Pilot vs. Ixigo: feature comparison, ratings, and FAQ
A data comparison maintained by Pilot (pilotplans.com). Full comparison: https://www.pilotplans.com/compare/ixigo-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.
Ixigo: Indian travel app dominant on train booking. NSE/BSE listed.
Ixigo is built to sell you a booking. Pilot lets you book hotels too, at private rates straight from hotels, ranks results for you instead of for advertisers, and helps you plan the whole trip around them.
Key facts
- Pricing
- Pilot: completely free to plan and book. Ixigo: Free to use.
- Overall rating
- Pilot: 4.7 from 50,000+ travelers. Ixigo: Trustpilot 3.3, App Store 4.6, Google Play 4.7.
- Founded
- Pilot: 2022. Ixigo: 2007.
- Books hotels in the app
- Pilot: yes, at private rates across 3,000,000+ stays. Ixigo: yes.
- Full comparison
- https://www.pilotplans.com/compare/ixigo-alternative
Feature comparison
Each row shows whether Pilot and Ixigo offer the feature: Yes, No, or Partial. A [n] marker cites the source in References.
| Feature | Pilot | Ixigo |
|---|---|---|
| Booking | ||
| Book hotels in the app | YesBook your stay at private rates straight from hotels, the kind usually reserved for travel agents, saved with the rest of your trip | Yes |
| Member-only hotel rates | YesPrivate rates straight from hotels, the kind usually reserved for travel agents; Ixigo is known for fees added at checkout | 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 | Yes |
| Checkout without upsells | Yes | No |
| Reviews from real travelers | Yes | Yes |
| No hidden fees or taxes | Yes | No |
| Inventory & discovery | ||
| Bookable hotel inventory | Yes | No |
| Hotel search filters | Yes | Yes |
| Activities to explore in-app | Yes | No |
| Restaurant listings in-app | Yes | No |
| Discovery filters | Yes | Yes |
| Travel requirements and eVisas | Yes | Yes |
| Flight suggestions for trip | No | Yes |
| eSIMs at checkout | Yes | No |
| Destination pages | Yes | Yes |
| Editorial travel guides in-app | Yes | Yes |
| Things to do per city | Yes | No |
| Activity detail pages | Yes | No |
| Planning | ||
| Itinerary builder | YesMap out the whole trip and reshape it however you want; Ixigo books a seat or a room, it doesn't build the itinerary | No |
| Drag and drop reordering | YesReshape any day in seconds, as easily as a Google Doc | No |
| Customizable map pins and routes | YesSee your whole trip on a map and plot routes between your stops | No |
| Add activities, transportation, or stays from anywhere | Yes | No |
| Attach info to any item | Yes | No |
| Notes and checklists | YesKeep notes, lists, and links right alongside the plan | No |
| Note and list format toggle | Yes | No |
| Rich text formatting in notes | Yes | No |
| Undo and redo | Yes | No |
| Duplicate trips | Yes | No |
| Manual file import | Yes | No |
| Email-forwarding file import | Yes | No |
| AI parsing of imported confirmations | Yes | No |
| Export to PDF | Yes | No |
| iOS and Android mobile apps | Yes | Yes |
| Offline access on mobile | Yes | No |
| 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 | No |
| 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 | No |
| Real-time collaborative editing | Yes | No |
| Edit or view-only permissions | Yes | No |
| Heart items for voting | Yes | No |
| Custom trip name and cover photo | Yes | No |
| Dedicated group chat per trip | Yes | No |
| Shared notes, files, and saved lists | Yes | No |
| Travel profile and stats | Yes | No |
| Edit profile details | Yes | Yes |
| Leave a trip | Yes | No |
| Trips dashboard | Yes | Yes |
| Trip menu actions | Yes | No |
| Support | ||
| Human support | YesReach a real person on our team in the in-app chat or by email, not just a bot or a voice assistant | Yes |
| AI for basic support answers | Yes | Yes |
Ratings
| Source | Pilot | Ixigo |
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot rating | 4.4 | 3.3 |
| App Store rating | 4.8 | 4.6 |
| Google Play rating | 4.2 | 4.7 |
Pricing
| Pilot | Ixigo | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Free to plan and book | Free to use[1] |
Frequently asked questions
What is Ixigo?
Ixigo is an Indian travel booking app, strongest on trains, used to book trains, flights, buses, and hotels in India. It is built to complete a booking rather than plan the trip around it, and books as a middleman rather than directly with the hotel.
What is Pilot?
Pilot is a trip booking and planning app: you plan the whole trip with a flexible itinerary, a map, and notes, and book your hotel at private rates straight from hotels. Where Ixigo completes a booking, Pilot plans the trip around the stay.
Is Ixigo a good app, and is it a good Pilot alternative?
Ixigo is a real travel app booking hotels, flights, trains, and buses in India, with an AI assistant called TARA, though Pilot doesn't book that transport. As an alternative, Pilot books hotels at private rates with real support and a whole trip planner Ixigo lacks.
Is Ixigo legit and safe to use?
Ixigo is a legitimate, publicly listed travel company around since 2007, though it rates around 3.3 on Trustpilot, with complaints about refunds and fees added at checkout. Pilot reserves your hotel with its hotel partners and has a real person confirm each booking.
Is Ixigo free, and how does Ixigo make money?
Ixigo is free; you pay only for what you book, and it earns commissions plus add-ons and sells sponsored placement, so the top result isn't always the best deal. Pilot is also free and earns from hotels when you book at a private rate.
Can you book hotels in Ixigo?
Yes, Ixigo books hotels alongside flights, trains, and buses. Pilot books over 3,000,000 hotels too, but at private rates straight from hotels, the room confirmed by a real person, and the whole trip planned around the stay, while Ixigo mainly sells the booking.
Does Ixigo add fees at checkout?
Ixigo is widely reported to add fees and add-ons at checkout, like convenience fees or insurance, and refunds can be slow. Pilot books your stay at a private rate straight from the hotel, and you can reach a real person if anything goes wrong.
Does Ixigo plan your trip, or just book it?
Ixigo is built to sell you a booking, with an AI assistant that suggests options, but it doesn't build a trip you can shape and share. Pilot does: a drag-and-drop itinerary, a map, notes, and group collaboration, then you book the hotel inside it.
Pilot vs Ixigo: which should I use?
Use Pilot to plan a trip and book the stay: private rates straight from hotels, results ranked for you, real support, and your whole trip in one place, for free. Use Ixigo if you mainly book trains, buses, and flights inside India.
References
- ixigo.com (2026-06-03)