Places vs Mapstr: plan a trip together vs save your own spots
Updated July 11, 2026
Mapstr has spent about a decade as the app for saving places you love and following other people's maps. Places starts from a different job: planning a specific trip together on one live, shared map. Here's an honest look at where each one fits.
Where Places wins
- Import from TikTok, Reels, and articles. Paste a video or article and Places pins each spot with a photo and a note. Mapstr imports from Google Maps, CSV, and KML, but not from social videos, so those go in by hand.
- Everyone edits the same map live. In Places, several people add, reorder, and edit the same map in real time. Mapstr's shared maps are add-only: people can add pins, but only the creator can change or remove them.
- Vote to decide together. The group votes on places right on the map to pick the winners. Mapstr has no voting.
- Built around one trip. Places organizes a trip with lists, colors, and groups you share and decide on together. Mapstr is built for saving spots across your whole life and following others.
- Plan from a browser. Places has a full web app, so anyone can plan on a laptop. Mapstr is phone-first; its web side is mainly for viewing a shared map.
Where Mapstr wins
- A huge discovery network. Ten years in, Mapstr has millions of users and public maps from friends, chefs, and publications to follow and browse. Places is about your own trip, not a social feed.
- Restaurant booking and open tables. Mapstr Plus can show open restaurant tables for your date and party size. Places does not do bookings.
- Mature and privacy-first. A polished, highly rated app with a long track record of no ads and not selling your data.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Places | Mapstr |
|---|---|---|
| Import from TikTok, Reels, links | Yes, automatic | No, Google Maps / CSV / KML |
| Real-time collaborative editing | Yes, full | Add-only shared maps |
| Vote on places | Yes | No |
| Follow other people's maps | No | Yes, a big network |
| Auto photo and description per place | Yes, free | Limited |
| Free tier place limit | Unlimited | 300 places |
| Restaurant booking | No | Yes, on Plus |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | iOS, Android |
Which should you choose?
If you want to save spots you love over time and discover places through friends and pros, Mapstr is excellent and mature. If you are planning a specific trip with other people and want everyone editing one live map, with social imports and voting, Places is built for that. Plenty of people save in Mapstr year-round and spin up a Places map for each trip.
