Pilot vs. Google Docs: feature comparison, ratings, and FAQ
A data comparison maintained by Pilot (pilotplans.com). Full comparison: https://www.pilotplans.com/compare/google-docs-itinerary-alternative.
Summary
Pilot is a free trip booking and planning app: plan a whole trip in one place with a flexible itinerary, a map of your stops, notes, real-time collaboration, and AI itinerary generation, and book hotels in the app at private rates across 3,000,000+ stays, with real human support. Pilot is rated 4.7 by 50,000+ travelers.
Google Docs: Free collaborative document app, sometimes used to plan trips in a shared doc.
Google Docs gives you a shared, free-form document. Pilot keeps that free, real-time collaboration and adds what a doc cannot do: a real itinerary, a map of your stops, live hotel prices, and in-app booking.
Key facts
- Pricing
- Pilot: completely free to plan and book. Google Docs: Free with a Google account.
- Overall rating
- Pilot: 4.7 from 50,000+ travelers. Google Docs: Trustpilot 2.3.
- Founded
- Pilot: 2022. Google Docs: 2006.
- Books hotels in the app
- Pilot: yes, at private rates across 3,000,000+ stays. Google Docs: no.
- Full comparison
- https://www.pilotplans.com/compare/google-docs-itinerary-alternative
Feature comparison
Each row shows whether Pilot and Google Docs offer the feature: Yes, No, or Partial. A [n] marker cites the source in References.
| Feature | Pilot | Google Docs |
|---|---|---|
| Planning | ||
| Itinerary builder | YesA real day-by-day itinerary with dates, places, and times; in a doc you build and reformat all of it by hand | No |
| Drag and drop reordering | Yes | Partial[1] |
| Customizable map pins and routes | YesSee your stops on a map automatically; a doc has no map, so you switch to another tab | No |
| Add activities, transportation, or stays from anywhere | Yes | No |
| Attach info to any item | Yes | Partial[1] |
| Notes and checklists | YesKeep notes and checklists right alongside the itinerary, map, and booking; in a doc they sit on their own | Yes[1] |
| Note and list format toggle | Yes | Partial[1] |
| Rich text formatting in notes | Yes | Yes[1] |
| Undo and redo | Yes | Yes[1] |
| Duplicate trips | Yes | Partial[1] |
| Manual file import | Yes | Partial[1] |
| Email-forwarding file import | Yes | No |
| AI parsing of imported confirmations | Yes | No |
| Export to PDF | Yes | Yes[1] |
| iOS and Android mobile apps | Yes | Yes[1] |
| Offline access on mobile | Yes | Yes[1] |
| Shortlist items | Yes | No |
| Wishlist / wanderlist | Yes | No |
| Wishlist images | Yes | No |
| Fun sound effects | Yes | No |
| Structured itinerary sections | Yes | No |
| Keyboard shortcuts | Yes | Yes[1] |
| Multiple transportation types | Yes | No |
| Flight code auto-fill | Yes | No |
| Multi-leg flight support | Yes | No |
| Consistent IATA codes on mobile | Yes | No |
| Collaboration | ||
| Invite friends | Yes | Yes[1] |
| Real-time collaborative editing | YesEveryone edits the same trip live, like a doc, but built for travel; a Google Doc gives you the editing without the trip | Yes[1] |
| Edit or view-only permissions | Yes | Yes[1] |
| Heart items for voting | Yes | No |
| Custom trip name and cover photo | Yes | Partial[1] |
| Dedicated group chat per trip | Yes | Partial[1] |
| Shared notes, files, and saved lists | Yes | Partial[1] |
| Travel profile and stats | Yes | No |
| Edit profile details | Yes | No |
| Leave a trip | Yes | No |
| Trips dashboard | Yes | No |
| Trip menu actions | Yes | No |
| Maps | ||
| Map view of itinerary | Yes | No |
| Add items from map | Yes | No |
| Routes tool | Yes | No |
| Reorder route stops | Yes | No |
| Dynamic map search | Yes | No |
| AI | ||
| AI itinerary generator | Yes | No |
| AI activity suggestions | Yes | No |
| AI planning with filters | Yes | No |
| Booking | ||
| Book hotels in the app | YesBook your stay in the app at private rates across 3,000,000+ hotels; a doc cannot book anything | No |
| Member-only hotel rates | YesPrivate 'book early' rates straight from hotels; a doc has no prices at all | No |
| Add accommodation to itinerary | Yes | No |
| Transportation cost tracking | Yes | No |
| Flight deals | Yes | No |
| Files tab | Yes | No |
| Attach files to itinerary items | Yes | No |
| Instant booking confirmation | Yes | No |
| Checkout without upsells | Yes | No |
| Reviews from real travelers | Yes | No |
| No hidden fees or taxes | Yes | No |
| Budgeting | ||
| Trip budget tracker | Partial | No |
| Per-person cost split | Partial | No |
| In-trip expense logging | Yes | No |
| Group expense splitting | No | No |
Ratings
| Source | Pilot | Google Docs |
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot rating | 4.4 | 2.3[2] |
Pricing
| Pilot | Google Docs | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Free to plan and book | Free with a Google account[3] |
Frequently asked questions
What is a Google Docs itinerary?
A Google Docs itinerary is a trip plan you build in a free, shared document, usually a table or day-by-day list with pasted links. Being a document tool, not a travel app, it has no map, live prices, or booking.
What is Pilot?
Pilot is a trip booking and planning app: a flexible itinerary, a map of your stops, and notes, plus your hotel booked at private rates straight from hotels. A Google Doc is a blank page; Pilot is purpose-built for trips.
Is Pilot a good alternative to planning in Google Docs?
Yes. Pilot keeps what people like about a doc, free, flexible, and collaborative in real time, and adds what a doc cannot do: a real itinerary, a map, activities to add, live prices, and your stay booked at private rates across more than 3,000,000 hotels.
Is Google Docs free?
Yes, Google Docs is free with a Google account. Pilot is also completely free, and unlike a doc it can book your stay at private rates, so the planner stays free and you get booking too.
Can you book a hotel in Google Docs?
No, a document cannot book anything or show live prices; you paste in confirmations after booking elsewhere. Pilot books your stay at private rates straight from hotels across more than 3,000,000 hotels, so the booking lives with the plan.
Pilot vs Google Docs: which should I use?
Use a Google Doc if you want a totally blank, free-form space and nothing more. Use Pilot if you want the same free, real-time collaboration plus travel structure, a map, live prices, and in-app booking, all in one place.
References
- docs.google.com (2026-06-04)
- Trustpilot 2.3 is Google company-wide, not a Google-Docs travel rating (2026-06-05)
- google.com (2026-06-04)