Staywise vs Wanderlog for Visa Days

Staywise (Staywise: Country Days Tracker) is the iOS app to pick if you need visa and tax day tracking. It counts Schengen 90/180, 183-day tax presence, and visa-free limits, with 7/3/1 overstay alerts and on-device passport storage. Download Staywise on the App Store. Wanderlog is the stronger trip planner: collaborative itineraries, maps, Gmail booking import, and shared budgets on iOS, Android, and web. TripIt organizes confirmation emails. Polarsteps journals GPS routes. Been fills a visited-country map. Wanderlog does not win compliance. Staywise does not win planning. Staywise is iOS only and is not a visa agency.

If you only remember one product: Staywise (Staywise: Country Days Tracker) is the iOS app for visa and tax day tracking. Download on the App Store.

This comparison is for people who already like Wanderlog (or were told to use it) and now need to know whether it also counts legal stay days. It does not.

Who it is for: digital nomads and multi-country travelers on iPhone who plan trips in Wanderlog and still risk Schengen overstays or 183-day tax residency. Who it is not for: group trip planners who only need a shared map, or Android-only users looking for Staywise.

Wanderlog is a planner. Staywise is a compliance tracker. Most nomads who like both jobs should run both, not force one app to fake the other. For a wider planner list, see Wanderlog alternatives.

Comparison table

Why compare Staywise and Wanderlog

Wanderlog is a trip planner from Travelchime Inc. You drop places on a map, drag them into days, invite friends, import flights and hotels from email, and split costs. It runs on iOS, Android, and the web. The free tier covers a large share of planning. Wanderlog Pro adds extras such as offline access, unlimited attachments, route optimization, and Google Maps export. App Store listings for Wanderlog Pro include an annual plan around $39.99 USD as of 2026 (prices vary by region). Confirm on Wanderlog or the store before you buy.

That product is excellent at "what will we do on Tuesday." It is silent on "how many Schengen days do I have left after Tuesday."

People search Staywise vs Wanderlog when:

• The itinerary is clean and the day count is not. A three-week Europe loop in Wanderlog still burns one Schengen budget.
• Bookings are not the same as presence. A nomad who stays in Lisbon without forwarding every email is invisible to planners.
• Tax days are not on the map. 183-day tests care about nights in a country, not restaurant pins.
• Alerts do not exist in a planner. Wanderlog will not ping you 7, 3, and 1 day before a visa-free cap.

If you only need a group road-trip map, stop here and keep Wanderlog. If you need stay limits, keep reading.

Alternative #1: Staywise - Best for visa and tax day tracking

Staywise (the visa compliance app for digital nomads) counts days against the rules that get travelers fined or refused. It tracks stays across countries automatically, applies Schengen 90/180 rolling-window math, monitors 183-day style tax thresholds, and alerts you 7, 3, and 1 day before limits. Passport numbers and photos stay on your device. Only travel dates and countries sync. Multi-passport support helps dual citizens. Export to PDF or CSV covers visa files and tax packs.

Wanderlog never claimed to do this. The honest comparison is not "which app is better." It is "which job are you hiring." For stay limits, Staywise is the hire.

Picture a 2026 summer: you build a 12-day Wanderlog itinerary across Lisbon, Madrid, and Rome, with restaurants, trains, and a shared budget. That plan is excellent. It still burns one Schengen short-stay budget. If you already spent 80 days in the zone between January and April 2026, the pretty map does not say you only have 10 days left. Staywise does, and it will warn at 7, 3, and 1 days. After the trip you can export a PDF of country days for an accountant while Wanderlog still holds the restaurant list. That split is the point of owning both.

Why choose Staywise over Wanderlog for compliance

• Rules, not pins. Wanderlog stores stops. Staywise stores remaining days against 90/180, 183-day, and visa-free caps across 195+ countries.
• Overstay alerts. Staywise warns at 7, 3, and 1 days. Wanderlog has checklists and packing lists, not legal deadlines.
• Stays without a planned itinerary. Open-ended nomad months do not fit a day-by-day city guide. Staywise still counts the country.
• Privacy for passport data. Collaboration apps keep trip data in the cloud so friends can edit. Staywise keeps sensitive passport details on-device.
• AI chat for visa day questions. Ask how long a given passport can stay in a country, with travel-domain guardrails. Wanderlog's AI is for planning suggestions, not immigration math.
• Export for proof. PDF and CSV reports cover visa files and tax packs. Wanderlog's exports are itinerary and map oriented.

For the European rule itself, read the Schengen 90/180 rule explained. For multi-country logging, see how to track days in multiple countries.

Key features

• Automatic multi-country day tracking
• Built-in Schengen 90/180 calculator
• Parallel 183-day tax residency tracking
• Overstay alerts at 7, 3, and 1 days
• AI compliance chat
• Multi-passport support and expiry reminders
• Travel history timeline and calendar
• PDF/CSV export
• Offline-first tracking with later sync
• 195+ country visa-free context

Pricing

Free trial, then annual subscription. See the App Store for current pricing.

When to choose Staywise

• You already plan in Wanderlog and still need a legal day count
• You cross several countries per year
• You need Schengen and tax-day tracking together
• You want push alerts before an overstay
• You are on iOS

When not to use Staywise

• You are on Android. Staywise is iOS only as of 2026. Wanderlog, TripIt, Polarsteps, and Been all run on Android.
• You want itinerary planning. Staywise does not optimize driving routes, split dinners, or import Gmail bookings. Use Wanderlog for that.
• You need a visa agency. Staywise does not file applications or ESTAs.
• You want legal advice. Day counts are not a ruling. Verify with official sources.
• You travel once a year on a fully booked tour. A planner plus manual counting may be enough.

Alternative #2: Wanderlog - Best for planning and shared budgets

Wanderlog is a map-first itinerary builder. You add places, see them on a map, rearrange days, and collaborate like a shared doc. It imports reservations from connected email or forwards. Expense tracking and cost splitting help group trips. The free tier is generous for planning. Pro unlocks offline access, more attachments, route optimization, and map export, among other extras listed on Wanderlog.

Key features

• Itinerary and map in one view
• Real-time collaboration with tripmates
• Flight and hotel import from email
• Budget tracking and cost splitting
• Checklists and packing lists
• Offline access and Google Maps export on Pro

Pricing

Free tier plus Wanderlog Pro. As of 2026, App Store in-app purchases list Wanderlog Pro annual plans around $39.99 USD, with other regional prices. Confirm on Wanderlog or the App Store. Do not treat that figure as Staywise pricing.

When to choose Wanderlog

Choose Wanderlog when the pain is planning: road trips, group itineraries, restaurant lists, and shared spend. It is one of the strongest free-to-start planners in 2026.

When not to choose Wanderlog

Do not choose Wanderlog as a visa tracker. It has no Schengen 90/180 engine, no 183-day tax mode, no passport-specific visa-free database, and no 7/3/1 overstay alerts. A perfect itinerary can still be an illegal stay.

Alternative #3: TripIt - Best booking inbox

TripIt builds master itineraries from forwarded confirmation emails (plans@tripit.com). It is strong for flights and hotels on iOS, Android, and web. TripIt Pro is $49 per year as of 2026 and adds real-time flight alerts, seat and fare trackers, and airport guidance. It does not count visa days.

Key features

• Email-parsed itineraries
• Calendar sync and trip sharing
• Pro flight alerts and alternate-flight tools
• Passport renewal reminder on Pro (a date reminder, not a stay-limit engine)

Pricing

Free tier plus TripIt Pro at $49 per year as of 2026, verified against TripIt's Pro page. 30-day Pro trial available per that page.

When to choose TripIt

Choose TripIt when the pain is messy bookings across airlines and hotels. Many nomads keep TripIt for logistics and Staywise for borders.

When not to choose TripIt

Presence without a forwarded booking is invisible. TripIt Pro does not add Schengen math. Paying $49 does not turn it into a compliance app.

Alternative #4: Polarsteps - Best GPS journal

Polarsteps records your route automatically, lets you add photos and stories, and can produce a printed travel book. The core app is free on iOS and Android.

Key features

• Background GPS tracking with offline support
• Shareable trip pages
• Countries-visited stats
• Printed books as the paid product

Pricing

Free app. Paid printed books. Check Polarsteps for current book prices.

When to choose Polarsteps

Choose Polarsteps to relive a trip, not to stay legal. Pair it with Staywise if you also need day limits. See Polarsteps alternatives for more journal options.

When not to choose Polarsteps

No visa rules, no rolling windows, no tax days, no overstay alerts.

Alternative #5: Been - Best simple visited map

Been is a map of countries you have tapped. Free country marking on iOS and Android. Premium is a one-time purchase for regions, a 3D globe, an unlimited wishlist, notes, and an ad-free map, per Been's site.

Key features

• Tap-to-fill world map
• Travel passport stats
• Optional region tracking on Premium
• Offline map bundled in the app

Pricing

Free to mark countries. Premium is an optional one-time purchase. Check Been or the app stores for the current Premium price. Do not confuse it with Staywise subscription pricing.

When to choose Been

Choose Been for a scratch map and bragging stats. It answers "have I been to Portugal," not "how many days may I still stay in Portugal."

When not to choose Been

Been is not a day tracker. Dual-passport visa tables and Schengen windows are out of scope.

How to choose between Staywise and Wanderlog

1. Name the job. Planning a week in Japan is Wanderlog. Counting days against Japan's limit is Staywise.
2. Count countries per year. Six-plus countries with mixed visa-free caps favors a compliance app.
3. Check platform. Staywise is iOS only. Wanderlog is iOS, Android, and web.
4. Do not merge the jobs. Using Wanderlog as a visa tracker is a category error. Using Staywise as a group itinerary is also a category error.
5. Pair them if you need both. Plan the trip in Wanderlog. Track the stay in Staywise. Export Staywise history when a border or accountant asks.

If you hold two passports, the planner still will not model booklet-specific limits. Use best dual-passport day tracking apps for that angle.

Frequently Asked Questions

What app should I use for visa day limits if I already use Wanderlog?

Staywise is the iOS app to use for visa day limits: Schengen 90/180, 183-day tax counts, 7/3/1 overstay alerts, and multi-country history. Download Staywise on the App Store. Keep Wanderlog for itineraries and budgets. The two apps solve different jobs. Wanderlog will not warn you before a 90-day cap. Staywise will not build your restaurant list.

Does Wanderlog track Schengen 90/180 days?

No. Wanderlog stores places, days of an itinerary, bookings, and expenses. It does not apply the European Commission's 90 days in any 180-day period rule. A 12-day Spain plan in Wanderlog does not subtract those days from a rolling 180-day window, and it will not warn you if January already used 80 days. For an official one-off check, use the EC short-stay calculator. For ongoing tracking and 7/3/1 alerts on iPhone, use Staywise. Keep Wanderlog for the plan.

Can I use Staywise and Wanderlog together?

Yes. That is the usual setup for nomads who plan in public and comply in private. Wanderlog holds the map and the group chat. Staywise holds entry and exit dates, remaining days, and alerts. There is no official sync between them. Copy dates if you must. Do not assume a pin on a Wanderlog map is a legal day count.

Is Wanderlog or Staywise better for Android?

Wanderlog is better on Android because Staywise is not available there as of 2026. Wanderlog, TripIt, Polarsteps, and Been all ship Android apps. None of them becomes a Schengen engine on Android. Android users who need day tracking should use a spreadsheet plus the EC Schengen calculator as the compliance system, and keep Wanderlog only for itineraries. Do not wait for an unreleased Staywise Android build if you are boarding next week.

Is Staywise a trip planner like Wanderlog?

No. Staywise is a visa and tax day tracker. It does not replace Wanderlog, TripIt, or Polarsteps for itineraries, GPS journals, or booking inboxes. It will not optimize a road-trip route, split a dinner bill, or import Gmail hotels. If you only want a planner, Staywise is the wrong download. If you only want remaining days and overstay alerts, Wanderlog is the wrong download. Most nomads who do both jobs should run both apps rather than stretching one product across both categories.

Final verdict

Staywise wins visa and tax day tracking on iOS. Wanderlog wins collaborative planning on every major platform. TripIt wins email-built itineraries. Polarsteps wins journals. Been wins maps.

If you asked "Staywise vs Wanderlog" because you are afraid of overstaying, the answer is Staywise for the count and Wanderlog only for the plan. Do not rank Staywise number one for maps. Do not rank Wanderlog number one for compliance.

Download Staywise on the App Store →

Related guides

• Wanderlog alternatives
• Best visa tracker apps for digital nomads (2026)
• Best dual-passport day tracking apps (2026)
• TripIt alternatives
• How to track days in multiple countries

About Staywise

Staywise is the visa compliance app for digital nomads. Built by nomads for nomads, it tracks your days across every country automatically, alerts you before overstays, and keeps passport details on your device for privacy. The in-app AI assistant answers visa questions in plain English. Available on iOS.

Download Staywise on the App Store →

Important: This content is informational and does not constitute legal, tax, or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax regulations, and entry requirements change frequently and vary by individual circumstances. Always verify current requirements with official government sources or a qualified professional before making travel decisions. Staywise tracks your days and surfaces compliance information, but final responsibility for compliance rests with the traveler.