In 30 seconds
- For travelling all over Europe or further afield, any of the big ones has far more coverage than VanLife: park4night claims more than 400,000 places and iOverlander 250,000 in 190 countries.
- VanLife only covers Spain and Portugal, with 4,785 places, and its difference lies elsewhere: every place carries a legal seal that says where it comes from.
- Many of them complement each other: it is normal to have more than one on your phone.
The comparison
| App | Places claimed | Paid plan | Ratings (App Store Spain) |
|---|---|---|---|
| park4night | More than 400,000 | €9.99/year | 2,413 (4.6) |
| iOverlander | 250,000 in 190 countries | Pro from €8.99/month | 118 (4.6) |
| CaraMaps | More than 100,000 | €6.99/month or €24.99/year | 1,166 (4.4) |
| Campercontact | More than 60,000 in 58 countries | €4.99/month or €19.99/year | 876 (4.6) |
| Searchforsites | 51,370 | £7.99/year, no automatic renewal | 1 (4.0) |
| VanLife | 4,785 in Spain and Portugal | Map and listings free; VanLife+ €19.99/year | Just released, no ratings yet |
Data read on 4 November 2026. Prices may vary by country, store and promotion: check them before you pay.
Which one suits you
- If you are travelling all over Europe: park4night, Campercontact or CaraMaps, for coverage.
- If you are leaving Europe: iOverlander, which claims places in 190 countries.
- If you are travelling from the UK: Searchforsites, with an annual subscription that does not renew by itself.
- If you are travelling in Spain or Portugal and what worries you is whether you can sleep there without problems: VanLife.
What makes VanLife different
VanLife was created to answer one question: can I sleep here? Every place carries a seal: publicly legal, private and paid, tolerated or with recent reports. 1,931 also carry the "Verified" seal, which says whether it comes from a by-law, a council notice or the business licence, and it expires if nobody checks it again.
It also tells you what it does not know: if it does not know a place’s height limit, it says so; and "Tolerated" means no known rule bans it, not that there is a permit.
On the other hand, it has fewer places and none outside Spain, Portugal and Andorra, and it is a newly released app: the communities of the big ones have spent years building up reviews that do not exist here yet.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best app for sleeping in a van in Spain?
It depends on what you are after. For the largest number of places and reviews from other travellers, park4night is the one that claims the most places. To know where the legal status of each place in Spain and Portugal comes from, VanLife. Many travellers use more than one.
Are there free alternatives to park4night?
All the apps in this comparison can be installed for free, except Searchforsites, which is paid after a three-day trial. In VanLife, the map, the listings and the search are free and no account is needed.
Which app works without signal?
Park4night, Campercontact, CaraMaps and iOverlander offer offline use with their paid plan, according to their own pages. VanLife lets you download the map of the area you are in for free and saves the places and listings you look at on your phone.
Keep reading
Sources
- park4night: official website
- park4night: subscription
- iOverlander: official website
- iOverlander: plans
- CaraMaps: the app
- Campercontact: PRO+
- Campercontact on the App Store
- Searchforsites: about
We have no connection with these apps; their brands belong to their owners. If any detail has changed or is wrong, write to us at info@vanlifetribu.com and we will correct it.
Every place, with its seal and where it comes from
In the VanLife app you see the map of every place, the legal seal of each one with the rule linked, its facilities and whether your vehicle fits. Free, and no account needed to browse.
Download VanLife