Pilot vs. Rome2Rio: feature comparison, ratings, and FAQ
A data comparison maintained by Pilot (pilotplans.com). Full comparison: https://www.pilotplans.com/compare/rome2rio-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.
Rome2Rio: Multi-modal travel search engine for getting from A to B. Omio-owned.
Rome2Rio is a route search that links you out to operators and other sites to book. Pilot plans the whole trip on a map and books your stay in the app at private rates, so the plan and the booking stay in one place.
Key facts
- Pricing
- Pilot: completely free to plan and book. Rome2Rio: Free to use.
- Overall rating
- Pilot: 4.7 from 50,000+ travelers. Rome2Rio: Trustpilot 3.4, App Store 4.7, Google Play 4.5.
- Founded
- Pilot: 2022. Rome2Rio: 2011.
- Books hotels in the app
- Pilot: yes, at private rates across 3,000,000+ stays. Rome2Rio: no.
- Full comparison
- https://www.pilotplans.com/compare/rome2rio-alternative
Feature comparison
Each row shows whether Pilot and Rome2Rio offer the feature: Yes, No, or Partial. A [n] marker cites the source in References.
| Feature | Pilot | Rome2Rio |
|---|---|---|
| Navigation | ||
| Public transit routing | Yes | Yes[1] |
| Live transit departure times | No | Partial[1] |
| Cycling routes | Yes | No |
| Walking directions | Yes | Partial[1] |
| Driving directions | Yes | Yes[1] |
| Offline map download | Yes | No |
| Multi-stop route optimization | Partial | No |
| Attractions along driving route | No | No |
| Maps | ||
| Map view of itinerary | YesSee your whole trip and all your stops on one map; Rome2Rio maps a single A-to-B route and links out to book the legs | Yes[1] |
| Add items from map | Yes | No |
| Routes tool | YesRoute between your own stops as you plan; Rome2Rio is built to find how to get from one place to another | Yes[1] |
| Reorder route stops | Yes | No |
| Dynamic map search | Yes | Partial[1] |
| Planning | ||
| Itinerary builder | YesPlan the whole multi-stop trip in one place; Rome2Rio answers one trip leg at a time | No |
| Drag and drop reordering | Yes | No |
| Customizable map pins and routes | Yes | 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 with the plan; Rome2Rio holds no trip of yours | 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[1] |
| 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 | YesAdd flights, trains, and more to your plan; Rome2Rio compares those modes for one journey, then sends you elsewhere to book | Yes[1] |
| Flight code auto-fill | Yes | No |
| Multi-leg flight support | Yes | No |
| Consistent IATA codes on mobile | Yes | No |
Ratings
| Source | Pilot | Rome2Rio |
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot rating | 4.4 | 3.4[2] |
| App Store rating | 4.8 | 4.7[2] |
| Google Play rating | 4.2 | 4.5[2] |
Pricing
| Pilot | Rome2Rio | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Free to plan and book | Free to use[1] |
Frequently asked questions
What is Rome2Rio?
Rome2Rio is a multi-modal travel search engine. People use it to find how to get from one place to another by plane, train, bus, ferry, or car, with rough prices, schedules, and durations, then it links them out to operators or other sites to book. It is free to use and owned by Omio.
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 Rome2Rio finds a route and sends you elsewhere, Pilot books the stay in the app and keeps the whole trip together.
Is Pilot a good Rome2Rio alternative?
It depends what you need. Rome2Rio is purpose-built for one job, comparing transport options between two places, and it does that well. Pilot is for planning and booking the whole trip: a multi-stop itinerary on a map, your stay booked in the app at private rates across more than 3,000,000 hotels, notes, and real-time group collaboration. If you mainly need to plan and book a trip, Pilot does more; if you only need to work out a transport connection, Rome2Rio is the better fit.
Does Rome2Rio book tickets?
No. Rome2Rio shows you the options and links you out to operators, airlines, or other booking sites to actually buy, so it has no booking, trip, or support of its own. Pilot books your hotel in the app at private rates straight from hotels and keeps it with the rest of your trip, with real people on support.
Is Rome2Rio free?
Yes. Rome2Rio is free to use and earns affiliate commission when it sends you to a partner to book. Pilot is also completely free, because it earns from hotels when you book in the app, so the whole planner, the itinerary, the map, and group collaboration, stays free, and you book your stay at private rates.
Pilot vs Rome2Rio: which should I use?
Use Rome2Rio to figure out how to get between two places. Use Pilot to plan and book the whole trip around those journeys, with a map of your stops, your stay booked in the app at private rates, group collaboration, and real people on support, all free and in one place.
References
- rome2rio.com (2026-06-04)
- App Store, Google Play (2026-06-04; Trustpilot score unverified)