How FindPenguins Works: Pricing, Features + In Depth Review

Traveling can be appealing for many reasons, whether it is being exposed to novel locations, new cultures or interesting people, traveling has a unique offering for each individual. Unfortunately to find a travel journalling app that can seamlessly integrate itself into trips and curate all these memories is a tall order, that is where FindPenguins comes in.

What is FindPenguins?

FindPenguins is a travel tracker app, with both free and premium options, that automatically tracks the trip of users through their phone, and it even allows them to effortlessly create professionally crafted travel journals. Often times the most beautiful memories we have of trips are either unplanned, or smaller events that occur throughout the day and this app allows users to track those moments with ease. FindPenguins is a great fit for any type of traveler from a family doing a road trip, to a solo traveler that discovers the world, as its flexibility and functionality allows all travelers to record their valuable memories in a travel blog. 

How do you use FindPenguins?

Once a user creates an account they are able to create unlimited trips, and for each trip they can create unlimited posts called “Footprints”. Footprints represent an experience from a trip, and it can be recorded through stories, location mapping, photos and even videos. 

The app is fairly intuitive, and it can be used by simply turning on the travel tracker, allowing your phone to accurately record your trip. It does so by implementing various smart technologies in the background to ensure an accurate recording of your travel route, including but not limited to GPS and automatic flight detection.

What are the benefits of a Premium Membership for FindPenguins?

Although the free version of FindPenguins is ad free and allows for unlimited trips, there are some limitations which are improved on in the Premium version. The Premium membership provides users with the ability to upload 10 pictures per post, instead of the standard 6 pictures, along with 2 videos instead of 1. This means that you are able to record and keep more memories, which is important for a trip that might come along once in a lifetime. Another feature of the membership is that it provides a free ebook of your trip, along with a 5% discount on any photobooks.

The Premium membership comes in two options, a monthly option that costs $4.99 USD per month or a yearly option that costs $32.99 USD. FindPenguins CEO Tobias shares that the revenue generated from the membership will be used entirely to develop new features for their users. 

What we like about FindPenguins

Great Design

It is clear that FindPenguins is a leader in the travel tracker space, with features that stood out to us such as the low battery consumption of 4%, both android and iOS compatibility, and a great user interface. These features are key for a seamless integration of a travel tracker app, as it makes it less cumbersome for the user to log and record memories.

Offline Functionality

 The app also runs in the background of users’ phones, to ensure that the phone’s functionality is not disrupted, and it even works offline allowing users to post memories even when there is no internet connection available. This is a key feature, as many individuals lack a strong internet connection when traveling abroad.

Group Usability

Another great feature that FindPenguins has is their option to “add a traveller”, this allows you to add other individuals to your trip so you can have a collection of memories from many individuals. This is a perfect feature for groups of friends who travel together, and it is an option that a lot of competitors are lacking. Instead of simply having your thoughts, stories and pictures, you can have a collective of memories from all the individuals you travel with and ensure that no moment is forgotten.

What can FindPenguins do better?

Limited Features

Unfortunately much like penguins themselves, FindPenguins is short of being able to soar as the top travel app. Many of the features that it offers even in the premium version are limited when compared with its competitors. A clear example of the limitations is the 10 picture limit for each post, when some competitors have a much larger limit on the pictures that can be uploaded. 

Lack of Customization

Another example of where FindPenguins seems to fall short is with the customization of some of their features. For instance although you can add travelers to your trip, you cannot change their permissions, meaning that they can delete or modify your memories as they see fit. This would be an important customization, as it could prevent people from making changes or deleting memories that are important.

Glitches and Bugs

Another limitation that the FindPenguins app seems to have is that some users have reported crashing of the app due to different reasons, one being that the app doesn’t run well in older iOS systems and the other that the app crashes for some users who try to synchronize their offline posts. This could be a serious detriment to those who do not have access to the internet during their travels and want to record their trip offline.

Is the FindPenguins App Free?

Other than the premium membership discussed earlier the main way that FindPenguins makes money is through the travel book that they offer to their customers. Due to the way the app is designed it allows users to seamlessly create and order a photobook with their most valuable memories of a trip. The photobook includes unique statistics that help further capture the valuable moments, such as a map location, weather, and even comments from friends on the memory.

How much does FindPenguins cost?

The professionally designed book that aims to help users capture their most cherished memories from the trip comes in two high quality options, a hardcover option as well as a layflat option. The price varies a lot depending on which option is chosen and how many pictures are printed, but the cost starts at $40 USD and goes all the way up to $240 USD. Although a good feature for some, there are individuals that really cherish taking the time to scrapbook their memories on their own, or with loved ones. If you do decide to try their service and order one of the books, at the time of writing a coupon code for FindPenguins for 10% is “Early 10”.

Enhance your Experiences with Pilot!

Although a great application for most travelers who want to plan and track their trips, it is easy to see where FindPenguins falls short.

The lack of customization for their features, such as lacking permission setting for fellow travelers, and their limitation on some features, such as limited picture uploads leaves more to be desired.

That’s how Pilot can help, by providing an all-inclusive and seamless experience for all types of travelers!