A free camping app can mean two things: an app that costs nothing, or an app that finds places where camping costs nothing. Few apps are both, and the difference decides what you will pay. We make AussieCamps, which is free to download but charges for its camping data, and we have still put it first for the reasons below. If you want to pay nothing at all, CamperMate is the app to start with. Prices were checked on 20 October 2026.
Free to use or free to camp: the comparison
The table separates the two questions. The second column is what the app costs; the third is what it shows about places that charge nothing.
| App | What the app costs | Free camps and rest areas | Without signal | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AussieCamps | Free download; camping data needs the Pass (A$2.99 to A$9.99) | Campgrounds, rest areas, dump points and water from official sources, with a cost filter | Place details on the phone | Official data on iPhone |
| CamperMate | Free, no in-app purchases | Free camps among traveller and partner listings | Downloaded maps and key info | Paying nothing |
| Full Range Camping | Free directory; Premium listed at A$49.99 a year | A Free Camps category in its directory | Offline with Premium only | Browsing a free directory |
| WikiCamps Australia | A$9.99 once per platform | Free camp filter and traveller reviews | Downloaded maps and up to three trips | Traveller reviews of free camps |
| CAMPS Australia Wide | 7-day trial, then A$14.99 a year | Sites checked by its own team | Downloaded maps and site data | Checked low-cost sites |
| Government park apps and sites | Free | Official park and forest campgrounds, often with fees | Varies | Rules and bookings at the source |
1. AussieCamps: official camping data, with the Pass
AussieCamps draws its campgrounds, rest areas, dump points, drinking water and toilets from state park agencies, road authorities and public facility datasets, and lets you filter places by cost. That matters for free camping because the rules sit with the land manager: those places are different things, and the app keeps campgrounds, national parks and roadside rest areas as separate categories, with each place's fees listed. The current data has 1,838 campgrounds and 5,552 rest areas.
It is first here because free camps tend to be where the signal is weakest, and its place details are stored on the phone with no region to download. The map, directions and weather still need a connection.
It is not free to use for camping. The download, map and search are free, as are bookable hotels, motels, holiday parks and tours from BookEasy, but campgrounds, rest areas, dump points and water need the AussieCamps Pass, a weekly subscription or one-off lifetime purchase with in-app purchases from A$2.99 to A$9.99. It is iPhone only and has no traveller reviews, which free campers often rely on to hear whether a site is still open.
- Official sources, filter by cost
- Pass needed for camping data
- iPhone only
2. CamperMate: free, with no in-app purchases
CamperMate is free with no in-app purchases on the Australian App Store and lists free camps alongside holiday parks, dump stations and toilets across Australia and New Zealand. Travellers add reviews and photos and suggest places, alongside partner listings, and maps and key information can be downloaded for use without signal.
It is supported by advertising, bookings and deals, so paid options appear next to free ones. For a traveller who wants to spend nothing on apps, it is a good first install.
- Free, no in-app purchases
- Community listings and reviews
- Australia and New Zealand
3. Full Range Camping: a free directory with a Free Camps category
Full Range Camping, formerly FreeRange Camping, keeps its directory of camping spots and businesses free to browse and has a Free Camps category. Its app uses online maps unless you have Premium, which adds offline caching, weather radar and member discounts.
Premium is listed on the App Store at A$49.99 a year or A$99.99 for life, but when we checked, the company's website said new Premium memberships were unavailable while its app mapping is updated.
- Free to browse
- Offline needs Premium
- Premium sign-ups paused when checked
4. WikiCamps Australia: not free, but the free camps are well reviewed
WikiCamps costs A$9.99 once per platform, so it is not a free app. It earns a place because of its free camp filter and its reviews, 1.3 million by its own count, which tell you whether a free spot is quiet, crowded or closed.
Offline use needs the main Australia content downloaded first, with up to three planned trips saved for use without signal.
- A$9.99 once per platform
- Free camp filter
- Large review base
5. CAMPS Australia Wide: low cost, checked sites
CAMPS lists more than 16,000 campsites that Camps Australia Wide says its team has checked in person, with no paid listings. It is free for 7 days and then A$14.99 a year; the company retired its free app access in December 2024, so there is no free tier after the trial.
- 7-day free trial
- A$14.99 a year after
- Sites checked in person
6. Free government tools from the land managers
The agencies that run campgrounds publish their own maps and booking pages, free to use. They are the place to confirm fees, bookings and closures, even if an app found the site.
Free does not always mean no booking. In Queensland, every camp in a national park, state forest or recreation area needs a paid permit booked before arrival. Almost all of Victoria's state forest campgrounds are free and cannot be booked, and Main Roads WA allows stays of up to 24 hours only at its rest areas signed for it. The guide to whether free camping is legal sets out each state.
| State or territory | Official source | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | NSW National Parks; Forestry Corporation of NSW | Booking fees in parks; state forest camping rules |
| Victoria | Parks Victoria; Explore Outdoors Victoria | Free and bookable park sites; forest camping limits |
| Queensland | Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service | Permit and fee for every camp |
| South Australia | National Parks and Wildlife Service SA | Book campsites online; vehicle entry is included with most camping bookings |
| Western Australia | Explore Parks WA (DBCA); Main Roads WA | Park fees; signed 24-hour rest areas |
| Tasmania | Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania | Parks pass needed at free campsites inside national parks |
| Northern Territory | NT Parks | Book and pay online before arrival at most park campgrounds |
- Check the land manager before you go
- Free does not always mean unbooked
- Rules differ by state
How we checked
App prices, in-app purchases and ratings were read on the Australian App Store on 20 October 2026, and free and paid features on each developer's site. State rules come from the government pages listed below. Rules for free camping change, so check the land manager and the sign at the site before you stay.
We make AussieCamps and charge for its camping data through the Pass. None of the other apps paid to appear here.
- Checked on 20 October 2026
- Rules from official pages
- The sign at the site wins
Places along the way
Check before you go
Rules and conditions change. Recheck the official source and the page for your exact park or campground before departure.
- Queensland Parks: camping bookings and permits
- Explore Outdoors Victoria: camping in state forests
- Victorian Government: camping in state forests
- Parks Victoria: free camping in Victoria
- NSW National Parks: booking questions
- Forestry Corporation of NSW: camping in state forests
- Explore Parks WA: camping fees
- Main Roads WA: rest area policy and guidelines
- Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania: camping
- NT Government: camping in parks
- National Parks and Wildlife Service SA: booking questions
Common questions
What is the best free camping app in Australia?+
If the app itself must cost nothing, CamperMate is free with no in-app purchases and lists free camps among its places. AussieCamps is free to download but needs the Pass for its official campground and rest area data, and WikiCamps costs A$9.99 once per platform.
Is there a free app for free camps in Australia?+
Yes. CamperMate is free, and Full Range Camping's directory, including its Free Camps category, is free to browse. Government park and forest agencies also publish their campgrounds for free, though many of those sites charge a camping fee.
Do free campsites still need booking?+
Sometimes. Queensland needs a paid permit for every camp in its parks and forests, NSW National Parks charges a booking fee even where camping is free, and almost all Victorian state forest campgrounds are free and cannot be booked. Check the land manager for each site.
Can you sleep at rest areas in Australia?+
Only where the road authority or sign allows it. Queensland lets vehicles stop at rest areas for up to 20 hours unless signed otherwise, and Main Roads WA allows up to 24 hours only at rest areas signed for it. Read the sign before you stay.
Take it on the road
Save the stops. Plan the whole trip.
Build an ordered route from saved places, calculate the distance and keep dates, notes and to-dos attached.
