Pilot vs. Polarsteps: feature comparison, ratings, and FAQ
A data comparison maintained by Pilot (pilotplans.com). Full comparison: https://www.pilotplans.com/compare/polarsteps-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.
Polarsteps: Auto-GPS travel journal + printed travel books. DMG Media-owned.
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.
Key facts
- Pricing
- Pilot: completely free to plan and book. Polarsteps: Free to use.
- Overall rating
- Pilot: 4.7 from 50,000+ travelers. Polarsteps: Trustpilot 4.8, App Store 4.5, Google Play 4.7.
- Founded
- Pilot: 2022. Polarsteps: 2014.
- Books hotels in the app
- Pilot: yes, at private rates across 3,000,000+ stays. Polarsteps: no.
- Full comparison
- https://www.pilotplans.com/compare/polarsteps-alternative
Feature comparison
Each row shows whether Pilot and Polarsteps offer the feature: Yes, No, or Partial. A [n] marker cites the source in References.
| Feature | Pilot | Polarsteps |
|---|---|---|
| Travel history | ||
| World map of visited places | No | Yes |
| Countries visited counter | No | Yes |
| Personalized recommendations from past trips | No | No |
| Inspire-me destination explorer | No | Yes |
| Sustainable hotel filter | No | No |
| Maps | ||
| Map view of itinerary | Yes | Yes |
| Add items from map | Yes | No |
| Routes tool | Yes | No |
| Reorder route stops | Yes | No |
| Dynamic map search | Yes | No |
| Planning | ||
| Itinerary builder | YesMap out every idea and reshape the plan however you want, then book your stay without leaving it | Yes |
| Drag and drop reordering | YesDrag anything anywhere as plans change, then book the stay right in the plan | Yes |
| Customizable map pins and routes | YesPin every place on a map and shape the route yourself, then book the stays along it in the app | No |
| Add activities, transportation, or stays from anywhere | Yes | Yes |
| Attach info to any item | Yes | Yes |
| Notes and checklists | YesKeep notes, lists, and links right alongside the plan, before and during the trip | 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 | Yes |
| AI parsing of imported confirmations | Yes | Yes |
| Export to PDF | Yes | No |
| iOS and Android mobile apps | Yes | Yes |
| Offline access on mobile | Yes | Yes |
| Shortlist items | Yes | No |
| Wishlist / wanderlist | Yes | No |
| Wishlist images | Yes | No |
| Fun sound effects | Yes | No |
| Structured itinerary sections | Yes | Yes |
| Keyboard shortcuts | Yes | No |
| Multiple transportation types | Yes | Yes |
| Flight code auto-fill | Yes | No |
| Multi-leg flight support | Yes | No |
| Consistent IATA codes on mobile | Yes | No |
| Community | ||
| Group polls and voting | Partial | No |
| Pay later / BNPL | No | No |
| Public trip profiles and follower community | No | Yes |
| Traveler Q&A forum and community | No | No |
| Photo book printing | No | Yes |
| GPS auto-tracking of travel route | No | Yes |
Ratings
| Source | Pilot | Polarsteps |
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot rating | 4.4 | 4.8 |
| App Store rating | 4.8 | 4.5 |
| Google Play rating | 4.2 | 4.7 |
Pricing
| Pilot | Polarsteps | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Free to plan and book | Free to use |
Frequently asked questions
What is Polarsteps?
Polarsteps is a trip planner and travel journal app, used 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: a flexible itinerary, a map, notes, and your group, plus your hotel booked at private rates straight from hotels. Where Polarsteps 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, free and ad-free, holding a 4.8 on Trustpilot, best known for GPS route tracking and journals. The one thing it doesn't do is book, so Pilot fills that gap with your stay at private rates.
Is Polarsteps free?
Polarsteps is free and ad-free for planning, tracking, and journaling, with printed photo books sold separately. Pilot is also completely free and adds what Polarsteps can't do: booking your hotel at private rates straight from hotels, since Pilot earns from hotels when you book.
How does Polarsteps work?
Polarsteps lets you plan ahead with an itinerary and a map, uses GPS to log your route, and turns photos into a journal, but it doesn't book. Pilot covers that: you plan the trip and book your stay right in the app.
Can you book hotels in Polarsteps?
No, Polarsteps plans and journals trips but has no in-app booking of any kind, so you arrange every stay somewhere else. Pilot books over 3,000,000 hotels at private rates straight from hotels, so you plan the trip and book the stay in one place.
How does Polarsteps make money?
Polarsteps is free and ad-free, earning mainly from its printed photo travel books rather than subscriptions or booking commissions. Pilot earns from hotels when you book through the app, not from sponsored placement, so the planner stays free and results are ranked for you.
Is Polarsteps worth it?
If you want to plan a trip, then automatically record where you traveled and turn it into a journal, Polarsteps does that for free, but it cannot book a stay. To keep the booking with the plan, Pilot covers that, free, at private hotel rates.
Pilot vs Polarsteps: which should I use?
Use Pilot to plan the trip and book it in one place: a flexible itinerary your group builds together, a shared map, and in-app hotel booking at private rates, free. Use Polarsteps if you specifically want its GPS route tracking and a printed photo book.