Frommers
Worth it
Confidence: Medium
Buy it for trip research: the website is free to browse, guidebooks run $8-15, and expert editing since 1957 is the real differentiator.
New check
Comparison
Frommers vs Lonely Planet
Frommers lands on Worth it, and Lonely Planet lands on Depends.
Lonely Planet
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy it if you want broad, trusted overviews for mainstream destinations, with free articles and a free membership tier.
| Compare | ||
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Worth it | Depends |
| Best for | Trip planners wanting expert, edited guides | Budget backpackers |
| Who it's not for | Anyone needing live reviews, prices, or booking . use TripAdvisor | Businesses buying software . this is consumer travel content, not a tool |
| Privacy | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.⁹ | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed; a 2014 Heartbleed response was published by the company's engineering team. |
| Support quality | 1.8/5 from six reviewers | No direct evidence in sources |
| Public sentiment | Reddit travelers still praise Frommer's expert guides, but third-party review sites rate the website poorly at 1.8/5.³ | Reddit sentiment is mixed-to-negative: longtime fans say the guides have declined from their heyday and many are actively hunting alternatives.15 |
| Biggest gotcha | Used or older editions on eBay and Mercari may be years out of date . check edition year | Free membership is a funnel; deeper content sits in paid guides and app14 |
Pick Frommers when
- Trip planners wanting expert, edited guides
- Budget travelers (the '$X-a-day' series)
- Readers who prefer curated over crowdsourced advice
When Frommers is not a fit
- Anyone needing live reviews, prices, or booking . use TripAdvisor
- Buyers expecting software, SLAs, or support . this is a publisher
- Travelers wanting real-time community tips . Reddit beats it
Pick Lonely Planet when
- Budget backpackers
- Broad multi-country trip planning
- Offline readers preferring print guides
- First-timers wanting curated itineraries
When Lonely Planet is not a fit
- Businesses buying software . this is consumer travel content, not a tool
- Travelers needing real-time, current info
- Anyone wanting hyperlocal, fast-changing tips
- Fans of the old guides . Reddit sentiment says they've declined
Sources
official
- Frommer's Reviews - 6 Customers Rate 1.8/5smartcustomer.comreview
review
- Frommer's NYC guides at Targettarget.comofficial
- Frommer's Best Airfare Booking Sites for 2026 Announcedfinance.yahoo.comnews
- Frommer's guides are back (Denver Post)denverpost.comnews
- Google's deal for Frommer's (PhocusWire)phocuswire.comnews
- Frommer's security page (not found)frommers.comsecurity
- Lonely Planet homepagelonelyplanet.comofficial
- Lonely Planet Membershiplonelyplanet.comofficial
- Lonely Planet Shopshop.lonelyplanet.comofficial
- Lonely Planet Trustpilot reviewstrustpilot.comreview
- PilotPlans: Lonely Planet Travel Guide & App Reviewpilotplans.comreview
- Reddit: Lonely Planet is dead to mereddit.comreview