant. 

"She could tell I was nervous about telling her... but she said she was sorry that I had to explain myself, and we could just delay the pitch. 

"We pushed it back about six weeks, but not all investors are that understanding, which is why I was so nervous to explain it." 

Unfortunately, Kelly said she was "definitely asked" in the early fundraising rounds if she was planning to have children. 

"The feedback from male investments clubs was that women don't know how they feel and may not return to work after having a baby or their motivation to run a business may change," she said.

"Early on, we were just looking for investment and we would have taken any partner, but now these are the red flags that we look for.

"There is some definite progress to be made."

In total, Kelly has raised £5m and still owns 40% of Perci Health. 

All the challenges

Away from the challenge of fundraising, Kelly also had to deal with life as a new mum, which brought its own challenges as a business owner. 

She explained how having children early in the company's life meant it was still "relatively fragile" and there wasn't the chance to take maternity leave knowing her job would be safe when she returned. 

"There was a bit of a juggle with that and needing to go back to work very quickly after the baby was born, and then the other challenge is childcare," she said. 

"You don't want to be taking too much money out of your business and you're rewarded with equity rather than a salary - but of course, equity doesn't pay for childcare." 

Kelly also found there was an "underestimation" of her abilities from male investors, and it was something she noticed in the choice of language used to describe her. 

"I believe women business owners are underestimated and that is evidenced by the fact that less investment goes to us, but there's research that shows women-owned companies are more profitable," she said. 

"The language they use is interesting. For example, I'm often described as a conservative CEO within the portfolio because I'm focused on financial preservation... but would my male counterpart be seen as such or would he be seen as having optimal control?" 

Kelly's advice

Kelly's top tip is to find a business partner, possibly even two, that can help your business grow. 

"Building a business alone would be significantly harder," she said. 

"Co-founders just help ease the burden when one of you needs to take time out, so find yourself a good business partner." 

She also recommended taking "a lot of time" to build a "strong network", which she said would help "protect you as your business grows". 

"There are a lot of female entrepreneurs or female business networks that are great. Morgan and I are members of lots of them," she added. 

"It's amazing how the amount of advice and support that we have been given for free from other women just wanting to help." 

She said it was important to have a "really thick skin and to be very persistent". 

"Even in the very best businesses, you get those 100 no's before you get that one yes," she added. 

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TUI Travel Money 4+

Prepay technologies ltd, designed for ipad.

• 1.7 • 192 Ratings

Screenshots

Description.

The official TUI Travel Money App puts you in control of your holiday spending. As well as providing you access to your TUI Multi-currency Card to check your available balance, load and transfer funds between currencies and view transaction history the app now also has an ATM finder and currency converter. If you do not currently have a Travel Money Card, please visit https://www.money4travel.com/tuiuk/travel-money-card for more information. This is the official Travel Money Card app developed in partnership with Prepay Technologies Ltd

Version 7.7.1

- Fix for connectivity issues experienced by some users - Under the hood security improvements

Ratings and Reviews

192 Ratings

Not impressed. Wouldn’t use again.

I went away for 7 weeks with this card. About 4 weeks in the app stopped letting me top the card up with money, I tried multiple different cards, but no luck. Stuck in Thailand with no money, I was able to get money on it through friends and family kindly topping it up for me from a TUI shop, however that would have been very inconvenient if I had been away for longer for both them and me. I tried to email the help desk with the email address copied off the help page and the email address didn’t even work!!!!! Very expensive card to use! In Thailand it was costing me around £7 every time I got cash out of a cash point!! 100% wouldn’t use this card for a longer trip as it is too unreliable.

Developer Response ,

Hi, I'm so sorry to hear you've had a bad experience. If you would like to discuss it further please feel free to call us on 0203 130 0133.

Does not work.

Thought this was a good idea as I have a daughter who when she see’s cash, plans how it could be spent immediately. Hot he cards, went home, set up account, all good so far. Downloaded the app, skipped the reviews (first mistake), set up password, wasn’t good enough, set up another, went through ok, logged in via the laptop, all good. Tried to log in through the app, no, incorrect credentials, checked the password, still no, then the app lost the servers. Tried again this morning, still incorrect, even tried copying and pasting the details over. Then read reviews, of dear god, someone got stuck abroad when their card stopped working. That’s enough for me. There are issues with this app that most likely won’t be resolved in time for me going away, time to go back to the store and see if I can get the cash. And make sure our daughter doesn’t see it.

Hi Kieron, I'm so sorry to hear you've had issues. Most of the time when the app doesn't let you log in but the website does, it's because the login details are being entered incorrectly. That's not to say that you are making a mistake, but many mobile phones these days 'auto-space' or 'auto-capitalize' so it could be that your phone is doing this to your password and or username. Both are case sensitive so this would cause an issue. If you'd like to discuss it further however please feel free to call us on 0203 130 0133.

Frustrating

Have used this card before and while a bit clunky it was okay. Recently had to replace with new cards due to the old ones expiring. Getting ready to use it again after a break for a couple of years. I can log onto the app and see the remaining balance but can I top up, no. The app isn’t saving the card, the app doesn’t stay open while you go to your backing app to confirm the transaction. Tried with two different cards. I can’t see the cards in the app but if I put in the same card details again, using the same nickname, it states that the nickname is already in use. Even got as far as the banking app saying my transaction was complete only for the TUI app to say it had failed? Probably because in those few seconds the TUI app had logged my out. Come on developers sort out this app.

App Privacy

The developer, PrePay Technologies ltd , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Linked to You

The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:

• Financial Info
• Contact Info
• Identifiers

Privacy practices may vary based on, for example, the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

• Developer Website
• App Support
• Privacy Policy

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Best Mobile Banking Apps for July 2024

• Best Mobile Banking
• Best Checking Accounts
• Best Online Checking Accounts

Discover the best online banking apps that offer convenience, security, and a user-friendly interface. Download one today and take control of your finances on the go!

Online banking apps have become increasingly popular in recent years, as more and more people opt for the convenience of managing their finances through their smartphones or other digital devices. These apps offer a wide range of benefits, including easy access to account information, the ability to make quick and secure transactions, and often, the option to deposit checks remotely.

As the demand for digital banking increases, banking apps are continuously evolving to provide users with a seamless and secure banking experience. Explore your top options for the best mobile and online banking apps and all the key features for each one.

• Quick Look at The Best Mobile Banking Apps:
• Best Online Banking App: Chime
• Best for Combo Checking and Savings Account: SoFi
• Best Full-service Banking App: Chase
• Best for Credit Monitoring: Capital One
• Best for Traveling Abroad: Discover
• Best Credit Union App: Alliant Credit Union
• Best Military Banking App : USAA

Best Mobile Banking Apps

1. best online banking app: chime.

• See All 13 Items

Here are the top picks for the best mobile and online banking apps this year. Review their features, pros and cons to find which one is suited to your needs.

*Early access to direct deposit funds depends on the timing of payer’s submission of deposits. Chime generally posts such deposits on the day they are received which may be up to 2 days earlier than the payer’s scheduled payment date.

Chime is one of the first online banks that has since expanded its offerings. However, you can start with a checking or savings account that makes it easy for you to manage your money. You can get paid early, there are no overdraft and monthly fees, and the mobile app will notify you any time something is happening with your account.

When you get set up with Chime, remember that you can stay with the platform and get credit cards or loans that will help improve your financial position that much more.

Why We Love It: We love Chime's online banking app because of its user-friendly interface, innovative features, convenience and transparency. Whether you're looking to save money, stay organized or simply manage your finances more effectively, Chime is worth considering as your mobile banking app of choice.

2. Best for Combo Checking and Savings Account: SoFi

SoFi members with Direct Deposit or $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits during the 30-Day Evaluation Period can earn 4.60% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. Members without either Direct Deposit or Qualifying Deposits, during the 30-Day Evaluation Period will earn 1.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 10/24/2023. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at   http://www.sofi.com/legal/ banking-rate-sheet .

SoFi , short for Social Finance, is a leading personal finance company that aims to help individuals achieve financial independence. SoFi also offers a variety of financial products and services, including high-yield checking and savings accounts , SoFi personal loans , investment accounts, and retirement planning tools . The platform prioritizes security with multiple layers of security measures.

SoFi mobile banking app serves as a one-stop solution for all your banking and financial needs. With features like mobile check deposits , bills payment and budgeting tools, SoFi mobile banking app is designed to make managing your money as seamless and straightforward as possible.

Why We Love It: We love SoFi mobile banking app because of its simplicity and ease of use. The app interface is clean, intuitive, and easy to navigate, making it a breeze for users to manage their finances on the go.

3. Best Full-service Banking App: Chase Bank

*With Chase Overdraft Assist SM , we won’t charge an Overdraft Fee if you’re overdrawn by $50 or less at the end of the business day OR if you’re overdrawn by more than $50 and you bring your account balance to overdrawn by $50 or less at the end of the next business day (you have until 11 PM ET (8 PM PT) to make a deposit or transfer). Chase Overdraft Assist does not require enrollment and comes with eligible Chase checking accounts.

Chase’s online banking app appeared in 2010, so the company has had over 10 years to fine-tune it. With well over a million reviews on the Google Play Store, the mobile app rates 4.4 stars, making it a safe bet. 

The bank has managed to match up the app with thousands of locations across America ATMs on Disney properties for those vacationers who need a little extra cash they forgot at home.

The Chase mobile banking app has a simple user interface and automatically populates with the accounts you need to see so that you can check balances in a flash. If you need more information, you can click on the account and read the transaction history. You can reach the customer service team through the app, set up bill pay, transfer money with Zelle and much more.

Chase has also included a product known as CreditWise that makes it simple to review your credit reports and learn how you can improve your credit score .

Why We Love It: We love Chase mobile banking app because it offers a range of helpful features that make managing your money easier than ever. From setting up alerts for account activity to tracking your spending habits with personalized insights, Chase provides tools to help you stay on top of your finances.

4. Best for Credit Monitoring: Capital One

Capital One is a leading player in the banking industry which offers a comprehensive suite of banking services tailored to meet the diverse needs of individuals and businesses alike. They prioritize digital banking, providing a user-friendly mobile app and online platform for easy access and management of accounts.

Capital One provides a variety of financial services for customers, including Capital One credit cards , bank accounts , home loans, auto loans, credit cards and specialized options for students , small business owners and premium banking.

Why We Love It: We love Capital One mobile banking app because of its credit monitoring capabilities. With just a few taps on your phone, you can easily access your credit score and receive real-time alerts about any changes to your credit report.

5. Best for Traveling Abroad: Discover

Discover offers a diverse range of products and services tailored to meet the needs of both individuals and businesses. Whether you need a basic checking account , a high-yield savings account or a credit card with attractive rewards, Discover has you covered. It also provides personal loans, home equity loans and student loans with competitive rates and flexible repayment terms.

Discover offers a convenient and advanced online and mobile banking experience for its customers. With a user-friendly website and mobile app, customers can easily manage accounts, pay bills, deposit checks and track expenses . The bank also provides online tools and calculators to help customers with their financial goals and decision-making.

Why We Love It: We love Discover mobile banking app because of the wide range of features that it offers, whether you're looking to track your spending, make payments in multiple currencies, or simply stay connected to your credit card and bank accounts . This makes it a great option for travelers, giving them a convenient and reliable way to manage their finances while abroad.

6. Best Credit Union App: Alliant Credit Union

Alliant Credit Union is a trusted and reliable financial institution that offers numerous benefits and services to its members. As a member-owned institution, it provides accessible financial services to individuals nationwide. Alliant prioritizes exceptional customer service and offers competitive rates on a wide range of financial products. With state-of-the-art digital banking solutions, members can conveniently manage their accounts and access financial resources.

Alliant Credit Union also demonstrates a commitment to community engagement through its Alliant Member Giveback program.

Why We Love It: We love Alliant Credit Union mobile banking app because it offers a seamless banking experience with a wide range of features and functionalities to make managing your finances easier than ever.

7. Best Military Banking App: USAA

Established in 1922, USAA Bank was initially created to cater exclusively to members of the United States military. Over the years, however, it has expanded its services to include veterans, military-affiliated individuals, and their families. Today, USAA Bank serves millions of customers across the nation and is known for its commitment to providing top-notch financial services tailored to meet the unique needs of the military community.

From traditional banking products like checking and savings accounts to credit cards, loans and insurance , USAA offers a comprehensive suite of financial solutions. In addition, it has embraced technology and digital banking, providing customers with convenient online and mobile banking services that allow for seamless transactions and easy access to their accounts.

USAA Bank's commitment to its customers extends beyond banking services. The bank collaborates with organizations focused on veteran employment, financial education and military family support, showing their dedication to giving back to the military community beyond banking services.

Why We Love It:  USAA mobile app stands out as the best choice for military banking due to its secure and trusted platform, convenient access to accounts, military-specific features, excellent customer service, and comprehensive financial planning tools. If you are a military member or family looking for a reliable online banking app, the USAA app is definitely worth considering.

Why Use Online Banking Apps?

The thought of downloading one more app may sound daunting, but think of the advantages online bank apps can offer — they’re great for tracking deposits, bill payments and checks. Here are some reasons they’re a great idea, just in case you’re on the fence.

• Convenience : Online banking apps make managing your finances easier by allowing you to quickly access your account and make transactions without the need to log in through a web browser.
• Fast: Online banking apps offer convenient bill pay options that save time by allowing users to quickly pay bills without needing to mail a check ahead of time. Payments can be made instantly, ensuring that they are not late.
• Secure: Online banking apps are insured and federally protected, so customers should not worry about identity theft or security issues. If a security breach occurs, customers will be reimbursed after notifying the bank and providing the necessary documentation. Use trusted sources only like Google Play Store and Apple's App Store, verify the app's site and customer service number, use two-factor authentication, and install strong virus protection.
• Free: Most banks offer free online banking apps, so it's worth trying them out as there is no extra cost involved. If you don't like it, you can always remove the app from your device.

How Online Banking Apps Work

It’s easy to download a banking mobile app. Go to the Google Play Store or Apple Store or visit your bank’s website and search for a link to download the app. Once downloaded, you can easily set up your username and password.

After it’s downloaded, you can access your banking info by tapping the app icon and logging in. In most cases, you should be able to save your login information so you can log in with just one tap.

Once you’re logged in, you can select different functions from the menu, such as “Check your Balance,” “Pay Someone,” “Pay a Bill,” “Download a Statement,” “Transfer Money" and much more.

How to Choose

Here are some of the features of the best online banking apps that set them apart from the rest.

• User-friendly interface: The best online banking apps have a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate and visually appealing. A cluttered or confusing interface can make it difficult for users to access and manage their accounts effectively.
• Security features: Security is paramount when it comes to online banking. Look for apps that offer features such as fingerprint or facial recognition login, two-factor authentication, and the ability to lock and unlock your account remotely.
• Mobile check deposit: One of the most convenient features of online banking apps is the ability to deposit check online using your mobile device. The best apps allow you to simply snap a photo of the front and back of the check and deposit it directly into your account.
• Bill payment: Look for apps that allow you to schedule payments in advance, set up automatic bill pay and receive alerts when bills are due.
• Budgeting tools: The best online banking apps offer budgeting tools that allow you to categorize your expenses, set saving goals, and track your progress over time.
• Alerts and notifications: Choose an app that allows you to customize alerts for low balances, large transactions, account updates and more.
• Customer support: Look for apps that offer 24/7 customer service via phone, email or live chat.

Are Banking Apps Safe?

Yes, banking apps are generally safe. These apps are FDIC-insured, ensuring your money stored online is protected . They have advanced security features such as encryption and two-factor authentication to protect users' sensitive information. However, it is important to download the official app from a trusted source and regularly update their devices to safeguard against potential vulnerabilities. It is also recommended to use strong and unique passwords for online banking apps and avoid accessing them through public Wi-Fi networks. Overall, while no system is completely foolproof, online banking apps are designed with security in mind to provide a safe and convenient way for users to manage their finances.

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About Alison Plaut

Alison Kimberly is a freelance content writer with a Sustainable MBA, uniquely qualified to help individuals and businesses achieve the triple bottom line of environmental, social, and financial profitability. She has been writing for various non-profit organizations for 15+ years. When not writing, you will find her promoting education and meditation in the developing world, or hiking and enjoying nature.