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 appeal is detailed, file-based trip management, balanced by manual downloads and no calendar sync.

Overview

Trips are stored in a portable SQLite file; Pappus requires no account or server and says it uploads nothing. That gives travelers a direct way to keep and carry their plans, while offline use covers most planning. Connection searches and map tiles are exceptions: both rely on network services.

Sharing preserves different levels of usefulness. The importable.tpt bundle can include attachments, making it the choice for a trip someone may continue editing. PDF and.ics exports are useful for reading or calendar use elsewhere, but neither can be imported back into Pappus. Calendar sync itself is not supported.

Key features

Itineraries can combine places, timed transport legs, shared-ticket groups, reorderable entries and alternative plans. This is more capable than a basic stop list, particularly for trips with changes or shared tickets; travelers wanting automatic calendar coordination will need another tool.

Optional Transitous searches cover public transport, trains, buses and other operator routes. Results can be imported and live times refreshed, but these conveniences depend on a connection rather than working offline. 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 live inside the database file. Together, these features make the planner useful for coordinating both logistics and shared trip costs, though attachments also travel with that database or its bundle.

The app supports English and German, with light, dark and system themes. It is free software under GNU GPL version 3 or any later version; that license disclaims warranty.

Pricing

Pappus has one plan: Free software at free. It includes the planner without a paid tier or stated usage cap, and the GPL license permits use and distribution under its terms. This suits travelers who want a no-cost tool and are comfortable managing a local data file. The trade-off is that the license provides no warranty.

Platforms

Pappus supports Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web and Windows. The README provides Android, Linux and Windows builds through Releases; Android has no store listing yet, and Windows builds are unsigned. Those caveats make installation less straightforward on those platforms. Calendar sync is not supported.

Who it's for

Pappus is best for independent or small-group travelers who want to plan day by day, track shared costs and keep trip data in a portable file without an account or server. Its offline itinerary, attachment support and importable bundle suit people willing to manage their own trip files. It is a weaker fit for travelers who depend on calendar sync or want a conventional Android store download.

Pros and cons

Pro: Portable SQLite storage and no account or server requirement give travelers direct control over trip data.

Pro: Itinerary alternatives, shared-ticket groups and settle-up calculations address planning and cost coordination in one app.

Pro: An importable bundle can preserve attachments when a trip is shared or moved.

Con: PDF and.ics exports cannot be imported back, so they are not substitutes for the editable bundle.

Con: Connection searches and map tiles need network access, limiting those features offline.

Con: Android lacks a store listing and Windows builds are unsigned, adding friction to installation.

Con: No calendar sync means schedule changes do not automatically carry into a calendar.

Alternatives

For a broader directory of itinerary planners, browse Travel Itinerary Apps. To-do list apps are another category to consider if task lists matter more than trip-specific logistics.

Roadtrippers may suit travelers who want stop-based road-trip planning: its free tier allows one saved trip with three stops, while Basic costs $11.99 a month for three trips with 20 stops each.

TripIt is worth considering for document-centered trip organization: its free plan allows three uploads per trip, while TripIt Pro costs $49 a year and allows 25.

TripCraftr offers unlimited trips and invitees on its free plan, which may fit travelers prioritizing broad sharing; its daily document and reply allowances are limited.

tabiori is an option for travelers who want a similar broad platform range; its free plan includes basic use and 100 MB upload.

TravelerBuddy may suit travelers seeking automatic trip generation, though its free plan limits that feature to six trips and limits several online travel tools.

TripMapper offers a free card-and-list itinerary with images, notes, times and tasks; consider it for that presentation instead of Pappus's portable database approach.

Jettova may suit travelers who want free trip planning with bookings paid to partners at their listed prices.

Lambus offers a free basic platform and a separate PRO tier; consider it if a paid upgrade path matters more than Pappus's GPL-licensed file-based model.

Verdict

Choose Pappus if you want detailed, offline-capable itineraries, shared-cost tools and a portable trip file without account or server dependence. Its strongest reason to choose is that it keeps planning, attachments and expense tracking together under your control at no cost. Look elsewhere if calendar sync is essential, or if unsigned and non-store downloads are a barrier.