---
url: https://vacationist.app/features/
title: Vacationist Features - Everything a Group Trip Needs in One App
description: Activity voting, expense splitting, shared lists, encrypted travel documents, group chat, and offline sync - explore every Vacationist feature for group travel.
lang: en
published: 2026-07-17
updated: 2026-09-08
---

# One app for the whole trip

Most groups plan trips across four or five apps: a chat for discussion, a spreadsheet for money, a notes app for lists, and a doc nobody opens. Vacationist puts the entire group-trip workflow in one place - and everyone can join with a single link, no account required.

## The core features

### [Activity voting →](/features/voting/)

Suggest activities and let the group decide with a 5-tier voting system - from "must do" to "group blocker." No other travel app has it, and it ends the endless group-chat debates. [Learn how voting works.](/features/voting/)

### [Expense splitting →](/features/expenses/)

Log every shared cost with a category and a receipt attached, split it equally or with custom amounts, and watch balances update in real time. Flag business costs - on expenses, bookings, or transport - and export a per-person report for work trips. [See how expense splitting works.](/features/expenses/)

### [Shared shopping & packing lists →](/features/shopping-lists/)

Live lists that sync to every phone instantly - plus a unique recipe-to-shopping-list sync for group cooking. [Explore shared lists.](/features/shopping-lists/)

### [Transfers & flights →](/features/transfers/)

Vote on flights, manage rental cars and public transport, assign who rides with whom, and keep every ticket and boarding pass attached to the journey. [See how transfers work.](/features/transfers/)

### [Encrypted travel documents →](/features/travel-documents/)

Passports and IDs stored encrypted at rest, protected by a biometric lock, shareable with the organizer temporarily - and revocable anytime. [Read about the document vault.](/features/travel-documents/)

### [Trip costs & analytics →](/features/analytics/)

A live per-trip cost total against your budget, plus an Analytics tab showing your own share of every trip you've taken, by year - in your currency. [See how trip cost tracking works.](/features/analytics/)

### [Offline mode →](/features/offline/)

Read the whole plan, add expenses, and vote with no connection - for a week. Everything syncs when you're back online, and you're never logged out on a plane. [See how offline mode works.](/features/offline/)

## And everything around them

- **Guest access without an account** - send one link and the whole group is in. Nobody has to sign up to vote, edit lists, or be part of expenses.
- **Real-time sync** - every vote, expense, and list change appears on everyone's device instantly.
- **Shared trip calendar** - winning activities, accommodations, and transfers in one timeline everyone can see.
- **Accommodation management** - collect options, vote on them, and keep confirmations where the group can find them. Each place keeps its own currency and can be flagged as a business cost.
- **Group chat** - trip discussion next to the plan it's about, not lost in a parallel WhatsApp thread. Drafts survive switching tabs.
- **Add an expense from your home screen** - a long-press shortcut on the app icon jumps straight to logging a cost for your active trip.
- **Vacation tracker** - the whole trip and its spending at a glance.



## Frequently asked questions

### Is Vacationist free?

Yes - the core app is free with no ads, for groups of any size.

### What platforms does it run on?

iOS, Android, and the web. Friends on any device can also participate through the web app via invite link, no install required.

### How is Vacationist different from Splitwise or Wanderlog?

Splitwise does expenses only; Wanderlog focuses on itineraries with light collaboration. Vacationist is built around the *group* - voting, shared costs, shared lists, guest access - in one app. Read the detailed comparisons: [Vacationist vs. Splitwise](/vs/splitwise/) and [Vacationist vs. Wanderlog](/vs/wanderlog/).