Sēkr has closed. Here are the best Sēkr alternatives in 2026.

What happened to Sēkr?

Sēkr began as The Vanlife App (TechCrunch dates its launch to March 2018) and was later renamed Sēkr. It was a women-founded and women-led company, and by spring 2021 it said it had grown to 40,000 users and more than 30,000 approved parking and campsites across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, according to Outside (opens in a new tab). In February 2022 it raised $2.25 million, as TechCrunch reported (opens in a new tab).

In December 2023 the company was about to shut down for good. Peace Vans, a van company, bought it and folded its assets into the van business. In an April 2026 post, Peace Vans’ owner wrote that Sēkr had run “on auto-pilot” since he paused a relaunch in summer 2024, that it still had just under 100,000 lifetime downloads, 60,000 email subscribers and a database of close to 100,000 campsites and waypoints, and that he was looking for someone to take it over (Peace Vans (opens in a new tab)).

Today sekr.com (opens in a new tab) carries a closure notice: “Sēkr has finally closed its proverbial doors,” explaining that the team “simply lost momentum and couldn’t continue,” and that the admin inbox will be monitored through the end of 2026. An old App Store page may still turn up in searches, but the company’s own site says the service has closed, so don’t plan a trip around it.

What did Sēkr do that people miss?

Going by its own App Store description and press coverage, Sēkr did several jobs at once. That is why replacing it takes more than one app.

• Free camping and boondocking spots, plus van-friendly campgrounds and crowdsourced safe overnight parking.
• A people map and opt-in messaging with campers nearby.
• Vanlife events, caravans and get-togethers, and forums.
• Camp Share, where hosts offered a driveway or land, and a Native Lands map overlay.
• Premium extras such as cell coverage by carrier and offline access.

Which app replaces each Sēkr feature?

Where does RME fit for former Sēkr users?

RME covers the community half of what Sēkr did: finding your people nearby, events, caravans and a map of where your friends are. It also has a spot map with the road essentials vanlifers search for, but it is younger than the big campsite databases, so most people pair it with one of them.

Meet shows travelers near you in Discover. Follow each other and you can message; “Show me in Discover” is a switch you control, and every profile and conversation can be blocked or reported.

Events on the Roam map can be filtered by Public, Friends, Attending and Mine, with Going, a waitlist and an event chat. Organizers can keep the exact pin hidden until a set time or share it only with people going, and can ask guests to agree to event rules before they join.

Caravans are dated routes other travelers can follow and join. The organizer chooses Open, Request (approve each person) or Invite only (with a code), and can show the route approximately until someone is approved.

Friends Map shares your location only with mutual friends, at the level you pick: Ghost (hidden), Town (your general town), Approximate (a random point within 20 miles) or Precise. Precise can go to all mutual friends or only the friends you choose, for 2 hours, 8 hours, 24 hours or until you turn it off.

Every account verifies a phone number to finish setup, and each number can be used on one account only. Members must be 18 or older.

Roam spots, Trailprint, Events and Friends Map are included with a free RME account. The app shows the current plan details, so check there for anything that is still optional. Available on the App Store for iPhone and on Google Play for Android.

How do I move from Sēkr to a new app?

• Write down or screenshot any saved spots and contacts you can still reach. No app can import Sēkr data.
• Pick one campsite app for tonight’s stop and one community app for the people. Trying to make one app do both is how Sēkr users end up disappointed.
• Add your rig and interests to your new profile on day one. Community apps work when people can see who you are.
• Re-add your favorite spots with notes, so other travelers benefit the way they did on Sēkr.
• Look for events near where you will be next month, not just this weekend. Gatherings in the Southwest fill up through winter.

The best Sēkr alternatives, by what you need

Facts about each app come from its own website or App Store page, checked October 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you subscribe.

1. iOverlander (opens in a new tab)

   Best for: Worldwide campsites and overlander services

   Its homepage lists about 250,000 places in 190 countries. Free with ads; its subscription page lists Pro at $59.99 a year and Unlimited at $99.99 a year, each with a 7-day trial.

2. The Dyrt (opens in a new tab)

   Best for: U.S. campgrounds and free camping

   Its PRO page lists more than 20,000 staff-verified free camping locations and three free months, then $59.99 a year.

3. Campendium (opens in a new tab)

   Best for: Free camping, RV parks and cell coverage reviews

   Reviews rate access, noise and cell coverage. Its support pages list RV PRO at $59.99 a year with a one-week trial, or $19.99 a month.

4. Park4Night (opens in a new tab)

   Best for: Van spots, especially in Europe

   Its App Store page says over 370,000 locations in more than 100 countries; park4night+ is listed at €9.99 a year.

5. RME

   Best for: Meeting vanlifers, events, caravans and a Friends Map

   A community app with a spot map, Meet, events with hidden-pin options, caravans and Friends Map. The core app is free.

6. Crossroads (opens in a new tab)

   Best for: Nomad community with a friend map

   Built by an all-volunteer team; free, with nearby events and a friend map where you set location detail per friend. Joining needs a 6-digit invite code.

7. nomatch (opens in a new tab)

   Best for: Meeting nomads near you without swiping

   Its App Store page describes a live map of nearby nomads with “down for” tags, contact exchange only on mutual interest, and nomatch+ from $6.99 a month.

Frequently asked questions