7 Best Polarsteps Alternatives in 2026 (Free & Paid)

Polarsteps is a good travel journal. If you want something different, the pick depends on the job. FindPenguins is the closest journal app. Wanderlog is for planning. MapShare, SPOT Shared Views and SpotWalla are for family following a satellite tracker. AdventureLive adds a 3D map, weather and HELP emails to an inReach or SPOT.

A clear note: AdventureLive is not a phone tracking app and not a Polarsteps replacement. It needs an inReach, a SPOT or a Garmin watch with LiveTrack, and it reads that device. You keep the device and its plan.

Why look for an alternative?

The Polarsteps page we read says the app works offline and syncs when you reconnect. That suits a journal, but family do not see you live while the phone has no connection. Some people want a different keepsake, a planner, or a page that follows a satellite tracker. Others want the weather where the traveller is, which the page we read does not mention.

How did we compare them?

We read each tool's own pages in November 2026 and list them under Sources. Where a page is silent we write "not stated on the pages we read". We compared signal needs, cost, what followers see, weather and whether the tool replaces your tracker or its plan. We make AdventureLive, so weigh our view with that in mind.

At a glance

Prices are at the time of writing (November 2026), from each tool's own pages.

1. FindPenguins: best for a journal with flyover videos and a book

FindPenguins is an app for planning, tracking and sharing trips. Its App Store listing says route tracking is battery-friendly and offline, with your phone in your pocket, and that you get free 3D flyover videos and can turn memories into a hardcover travel book.

The listing says you have control over privacy, including sharing live location with a time delay, and the app is listed as free. It does not mention in-app purchases or the book price. Weather is not stated. Like Polarsteps, it is a phone journal, so AdventureLive is not an alternative to it as an app. It is a different way for family to follow an inReach or SPOT.

Pros

• Offline route tracking
• Flyover videos and a printed hardcover book
• Live location can be shared with a time delay

Cons

• Phone-based, so it is not live where the phone has no signal
• Weather where you are is not stated on the pages we read

2. AdventureLive: best for adding weather and a 3D map to the inReach or SPOT you already carry

AdventureLive reads the tracker you already carry and turns it into one follower page. You keep your inReach and MapShare switched on, or your SPOT and its shared page, or Garmin LiveTrack. AdventureLive does not replace any of them, or their plans. It adds a 3D satellite map, the route, the line you have travelled and your dot, with "Seen 22 min ago, via inReach".

Followers open a link in any browser, with no app and no account unless the trip is for approved people only. They see the weather where you are now and for 48 hours, with alerts for strong wind, gales, severe cold, heat, heavy rain and thunderstorms. Up to five home contacts get an email if your tracker sends a HELP message. SOS does not go to home contacts. It goes to Garmin Response or SPOT's GEOS centre, which call the emergency contacts you set up with Garmin or SPOT. It is free, thanks to ProLend. Plan your trip.

Pros

• Adds a 3D map and the weather where you are, with safety alerts
• Up to 5 home contacts get an email on a HELP message
• One link even if you link an inReach, a SPOT and LiveTrack

Cons

• Needs an inReach, SPOT or Garmin LiveTrack, plus that device's own plan
• Not a phone tracking app and not a journal

3. Garmin MapShare: best for family following an inReach

MapShare is the page Garmin builds for an inReach. The pages we read say your track points appear on it as you move, that inReach messages show up there, and that followers can reply or send a message if they have your link. You can add waypoints with notes and share a planned route made in Garmin Explore.

It needs an inReach device with MapShare set up in Garmin Explore, and Garmin's own warning says messaging, tracking and SOS need an active subscription. The pages we read do not say whether MapShare costs extra, and they do not mention weather. Plenty of people never need more than this.

Pros

• Built by the maker of the inReach, so it works with the device out of the box
• Followers can message you from the page
• Waypoints and planned routes can be shared

Cons

• Needs an inReach with an active subscription
• Weather where you are is not stated on the pages we read

4. SPOT Shared Views: best for family following a SPOT

SPOT Mapping is the page that goes with a SPOT device. The page we read says Shared Views let family and friends follow your progress, show your latest position and reports from the field, and can notify people if you need help. For hikers, it says loved ones can follow your route in real time.

At the time of writing (November 2026), the SPOT page we read lists Basic as included per device with unlimited Shared Views, Premium at $2.50 a month or $25 a year per device, and Enterprise at $5 a month or $50 a year. SPOT's home page says the devices use the Globalstar network. Weather is not mentioned on the pages we read.

Pros

• Basic Shared Views are included per device, with no limit on Shared Views
• Price tiers are published on the page
• Can notify people if you need help

Cons

• Needs a SPOT device and its service plan
• Weather where you are is not stated on the pages we read

5. SpotWalla: best for sharing trips from SPOT, Garmin or ZOLEO trackers

SpotWalla calls itself an online personal location management system. Its home page lists trips (travel logs that can be public, private or password protected), retrospectives that show several trips on one map, location pages that show the last known positions of many people, and Secure Zones that hide your location around places like home.

It supports satellite trackers from SPOT, Garmin and ZOLEO, and phones running its own apps. The page says a membership is required to create devices, document travels and share them, in several levels, with a Maintenance level that keeps devices and data online. Prices are on a separate Memberships page that we did not rely on. Weather is not mentioned.

Pros

• Supports SPOT, Garmin and ZOLEO trackers, and phones
• Location pages put many people on one map, handy for groups and events
• Secure Zones hide your location around places you choose

Cons

• A membership is needed to share; prices not on the home page
• Weather where you are is not stated on the pages we read
• Like AdventureLive, it still needs your tracker and its plan

6. Wanderlog: best for planning with friends

Wanderlog is a free trip planner. Its home page says you can create itineraries shown alongside a map, import flight and hotel reservations from forwarded emails, and plan with friends through live syncing and collaborative editing.

It lists offline access and route optimization as features without detail, and route tracking is not mentioned on the page we read. Pro prices are not stated. It is the choice for planning a trip with others, not for showing where you are right now. That makes it a good partner to a tracker page rather than a rival.

Pros

• Free planner with a map view
• Plan together with live syncing
• Imports reservations from forwarded emails

Cons

• Route tracking is not mentioned on the page we read
• Pro prices not stated on the home page

7. ZOLEO: best for messaging beyond phone coverage

ZOLEO is a two-way satellite messenger. Its page says it uses the Iridium satellite network for emergency communication and follows you across cellular, Wi-Fi and satellite when paired with a phone. The device was listed at $199 when we read it.

It lists GPS location sharing, check-ins, Location Share+ updates and a secure ShareMap URL, and describes sharing with a Safety Circle of friends, family and work teams. The page does not say how the share page updates or who can open it, and it does not list plan prices. Note that AdventureLive does not support ZOLEO. SpotWalla does list it.

Pros

• Works beyond phone coverage over Iridium
• Pairs with your phone across cellular, Wi-Fi and satellite
• Sharing is built in through a ShareMap URL

Cons

• Needs the device and a plan; plan prices not on the page we read
• What followers see on the ShareMap is not described on the pages we read
• Not supported by AdventureLive

How to choose

• If you want a free journal on your phone, stay with Polarsteps or try FindPenguins.
• If you want a printed book, compare the books each app sells.
• If you plan trips with friends, look at Wanderlog.
• If you carry an inReach, MapShare is the page that comes with it. AdventureLive can add weather and a 3D map on top.
• If you carry a SPOT, use SPOT Shared Views, or SpotWalla for trip logs.

See link a tracker, share an inReach with family and the older SPOT shared page alternatives.

FAQ

What is the best free alternative to Polarsteps?

FindPenguins is listed as free on the App Store. Wanderlog is a free planner. Polarsteps lists its own tracking as free too.

Is there a Polarsteps alternative that works with satellite trackers?

Yes. MapShare, SPOT Shared Views and SpotWalla work with satellite trackers. AdventureLive reads an inReach, SPOT or LiveTrack.

Can AdventureLive replace Polarsteps?

No. It is not a phone app or a journal. It reads an inReach, SPOT or LiveTrack and shows a live map and weather.

Do these alternatives show weather?

The pages we read for Polarsteps and the others do not mention weather. AdventureLive shows it for where you are, now and for 48 hours.

This guide belongs to our comparison of the best live tracking for adventures. For a head-to-head, read AdventureLive vs Polarsteps.