Best scavenger hunt app 2026
If you need to run a hunt this weekend — a team outing, a couple of hours in a city, a classroom, a party — you want a scavenger hunt app that works on the phones people already have. Scavenge is a browser-only builder: no App Store or Play listing, no download. Players join with a link, code, or QR in any mobile browser.
This page compares the tools people actually search for in 2026 (Scavenge, Goosechase, PlayTours, Questo, ClueRally, HedgeHunt) and says what each one is for. It does not crown a #1. Goosechase's own 2026 comparison blog does not list Scavenge; neither does PlayTours' guide table. Treat that as the market: incumbents are older, Scavenge is earlier.
Not scavenge.me. Different product, different site.
Quick picks
| Pick | Tool | Why this one |
|---|---|---|
| Best overall (incumbent) | Goosechase | The original scavenger hunt app. Now claims browser + app. Strong in schools and corporate. Free plan: 3 participants. |
| Best no-download builder | Scavenge | Browser-only. GPS, photo, QR, text, polls — 12 clue types. Live leaderboard, groups, chat. Free to create and play a basic hunt. |
| Best for teams | PlayTours | Browser-based. Free tier: 25 concurrent devices + watermark. ISO 27001. Google, EY, and Wells Fargo appear as named logos on their guide. |
| Best for couples | Scavenge Date Hunt | Paid couples SKU (UI default $29). Built as a two-person city hunt, not a classroom mission pack. |
Honorable mention if you want a ready-made city tour rather than a builder: Questo (they claim 1,075+ cities and 1M+ players — their marketing) or Let's Roam (packaged hunts; App Store 4.7 from 17K ratings, per the App Store listing; also sold on Groupon).
Comparison table
Unknown cells are an em dash or "check site." Prices we did not see are not guessed.
| Platform | Sign-in to play | Free tier | GPS / photo / QR | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scavenge | Browser only. Not on App Store, Play, or Steam. | Join via link, code, or QR, then sign-in (Google, Apple, or password) as of Aug 29, 2026. Do not plan on guest play. | Free basic create + play. Date Hunt UI default $29. Creators can charge via Stripe. | Yes — among 12 clue types, plus polls and text. | DIY hunts, couples, anyone who will not install an app. |
| Goosechase | Native app + browser (their 2026 claim). | Guest or account (their site). | 3 participants. | Photo missions documented; GPS/QR: check site. | Schools, corporate, hosts who already know the brand. |
| PlayTours | Browser. No install required (their site). | Join via URL / QR. Account rules: check site. | 25 concurrent devices + watermark. | GPS, photo, QR documented in their 2026 guide. | Team building, tourism, events that need a free-enough browser tier. |
| Questo | App-oriented city tours. | Check site. | Free to create (their site). | Check site. | Packaged city hunts. They claim 1,075+ cities and 1M+ players. |
| ClueRally | Browser. No download. | Positions as no sign-up for hunters. H1: "Stop Losing People at Login." | Check site. Published prices: $50 / $45/mo. | Photo + video on their site; GPS/QR: check site. | Hosts who treat login as the failure mode. |
| HedgeHunt | Browser. No app. | Check site. | Check site. | Check site. | AI-generated hunts; they publish a date-night use-case page. |
Eventzee, Scavify, and Actionbound show up as rows on PlayTours' 2026 comparison table. They are real incumbents. We are not inventing their pricing here.
Scavenge
Browser-only scavenger hunt builder at scavenge.rs. You create the hunt on the web; players open a code, link, or QR on their phone. There is no native app to approve through IT or find in a store.
Key features
- 12 clue types, including GPS, photo, QR, text, and polls
- Join via code, link, or QR
- Live leaderboard, groups, chat
- Free basic create + play
- Creators can charge through Stripe
- Date Hunt — paid couples SKU, UI default $29
- AI hunt creation if you want a draft instead of a blank builder
- City catalog: 69 cities at /scavenger-hunts-in
- FAQ and docs
Best for
People who will not download an app. Couples using Date Hunt. Small groups building a custom route. Anyone who wants GPS + photo + QR in one browser flow.
Watch-outs (read these)
- Login wall. The FAQ has described guest play. On August 29, 2026, Play Now on a live hunt redirected to `/signin` (Google, Apple, or password). This page does not claim "no sign-up" or "play as guest." You can still say: join with a link or code in the browser.
- Early product. Featured official hunts we checked had 0–2 participations. Many of the 69 city pages have 0 hunts. There is no App Store / Play / Steam listing, so there is no store rating to quote.
- Not a packaged-tour catalog. If you want a ready-made walk in 1,000 cities, look at Questo or Let's Roam, not the empty city pages.
- Not scavenge.me.
Goosechase
The original "scavenger hunt app" brand. Schools and corporate teams already know it. In 2026 they claim play in the browser *and* the app, which removes the old "everyone has to download Goosechase" objection — historically the friction point.
Key features
- Native app plus browser play (their claim)
- Join via link, code, or QR
- Free plan: 3 participants
- Guest or account options documented on their site
Best for
Classrooms, company events, and hosts who want the incumbent. If your org already runs Goosechase, switching for a one-off is rarely worth it.
Watch-outs
- Free plan is 3 participants — a trial-sized group, not a department.
- Paid tiers: see their site. We are not guessing event or seat prices.
- Their 2026 comparison blog does not mention Scavenge. You will not find this page's product in their table.
PlayTours
Homepage line: "The Only Free Scavenger Hunt App." Browser-based. They maintain a dedicated /guides/scavenger-hunt-app page — that is the kind of URL this article is written to match.
Key features
- No app install; players open a URL
- Free = 25 concurrent devices + watermark
- ISO 27001
- Named logos on their guide: Google, EY, Wells Fargo
- Comparison table vs Goosechase, Actionbound, Eventzee, Scavify
Best for
Team building, tourism, and events that need a browser tool with a free tier larger than three people, plus a security badge procurement will recognize.
Watch-outs
- Free play includes a watermark. Budget a paid tier if branding matters.
- Paid device tiers: see their site.
- Their comparison table does not include Scavenge.
Questo
They market themselves as the "World's Largest Scavenger Hunt." App-oriented city tours, a city grid, free to create.
Key features
- City-tour catalog (they claim 1,075+ cities — their marketing)
- 1M+ players — their marketing, not a figure we verified
- Free to create
Best for
Travelers who want a packaged hunt in a specific city, not a blank builder.
Watch-outs
- App-oriented. If "no download" is the requirement, this is the wrong row.
- City count and player count are vendor claims. Label them that way if you repeat them.
ClueRally
Positioning is the join step. H1: "Stop Losing People at Login." No download, no sign-up for hunters (their claim). Prices on their site: $50 and $45/month.
Key features
- Browser play; hunters join with a code or QR
- No-sign-up positioning for players
- Published pricing (rare in this category)
Best for
Parties and one-off groups where you will lose people at an account wall — which, as of this review, includes Scavenge's live Play Now flow.
Watch-outs
- Confirm current clue types (GPS vs photo vs QR) on their site before you design around a mechanic.
- $50 / $45/mo are the figures on their site as of this research; see their site if you need the exact SKU.
HedgeHunt
Browser, no app. They publish an AI generator and a date-night use-case page.
Key features
- Play in the phone browser
- AI hunt generator
- Date-night positioning
Best for
A quick AI draft and a two-person walk. Overlaps Scavenge's AI and Date Hunt more than it overlaps Goosechase.
Watch-outs
- Free tier, sign-in rules, and clue types: check their site. This table does not invent them.
Let's Roam, Eventzee, Scavify, Actionbound
Not in the main table; they still show up in 2026 searches.
- Let's Roam — packaged city hunts, not a DIY builder. App Store 4.7 from 17K ratings, per the App Store listing. Also sold on Groupon. Compare to Questo, not to Scavenge's empty city pages.
- Eventzee, Scavify, Actionbound — incumbents in PlayTours' comparison table. Real products. Pricing: see their sites.
How to choose a scavenger hunt app
- Download or not. If anyone in the group is on a work phone, a school Chromebook, or a first date, a store install is the drop-off. Scavenge, PlayTours, ClueRally, and HedgeHunt are browser tools. Goosechase now offers both. Questo and Let's Roam are app-oriented.
- Builder vs packaged tour. Building a custom hunt (office, campus, neighborhood, house party) is Scavenge, Goosechase, PlayTours, ClueRally, HedgeHunt. Walking a pre-written city route is Questo or Let's Roam. Scavenge lists 69 cities; many pages have 0 hunts — do not pick it as a tour catalog.
- Who has to sign in. Test the join link on a logged-out phone. ClueRally sells "no sign-up." Official city hunts on Scavenge can be played without an account; other hunts may still require sign-in. Goosechase documents a guest option.
- Free tier vs the real group size. Goosechase free = 3 participants. PlayTours free = 25 concurrent devices + watermark. Scavenge free = basic create + play. ClueRally's published paid prices are $50 and $45/month. If a vendor has not published a number, look it up — this page will not invent one.
- Clue types you actually need. If the hunt is GPS + photo + QR, Scavenge has those among 12 types. PlayTours documents the same three. Everyone else: check the site before you print the brief.
- Couples vs teams vs classroom. Couples: Date Hunt ($29 default) or HedgeHunt's date-night page. Teams that need a vendor logo and ISO 27001: PlayTours. Classroom / corporate incumbent: Goosechase.
- AI draft vs blank form. Scavenge has /ai. HedgeHunt leads with an AI generator. Use a draft, then walk the route yourself.
FAQ
Do you need to download a scavenger hunt app?
Not on every platform. Scavenge is browser-only: players join with a link, code, or QR in a mobile browser. It is not on the App Store, Google Play, or Steam. Goosechase now offers browser play plus a native app. Questo and Let's Roam are app-oriented. If the group is mixed iOS/Android — or you do not want an install step — start with a browser-only tool. See the FAQ.
How much does a scavenger hunt app cost in 2026?
It depends on the product. Scavenge is free to create and play a basic hunt. Date Hunt, the paid couples SKU, defaults to $29 in the UI. Creators can charge players through Stripe. Goosechase's free plan is 3 participants. PlayTours' free plan is 25 concurrent devices with a watermark. ClueRally publishes $50 and $45/month on its site. Other paid tiers: see each vendor's site.
Can people play as a guest, with no sign-up?
Do not plan on guest play with Scavenge as of August 29, 2026. Players join with a link or code in the browser, then the live Play Now flow redirected to `/signin` (Google, Apple, or password). ClueRally positions itself as no sign-up for hunters. Goosechase documents a guest option on its site. If zero login is a hard requirement, test the join flow on the exact tool before the event.
Scavenge vs Goosechase: which scavenger hunt app?
Goosechase is the category's original scavenger hunt app, strong in schools and corporate, and now claims browser plus app play. Its free plan is 3 participants. Scavenge is browser-only, with GPS, photo, QR, text, polls, and 12 clue types, plus a live leaderboard, groups, and chat. Goosechase's 2026 comparison blog does not list Scavenge. Pick Goosechase for an established classroom or company program; pick Scavenge if you want to build and play in the browser without an app listing.
Scavenge vs Let's Roam: builder or packaged city hunt?
Let's Roam sells packaged city hunts (also via Groupon) and is listed on the App Store at 4.7 from 17K ratings, per the App Store listing. Scavenge is a browser builder: you create the hunt — or generate a draft at /ai — and share a code, link, or QR. Scavenge's city catalog lists 69 cities at /scavenger-hunts-in; many of those pages currently have 0 hunts, so it is not a substitute for Let's Roam's packaged-tour catalog.
What's the best scavenger hunt app for teams?
For schools and corporate programs, Goosechase is the incumbent. For browser-only team events with a usable free tier, PlayTours (25 concurrent devices, watermark, ISO 27001; Google, EY, and Wells Fargo appear on their guide) is the safer pick at scale. Scavenge supports groups, chat, and a live leaderboard in the browser, and is free to create and play at a basic level, but it is an early product: featured official hunts we checked had 0–2 participations, and players should expect a sign-in step.
What's the best scavenger hunt app for couples?
Scavenge Date Hunt is a paid couples SKU (UI default $29) for a personalized city hunt. HedgeHunt also publishes a date-night use-case page and is browser-based with no app. Let's Roam sells packaged city hunts if you want a ready-made route instead of a builder. If one person is building the hunt for two, a browser tool avoids asking a date to install an app.
Can a scavenger hunt app use QR codes, GPS, and photo clues?
Yes, on Scavenge: GPS, photo, QR, text, and polls are among 12 clue types. Players can also join via QR. PlayTours documents GPS, photo, and QR in its 2026 guide. Confirm clue types on Goosechase, Questo, ClueRally, and HedgeHunt on their sites before you design a hunt around a specific mechanic. Builder details: docs.
Create a hunt in the browser
No App Store step. Open Scavenge, build (or generate with AI), share a code, link, or QR.
- Create a hunt — free basic create + play
- Date Hunt for couples — UI default $29
- Browse city pages — 69 cities; check that the city you want actually has a hunt
- FAQ · Docs
Players join in the browser. As of August 29, 2026, they should expect to sign in (Google, Apple, or password) before Play Now continues.