Pilot vs. MakeMyTrip: feature comparison, ratings, and FAQ
A data comparison maintained by Pilot (pilotplans.com). Full comparison: https://www.pilotplans.com/compare/makemytrip-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.
MakeMyTrip: India's leading travel super-app.
MakeMyTrip is an online travel agency built to sell you a booking. Pilot lets you book hotels too, at private 'book early' rates straight from hotels, with no sponsored results, and helps you plan the whole trip around them, with real people on support if anything goes wrong.
Key facts
- Pricing
- Pilot: completely free to plan and book. MakeMyTrip: Free to use.
- Overall rating
- Pilot: 4.7 from 50,000+ travelers. MakeMyTrip: Trustpilot 1.2, App Store 4.7, Google Play 4.6.
- Founded
- Pilot: 2022. MakeMyTrip: 2000.
- Books hotels in the app
- Pilot: yes, at private rates across 3,000,000+ stays. MakeMyTrip: yes.
- Full comparison
- https://www.pilotplans.com/compare/makemytrip-alternative
Feature comparison
Each row shows whether Pilot and MakeMyTrip offer the feature: Yes, No, or Partial. A [n] marker cites the source in References.
| Feature | Pilot | MakeMyTrip |
|---|---|---|
| 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 'book early' rates straight from hotels, the kind usually reserved for travel agents, often below the public price; MakeMyTrip marks up prices and adds fees at checkout | Yes |
| 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 | YesPilot shows real traveler reviews without selling the top slot, so the result you see is ranked for you, not for whoever paid | Yes |
| No hidden fees or taxes | Yes | No |
| Inventory & discovery | ||
| Bookable hotel inventory | Yes3,000,000+ hotels you can book in Pilot, at private rates straight from hotels, with no sponsored placement deciding the order | Yes |
| Hotel search filters | Yes | Yes |
| Activities to explore in-app | YesExplore things to do and add them straight into your day-by-day plan, not just browse listings | Yes |
| 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 | YesAdd an eSIM to stay connected abroad right at checkout, alongside your stay | No |
| Destination pages | Yes | Yes |
| Editorial travel guides in-app | Yes | No |
| Things to do per city | Yes | Yes |
| Activity detail pages | Yes | No |
| Planning | ||
| Itinerary builder | YesMap out your whole trip and reshape it however you want; MakeMyTrip sells a booking, it does not plan the trip | No |
| Drag and drop reordering | Yes | No |
| Customizable map pins and routes | YesSee your whole trip on a map, pin places, and route between 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, in note or list format | 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 an outsourced call center or a bot that loops you in circles | Yes |
| AI for basic support answers | YesPilot answers the quick stuff fast, then hands you to a real person when it matters, instead of leaving you stuck with a bot | Yes |
Ratings
| Source | Pilot | MakeMyTrip |
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot rating | 4.4 | 1.2 |
| App Store rating | 4.8 | 4.7 |
| Google Play rating | 4.2 | 4.6 |
Pricing
| Pilot | MakeMyTrip | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Free to plan and book | Free to use[1] |
Frequently asked questions
What is MakeMyTrip?
MakeMyTrip is an Indian online travel agency for booking flights, trains, buses, and hotels in India, built to complete a booking rather than plan the trip around it, and it books as a middleman rather than directly with the hotel.
What is Pilot?
Pilot is a trip booking and planning app where you build a flexible itinerary, then book your hotel at private rates straight from hotels. Where MakeMyTrip completes a booking, Pilot plans the whole trip around the stay, confirmed by a real person.
Is MakeMyTrip legit?
Yes, MakeMyTrip is India's largest online travel agency, listed on the Nasdaq, though it sits around 1.2 on Trustpilot with recurring complaints about refunds. Pilot books hotels too, at private rates straight from hotels with no sponsored results and real people on support.
Is MakeMyTrip free to use?
MakeMyTrip is free to browse and book on, but it marks up rates, adds checkout fees, and sells sponsored placement, so the top result is not always best. Pilot is completely free, and books hotels at private rates with no sponsored results.
How does MakeMyTrip make money?
MakeMyTrip earns commissions and margin on everything it sells, plus checkout fees and sponsored placement from properties that want to rank higher, so the first result is not always the cheapest. Pilot earns from hotels when you book and does not sell placement.
Can you book hotels on MakeMyTrip?
Yes, hotels are one of MakeMyTrip's core products alongside flights, trains, and buses. Pilot books over 3,000,000 hotels too, at private rates straight from hotels, and plans the whole trip around the stay, while MakeMyTrip also books transport, which Pilot does not.
Is MakeMyTrip good for booking flights and trains?
MakeMyTrip covers flights, trains, buses, and packages in one app, especially within India, so for ground and air transport it has the inventory. Pilot books hotels at private rates and helps you find flights (links out via Skyscanner) but doesn't book transport.
Is Pilot a good MakeMyTrip alternative?
For the hotel-and-planning side, yes; Pilot books hotels at private rates straight from hotels with no sponsored results and real support, plus a flexible itinerary, map, and group collaboration. The caveat is that MakeMyTrip also books flights, trains, buses, and packages, not Pilot.
MakeMyTrip vs Pilot: which should I use?
Use Pilot to plan a trip and book the stay, with private rates straight from hotels, real support, and your whole trip in one place, free. Use MakeMyTrip if you need flights, trains, buses, or a tour in India, accepting its fees.
References
- makemytrip.com (2026-06-03)