Pilot vs. Polarsteps in 2026: Which should you use?

Polarsteps helps you plan and journal a trip, but you book your stays somewhere else. With Pilot you plan the whole trip and book your hotels right in the app, at private rates straight from hotels. Here is how they compare side by side.

Summary comparison of Pilot and Polarsteps
 PilotPolarsteps
App Store rating4.8 ⭐4.5 ⭐
Itinerary builderYesMap out every idea and reshape the plan however you want, then book your stay without leaving itYes
Customizable map pins and routesYesPin every place on a map and shape the route yourself, then book the stays along it in the appNo
Notes and checklistsYesKeep notes, lists, and links right alongside the plan, before and during the tripNo
Real-time collaborative editingYesEveryone edits the same trip live, then books the stay together in the appNo
Invite friendsYesInvite the whole group into one shared trip, plan together, and book the stay togetherPartial
Pilot leads in all 5 shown3 more in the full comparison

Rated by 50,000+ travelers

  • 4.7
  • 4.8
  • 4.2
  • 4.4

As featured in

  • TechCrunch
  • WIRED
  • Washington Post
  • Forbes
  • Yahoo Finance
  • Morningstar
  • Vancouver Tech Journal

How does Pilot compare to Polarsteps?

Polarsteps plans and journals your trip, then sends you elsewhere to book. Pilot keeps it together: plan the trip, then book your stays at private hotel rates in the same app.

Feature comparison of Pilot and Polarsteps by category
FeaturePilotPolarsteps
Planning and collaboration
Customizable map pins and routesYesPin every place on a map and shape the route yourself, then book the stays along it in the appNo
Notes and checklistsYesKeep notes, lists, and links right alongside the plan, before and during the tripNo
Real-time collaborative editingYesEveryone edits the same trip live, then books the stay together in the appNo
Itinerary builderYesMap out every idea and reshape the plan however you want, then book your stay without leaving itYes
Invite friendsYesInvite the whole group into one shared trip, plan together, and book the stay togetherPartial
Drag and drop reorderingYesDrag anything anywhere as plans change, then book the stay right in the planYes
Booking and savings
Book hotels in the appYesBook your stay right in Pilot; Polarsteps plans and journals trips but can't book a hotelNo
Member-only hotel ratesYesPrivate deals straight from hotels, the kind usually saved for travel agents, across 3,000,000+ staysNo

Why use Pilot over Polarsteps

  • Reason #1

    Book it, and save, without leaving the app

    With Pilot you book your stays right in the app, at private rates straight from hotels, the kind usually reserved for travel agents, across more than 3,000,000 stays, so you get better rates. Polarsteps shows you options but sends you to another site to book.

    Learn more →
    Book it, and save, without leaving the app
  • Reason #2

    Plan, save, and book in one place

    Plan, save, and book in one place. Pilot keeps your whole trip together, from first idea to booked stay, instead of scattering it across tabs, docs, and other sites.

    Learn more →
    Plan, save, and book in one place
  • Reason #3

    Flexible by design

    Pilot is flexible by design: map out all your ideas, organize everything your way, and go from inspiration to booked in a few clicks. Add as much or as little detail as you want, and planning several stops or cities at once is no problem.

    Learn more →
    Flexible by design
  • Reason #4

    Simple and fun, never overwhelming

    Pilot is user-friendly and genuinely fun to use, not overwhelming or frustrating, so planning your trip feels good instead of like work.

    Learn more →
    Simple and fun, never overwhelming
  • Reason #5

    Real people, when you need them

    Behind Pilot there are real people. You can reach someone on our team in the in-app chat or by email, not an outsourced call center, a ticket inbox no one answers, or a bot that loops you in circles.

    Learn more →
    Real people, when you need them

What do users say about Pilot (vs. Polarsteps)?

Polarsteps rates 4.5 on iOS and 4.7 on Android, and holds a 4.8 on Trustpilot. Those scores are for a trip planner and journal that doesn't book your stays. For planning and booking the trip in one place, Pilot is rated 4.8 on the App Store by 50,000+ travelers, and reviewers keep coming back to having everything in one place, planning together with the group, and a support team that steps in when a plan changes.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Nice consolidation tool for travel plan, tickets, etc. Me and my daughter can share a travel plan, and add the whole itinerary, with pre-booked tickets, daily excursion plans, etc. It makes organisation of the trip incredibly easy and all information between travelers are shared
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Went to Amsterdam for the first time. Loved having all the trip details located in one spot on my phone - maps, hotel, air, event tickets. I was able to to go the app and all the QR codes were right there. Also being able to share the app so we could each put in details was a great feature.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
His support was wonderful. Went extra mile to support us and getting us accommodated with the hotel. Really appreciate it. 5 stars service !!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
trustpilot logo
The Pilot Customer team is great. We had a minor issue with the hotel, and the Pilot team went above and beyond to make sure we were taken care of well.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
trustpilot logo
First Pilot App Trip Used the Pilot app for a trip to Amsterdam and it was a great tool! We had our full itinerary with websites, tickets, hotel and air schedules. It was shareable so we could collaborate while planning. It's also printable in case of phone issues. The map function was great in planning to help us decide what to do each day and what area we would be in. Will definitely be using it again for future trips.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
How disappointed would you be if you could no longer use Pilot?: Very Disappointed. What is the main benefit you get from Pilot?: Centralised planning for family
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I travel regularly for both work and for fun, and Pilot really helps me stay organised, ensures I don't miss anything and gives me a constant point of reference to come back to for the various details required both before and during travel. When I'm travelling with friends, being able to invite them into the trip and see all of the details that I would normally have to send to them in a god send! Apart from the practical side, the visual experience is very nice and adds a great touch to trip planning.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
trustpilot logo
Great way to keep your trip organized! Helpful planning tools and easy to use!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
ios logo
AI trip planner & flight deals Like notion and Google ads, perfect for planing your trip and being assisted by AI for amazing recommendations

Should you choose Pilot or Polarsteps?

Choose Pilot if

  • You want to book your stays in the app, not plan in one app and book in another
  • You want a flexible planner the whole group can build together and book from in one place
  • You want to book your stay at private hotel rates straight from hotels
  • You want your whole trip, the plan and the booking, in one place

Choose Polarsteps if

  • You want to journal a trip as it happens, with automatic GPS route tracking and a printed photo book, which Pilot doesn't do.
  • You want a public profile and follower feed for your travels.

Still deciding?

Plan a trip in Pilot for free and see how it compares for yourself.

What Pilot can do that Polarsteps can't

  • Book your stay at private rates straight from hotels, the kind usually saved for travel agents
  • Choose from more than 3,000,000 stays to book
  • Book without leaving your plan, so the plan and the booking stay together
  • Reach a real person on our team if a booking goes sideways

Common questions about Pilot vs. Polarsteps

What is Polarsteps?

Polarsteps is a trip planner and travel journal app. People use it to plan a route, then automatically track the trip by GPS and turn it into a journal or photo book. It plans and records the trip, but you book your stays on other sites.

What is Pilot?

Pilot is a trip booking and planning app. You plan the whole trip in one place, a flexible itinerary, a map of your stops, notes, and your group, and you book your hotel in the app at private rates straight from hotels, the kind usually reserved for travel agents. Where Polarsteps plans and journals a trip but sends you elsewhere to book, Pilot lets you plan and book the stay in one place.

Is Polarsteps legit?

Yes, Polarsteps is a legitimate travel app, founded in 2014, best known for automatically tracking your route by GPS and turning a trip into a journal you can share, and optionally a printed photo book. It is free to use and ad-free, and it holds a 4.8 on Trustpilot. It also plans ahead now, with an itinerary builder, stops, and a map. The one thing it does not do is book: there is no in-app hotel or stay booking, so you arrange those elsewhere. That is the gap Pilot fills. Pilot covers a flexible itinerary, a map of everywhere you are going, notes and checklists, and real-time group editing, and it lets you book your stay in the app at private rates straight from hotels, across more than 3,000,000 stays.

Is Polarsteps free?

Polarsteps is free to use for planning, tracking, and journaling your trips, and it is ad-free. Its printed photo travel books cost extra and are ordered separately. Pilot is also completely free, including the AI itinerary planner, the shared map, and group collaboration, and it adds something Polarsteps does not have at any price: booking your hotel in the app at private rates straight from hotels, the kind usually reserved for travel agents. Pilot is free because it earns from hotels when you book through the app, not from charging you to plan.

How does Polarsteps work?

Polarsteps lets you plan a trip ahead, with an itinerary, stops, and a map, then runs in the background on your phone and uses GPS to automatically log the route you travel, with light battery impact. You add photos and text to build a journal of where you went, keep a personal world map of countries visited, and can share it or order it as a printed book. What it doesn't do is book: you arrange every stay on another site. Pilot covers that part, you plan the trip and then book your stay right in the app, so the plan and the booking live together before, during, and after the trip.

Can you book hotels in Polarsteps?

No. Polarsteps plans and journals trips, but it has no hotel booking and no in-app booking of any kind, so you arrange and book every stay somewhere else. Pilot lets you book over 3,000,000 hotels right in the app, with private deals straight from hotels, the kind usually reserved for travel agents, no sponsored results. So with Pilot the place you plan the trip is also the place you book the stay, instead of planning in one app and booking in another.

How does Polarsteps make money?

Polarsteps is free and ad-free, and earns mainly from selling its printed photo travel books and related merchandise rather than from subscriptions, ads, or booking commissions. Pilot is free in a different way: it earns from hotels when you book your stay through the app, not from charging you to plan and not from sponsored placement, which is why the whole planner, including the AI itinerary builder, the shared map, and group collaboration, stays free, and why its search results are ranked for you rather than for whoever pays the most.

Is Polarsteps worth it?

If you want to plan a trip, then automatically record where you traveled and turn it into a journal or a printed book, Polarsteps does that for free. The one thing to know is that it cannot book a hotel or any stay, so the booking always happens somewhere else. If you want the booking in the same place as the plan, choosing where to stay and booking it as you plan the days with friends, Pilot covers that and is also free. Many people plan and book the trip in Pilot, since it keeps the plan and the booking in one place at private hotel rates.

Pilot vs Polarsteps: which should I use?

Use Pilot if you want to plan the trip and book it in one place: a flexible itinerary your whole group can build together, a shared map, notes and checklists, and in-app hotel booking at private rates straight from hotels, all free. Use Polarsteps if what you specifically want is its automatic GPS route tracking and a printed photo book to remember the trip, and you're happy to book your stays on other sites. Many travelers plan and book in Pilot and add Polarsteps only for the journaling and the printed-book keepsake.

Plan your next trip with Pilot

Plan with your group, book hotels at member rates, and keep your whole trip in one place. Completely free.

Last updated: 
June 5, 2026