Pilot vs. Stippl: feature comparison, ratings, and FAQ
A data comparison maintained by Pilot (pilotplans.com). Full comparison: https://www.pilotplans.com/compare/stippl-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.
Stippl: AI travel planner with budgeting + B2B advisor tier.
Both plan a trip well. Pilot keeps the AI planner and offline free where Stippl charges for them, and lets you book your stays at private hotel rates instead of sending you to other sites.
Key facts
- Pricing
- Pilot: completely free to plan and book. Stippl: Free; Premium from $24.99/yr (PRO).
- Overall rating
- Pilot: 4.7 from 50,000+ travelers. Stippl: Trustpilot 2.9, App Store 4.6, Google Play 4.7.
- Founded
- Pilot: 2022. Stippl: 2021.
- Books hotels in the app
- Pilot: yes, at private rates across 3,000,000+ stays. Stippl: no.
- Full comparison
- https://www.pilotplans.com/compare/stippl-alternative
Feature comparison
Each row shows whether Pilot and Stippl offer the feature: Yes, No, or Partial. A [n] marker cites the source in References.
| Feature | Pilot | Stippl |
|---|---|---|
| Planning | ||
| Itinerary builder | YesFlexible by design: map out all your ideas and reshape the plan however you want | Yes[1] |
| Drag and drop reordering | Yes | Yes |
| Customizable map pins and routes | Yes | Yes |
| Add activities, transportation, or stays from anywhere | Yes | Yes |
| Attach info to any item | Yes | Yes |
| Notes and checklists | Yes | Yes |
| Note and list format toggle | Yes | No |
| Rich text formatting in notes | YesFormat notes with headings, bold, and links, not just plain text | No[2] |
| Undo and redo | Yes | No |
| Duplicate trips | Yes | Yes |
| Manual file import | Yes | No |
| Email-forwarding file import | Yes | Yes |
| AI parsing of imported confirmations | Yes | Yes |
| Export to PDF | Yes | Yes |
| iOS and Android mobile apps | Yes | Yes |
| Offline access on mobile | YesFree in Pilot; Stippl keeps offline access behind its paid PRO plan | Yes[3] |
| Shortlist items | Yes | Yes |
| Wishlist / wanderlist | Yes | Yes |
| 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 |
| Collaboration | ||
| Invite friends | Yes | Yes |
| Real-time collaborative editing | YesPlan together in one shared trip, then book the stay together in the app | Yes[4] |
| Edit or view-only permissions | Yes | No |
| Heart items for voting | YesHeart an idea to vote on it as a group; Stippl has comments but no built-in voting | No[5] |
| Custom trip name and cover photo | Yes | Yes |
| Dedicated group chat per trip | Yes | No |
| Shared notes, files, and saved lists | Yes | Yes |
| Travel profile and stats | Yes | Yes |
| Edit profile details | Yes | Yes |
| Leave a trip | Yes | No |
| Trips dashboard | Yes | Yes |
| Trip menu actions | Yes | Yes |
| Maps | ||
| Map view of itinerary | Yes | Yes |
| Add items from map | Yes | Yes |
| Routes tool | Yes | Yes |
| Reorder route stops | Yes | Yes |
| Dynamic map search | Yes | No |
| AI | ||
| AI itinerary generator | YesFree in Pilot; Stippl keeps AI itineraries behind its paid PRO plan | Yes[6] |
| AI activity suggestions | Yes | Yes |
| AI planning with filters | Yes | Yes |
| Booking | ||
| Book hotels in the app | YesBook your stay in the app; Stippl sends you out to Booking.com or Airbnb to book | No[7] |
| Member-only hotel rates | YesPrivate deals straight from hotels, the kind usually saved for travel agents, across 3,000,000+ stays | No[8] |
| Add accommodation to itinerary | Yes | Yes |
| Transportation cost tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Flight deals | Yes | No |
| Files tab | Yes | No |
| Attach files to itinerary items | Yes | No |
| Instant booking confirmation | Yes | No[9] |
| Checkout without upsells | Yes | No |
| Reviews from real travelers | Yes | No |
| No hidden fees or taxes | Yes | No[10] |
| Budgeting | ||
| Trip budget tracker | Partial | Yes |
| Per-person cost split | Partial | Yes |
| In-trip expense logging | Yes | Yes |
| Group expense splitting | No | Yes |
Ratings
| Source | Pilot | Stippl |
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot rating | 4.4 | 2.9[11] |
| App Store rating | 4.8 | 4.6[11] |
| Google Play rating | 4.2 | 4.7[11] |
Pricing
| Pilot | Stippl | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Free to plan and book | Free; Premium from $24.99/yr (PRO)[12] |
Frequently asked questions
What is Stippl?
Stippl is an all-in-one trip planner app used to plan an itinerary with a budget and packing list. It organizes 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 where you plan the whole trip and book your hotel at private rates, the kind usually reserved for travel agents. Where Stippl organizes a trip you book elsewhere, Pilot keeps planning free and books the stay too.
Is Pilot a good Stippl alternative?
Yes, Pilot covers the same planning as Stippl, but keeps the AI planner and offline access free where Stippl gates both behind PRO at about 25 dollars yearly. Pilot also books your stay at private rates, while Stippl sends you out to Booking.com.
Is Stippl free?
Stippl has a free tier, but its AI itinerary generator and offline access sit behind Stippl PRO at about 25 dollars yearly. Pilot is completely free, including the AI planner and offline use, and adds in-app hotel booking at private rates Stippl does not have.
Is Stippl PRO worth it?
Stippl PRO is about 25 dollars yearly and mainly unlocks AI itineraries and offline access, so whether it's worth it depends on how much you use those. Pilot gives you both free and adds what PRO can't, booking your hotel at private rates.
Can you book hotels in Stippl?
No, Stippl helps you find and organize hotels but links you out to sites like Booking.com or Airbnb to book. Pilot books over 3,000,000 hotels in the app at private rates straight from hotels, so the booking lives with the rest of your trip.
How does Stippl make money?
Stippl earns from its PRO subscription and referral commissions when it sends you to other sites to book. Pilot is free because it earns from hotels when you book, not from charging you to plan, so the whole planner including AI and offline stays free.
What is the best free alternative to Stippl?
Pilot is completely free, including the AI planner and offline access that Stippl charges for, and covers the same flexible planning, maps, and notes. It also adds in-app hotel booking at private rates, so it does more than both Stippl's free and paid PRO tiers.
Pilot vs Stippl: which should I use?
Use Pilot for a free, flexible planner that's simple to use and books stays at private hotel rates. Stippl fits the narrow case where you want its expense splitter or AI travel videos and are happy to pay PRO and book hotels yourself.
References
- stippl.io/itinerary-planner (2026-06-03)
- rich text formatting not listed on stippl.io; notes are plain (2026-06-03)
- stippl.io: offline access is a paid PRO feature (2026-06-03)
- stippl.io: real-time collaboration with friends (2026-06-03)
- voting not listed on stippl.io; Stippl uses comments (2026-06-03)
- stippl.io/ai-travel-planner: AI itinerary is a paid PRO feature (2026-06-03)
- stippl.io links out to Booking and Airbnb to book; no in-app booking (2026-06-03)
- not listed on stippl.io (2026-06-03)
- no in-app booking on stippl.io (2026-06-03)
- Stippl routes booking to third-party sites (2026-06-03)
- App Store and Google Play (2026-06-03)
- stippl.io and App Store (2026-06-03)