Pappus Travel Planner

Pappus Travel Planner is a trip planner for organizing daily schedules, transport and shared expenses. It suits travelers who want offline planning and a portable copy of their trip data. Its standout trade-off is strong file-based control without calendar syncing.

Overview

Trips live in a SQLite database on the user's device: Pappus requires no account or server and says it uploads nothing. That is a good fit for travelers who value keeping their plans under their own control, and the app works offline apart from optional connection searches and map tiles. The trade-off is that calendar entries do not sync automatically.

For sharing or moving a trip, an importable .tpt bundle can include attachments. PDF and .ics exports offer formats for reading or adding calendar entries elsewhere, but they cannot be imported back into Pappus. Keep the bundle if you need an editable, round-trip copy.

Key features

The itinerary can hold places, timed transport legs, shared-ticket groups and alternative plans; entries can be reordered. That flexibility is useful for trips with changing plans or tickets shared across a group, rather than just a straightforward list of stops. Optional Transitous searches cover public transport, trains, buses and other operator routes; search results can be imported and live times refreshed. Since searches require a network connection, the core itinerary remains usable offline, but finding connections does not.

Maps use OpenStreetMap tiles, and GPX tracks can be attached to itinerary legs. Expense tracking supports multiple currencies, custom categories and exchange rates, with spending statistics and settle-up calculations. Photos and documents can be attached to a trip, group or itinerary entry and are stored inside the database file. Together, these tools make Pappus more useful for coordinating a group's plans and shared costs than a basic itinerary alone, though map tiles are another online dependency.

English and German are supported, with light, dark and system themes. Pappus is free software under GNU GPL version 3 or any later version; the license disclaims warranty. Security reports should go through the separate route identified by the project, not public issues.

Pricing

Free software: free. The plan includes Pappus's itinerary, transport search, maps, expense tracking, attachments and exports, with no paid tier identified. There are no account or server requirements, but the plan's key limits are practical rather than a stated trip quota: PDF and .ics exports are one-way, and calendar sync is absent.

Platforms

Pappus supports Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web and Windows. Android, Linux and Windows builds are available from Releases; Android has no store listing yet, and Windows builds are unsigned. Those download conditions may put off people who prefer an app-store install or signed Windows software. The app's offline mode is useful across trips without reliable connectivity, but optional searches and map tiles still need a network.

Who it's for

Pappus is a strong choice for independent travelers and groups who want detailed day-by-day plans, shared cost calculations, offline access and a portable database they control. It is less suitable for travelers who need calendar changes to sync automatically, or who depend on easily installed Android and signed Windows builds.

Pros and cons

• Pro: A portable SQLite database, no account or server requirement, and offline planning give travelers control over their trip data.
• Pro: Alternative plans, shared-ticket groups and settle-up calculations address the coordination and cost-sharing needs of group trips.
• Pro: Importable .tpt bundles preserve attachments for sharing or transfer.
• Con: PDF and .ics exports cannot be imported back, and automatic calendar sync is unavailable.
• Con: Connection searches and map tiles rely on network services, so those features are not fully offline.
• Con: The Android build has no store listing and Windows builds are unsigned, making installation less convenient for some users.

Alternatives

For more options, browse Travel Itinerary Apps or To-do list apps. Consider these specific alternatives when their platform or plan differences better match your needs:

• Lambus is another free-to-start option for Android, iOS and web; its PRO plan is €24.99 a year, billed as a one-time gift purchase for one year.
• Pilot is a free option on Android, iOS and web with an itinerary builder, route and map tools, file and reservation import, and real-time collaboration.
• Stippl has a free plan with unlimited trips, destinations, activities, co-planners, expenses and journal entries, plus AI generation, PDF export and calendar sync.
• TREK is a free, self-hosted option for Android, iOS, Linux and web under AGPL-3.0.
• TripCraftr offers a free plan with unlimited trips and invitees, plus a free trial; its free plan caps documents at five per trip and Lorenzo replies at five per day on the nearest trip.
• TripIt is available on Android, iOS, macOS and web; its free plan allows three document uploads per trip, while TripIt Pro is $49 a year and allows 25.
• TripMapper has a free plan with card and list views, images, notes, a mobile app, start and end times, tasks and premade itineraries; Trip+ costs £3.99 a month.
• Wanderlog offers a free website and app with unlimited trips and collaborators, alongside a paid Pro subscription.

Verdict

Choose Pappus if your priority is a detailed, offline-capable trip plan stored in a portable file, with group expenses and attachments in the same place. Look elsewhere if automatic calendar syncing or a straightforward Android or signed Windows installation matters more.