Save your travel hot spots to a map or list with the Mapstr app

Here’s a new, easy-to-build list-making app that pinpoints places on a map so you can tag and save your favorites.

Name: Mapstr

Available: iPhone, iPad, iPod touch. Requires iOS 7 or later.

Cost: Free

What it does: The app allows you to save your travel hot spots to a map or list. You can annotate them with your own pictures and comments, plan your route, share the location with friends and look up more info on your favorites’ websites.

What’s hot: There are multiple ways to enter a point of interest. You can type it in yourself, look at places near you for real-time list making, or use your smartphone’s camera to add a spot by using the address you find in a guidebook or magazine (it works best if you have the name and address in the window). I like that using the app can be a personal experience and not dependent on friends and a big social network.

What’s not: Adding friends was confusing. I didn’t understand why I had to generate a code — which was good only for three days — to share the app and my lists with my husband, particularly because the app is free. All the text said was, “Hey! Add me on Mapstr: code number.” I’m looking forward to more features: I’m keeping my fingers crossed that sending a full list to a friend will be one of them.

— Jen Leo