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

Pilot does everything you use Roadtrippers for, just more flexible and all in one place, and you can book your stays through it too. Plan any trip, keep the basics free, and book at private hotel rates. Here is how they compare side by side.

Summary comparison of Pilot and Roadtrippers
 PilotRoadtrippers
Trustpilot rating4.4 ⭐2.8 ⭐
PricingCompletely freeFree / $35.99/yr
Itinerary builderYesFlexible by design: map out every idea and reshape the plan however you want, from a rough idea to bookedYes
Add activities, transportation, or stays from anywhereYesDrop in a flight, a train, a stay, or anything else; Roadtrippers is built around driving stops, so it does not capture other trip pieces the same wayNo
Email-forwarding file importYesForward a confirmation and Pilot files it on your trip; Roadtrippers has no email-in importNo
AI parsing of imported confirmationsYesForward a booking confirmation and its details are added to your itinerary automaticallyNo
Pilot leads in all 4 shown6 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 Roadtrippers?

Both plan trips with maps and routes. Pilot keeps planning free, lets you book your stays at private hotel rates instead of sending you to other sites, and works for any trip, not just a drive.

Feature comparison of Pilot and Roadtrippers by category
FeaturePilotRoadtrippers
Planning
Add activities, transportation, or stays from anywhereYesDrop in a flight, a train, a stay, or anything else; Roadtrippers is built around driving stops, so it does not capture other trip pieces the same wayNo
Email-forwarding file importYesForward a confirmation and Pilot files it on your trip; Roadtrippers has no email-in importNo
AI parsing of imported confirmationsYesForward a booking confirmation and its details are added to your itinerary automaticallyNo
Itinerary builderYesFlexible by design: map out every idea and reshape the plan however you want, from a rough idea to bookedYes
Customizable map pins and routesYesSee the whole trip on a map and make it yours, not only a single driving routeYes
Notes and checklistsYesKeep notes, lists, and links right alongside the plan, with a note and list toggle and rich textYes
Export to PDFYesFree in Pilot; Roadtrippers gates much of its planning, including features like this, behind a paid plan (from about $36/yr)Yes
Offline access on mobileYesFree in Pilot; Roadtrippers keeps offline maps behind its top paid tier (Premium, about $60/yr)Yes
Booking and savings
Member-only hotel ratesYesPrivate deals straight from hotels, the kind usually saved for travel agents, across 3,000,000+ stays; Roadtrippers does not have member ratesNo
Add accommodation to itineraryYesAdd your stay and book it in the same place, at private rates, instead of leaving to book on another siteYes

Why use Pilot over Roadtrippers

  • 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. Roadtrippers 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. Roadtrippers)?

Roadtrippers rates around 4.7 on the App Store. The picture changes on overall experience: on Trustpilot, which reflects how a company treats its customers, Roadtrippers sits at about 2.8, while Pilot is rated 4.8 on the App Store and 4.7 across 50,000+ travelers, who point to having the whole trip in one place, planning together, and support that steps in.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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 Roadtrippers?

Choose Pilot if

  • You want a flexible planner that keeps the basics free, not gated behind a paid plan
  • You want to plan any trip, with flights, trains, and stays, not only a road trip
  • You want to book your stay at private hotel rates in the app, not on other sites
  • You want your whole trip, the plan and the booking, in one place
  • You want a shared trip you can plan together with everyone coming

Choose Roadtrippers if

  • Your trip is a road trip and you want road-trip-native tools Pilot doesn't have, like Apple CarPlay, fuel-stop planning, and attractions along an optimized driving route.
  • You want its large database of roadside attractions and points of interest.

Still deciding?

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

What Pilot can do that Roadtrippers 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 in the app
  • Plan, save, and book in one place, so the plan and the booking stay together
  • Forward a confirmation and have Pilot read it and file it on your trip
  • Plan any kind of trip, with flights, trains, and stays, not only a drive

Common questions about Pilot vs. Roadtrippers

What is Roadtrippers?

Roadtrippers is a road trip planning app. People use it to plan a driving route with stops and attractions. It helps you organize an itinerary, but you book your stays on other sites, and some features sit behind a paid plan.

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, and notes, and you book your hotel in the app at private rates straight from hotels, the kind usually reserved for travel agents. Where Roadtrippers organizes a trip you book elsewhere, Pilot keeps the planning free and lets you book your stay without leaving the plan.

Is Roadtrippers legit?

Yes, Roadtrippers is a real road-trip planning app that has been around since 2011. It maps a driving route, surfaces attractions, food, and fuel stops along the way, and offers paid tiers (annual only, from about 36 dollars a year for Basic up to about 60 for Premium) that unlock longer routes, offline maps, and more. It is worth knowing that while its iOS app rates around 4.7, its Trustpilot score sits near 2.8, which reflects how some customers feel they are treated. Pilot is also a real, independent trip-planning app, rated 4.8 on the App Store and 4.7 by 50,000+ travelers, and it does the planning plus lets you book your stays at private hotel rates in the app.

Is Roadtrippers free?

Roadtrippers has a free tier that covers basic route planning and discovering places along the way, but it gates a lot behind its paid tiers (annual only, from about 36 dollars a year): longer multi-stop routes, offline maps, live traffic, and more. Pilot is completely free to plan, including offline access on mobile, with no paywall on the basics. On top of that, Pilot lets you book your hotel in the app at private rates that Roadtrippers does not offer, so you get more without paying to unlock it.

How does Roadtrippers work?

Roadtrippers works by letting you set a start and end point, then it maps a driving route and surfaces attractions, restaurants, hotels, and fuel stops along the way, which you can add as stops. It is built specifically around the drive, with multi-stop route optimization and Apple CarPlay, and it links you out to other sites to book hotels. Pilot works differently: it is a flexible itinerary planner for any kind of trip, not just driving. You can add activities, transportation, and stays from anywhere, map them, plan together with the people coming, and then book your hotel right in the app at private rates straight from hotels, so the plan and the booking stay in one place.

How does Roadtrippers make money?

Roadtrippers makes money mainly from its paid subscriptions (annual, from about 36 dollars a year) and from referral commissions when it sends you to other sites to book hotels and experiences. Pilot is free to plan because it earns from hotels when you book through the app, not from charging you to plan, which is why the whole planner, including offline access, stays free. Pilot also shows results ranked for you, with no sponsored placement.

Can you book hotels in Roadtrippers?

Roadtrippers shows hotels along your route, but it leans on linking you out to other booking sites to complete the reservation, and it does not offer private member rates of its own. 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, so the booking lives with the rest of your trip instead of on a separate site. Note that Pilot lets you book hotels in the app; flights link out via Skyscanner, and experiences can be added to a trip.

Is Roadtrippers worth it?

Roadtrippers can be worth it if your trip is strictly a drive and you specifically want road-trip-native tools like attractions along a single optimized route, fuel-stop planning, and Apple CarPlay, and you do not mind paying for a higher tier to unlock offline maps and longer routes. If you want to plan any kind of trip, keep the basics free, plan together with others, and book your stay at private hotel rates in one place, Pilot does more without the paywall and is free to try.

Roadtrippers vs Pilot: which should I use?

Use Pilot if you want a flexible planner that works for any trip (flights, trains, and stays, not just a drive), keeps the basics free instead of gating them behind a paid plan, lets you plan together with the people coming, and lets you book your stays at private hotel rates all in one place. Roadtrippers fits the narrower case where your trip is purely a road trip, you want driving-specific tools like CarPlay and fuel stops, and you are fine paying its yearly fee for offline maps and longer routes and booking your hotels separately on other sites.

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