Pilot vs. Wotif: feature comparison, ratings, and FAQ
A data comparison maintained by Pilot (pilotplans.com). Full comparison: https://www.pilotplans.com/compare/wotif-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.
Wotif: Australia/NZ OTA. Expedia Group.
Wotif is built to sell you a room. Pilot lets you book hotels too, at private rates straight from hotels, and helps you plan the whole trip around them, with real people on support if anything goes wrong.
Key facts
- Pricing
- Pilot: completely free to plan and book. Wotif: Free to use.
- Overall rating
- Pilot: 4.7 from 50,000+ travelers. Wotif: Trustpilot 1.2, App Store 4.6, Google Play 4.2.
- Founded
- Pilot: 2022. Wotif: 2000.
- Books hotels in the app
- Pilot: yes, at private rates across 3,000,000+ stays. Wotif: yes.
- Full comparison
- https://www.pilotplans.com/compare/wotif-alternative
Feature comparison
Each row shows whether Pilot and Wotif offer the feature: Yes, No, or Partial. A [n] marker cites the source in References.
| Feature | Pilot | Wotif |
|---|---|---|
| Booking | ||
| Book hotels in the app | YesBook your stay at private rates straight from hotels, the kind usually reserved for travel agents, saved with the rest of your trip | Yes |
| Member-only hotel rates | YesPrivate rates straight from hotels; Wotif marks up prices and adds fees at checkout | Yes |
| Add accommodation to itinerary | Yes | No |
| Transportation cost tracking | Yes | No |
| Flight deals | Yes | No |
| Files tab | Yes | No |
| Attach files to itinerary items | Yes | No |
| Instant booking confirmation | Yes | Yes |
| Checkout without upsells | Yes | No |
| Reviews from real travelers | Yes | Yes |
| No hidden fees or taxes | Yes | No |
| Inventory & discovery | ||
| Bookable hotel inventory | Yes | No |
| Hotel search filters | Yes | Yes |
| Activities to explore in-app | Yes | Yes |
| Restaurant listings in-app | Yes | No |
| Discovery filters | Yes | Yes |
| Travel requirements and eVisas | Yes | No |
| Flight suggestions for trip | No | Yes |
| eSIMs at checkout | Yes | No |
| Destination pages | Yes | Yes |
| Editorial travel guides in-app | Yes | Yes |
| Things to do per city | Yes | Yes |
| Activity detail pages | Yes | No |
| Planning | ||
| Itinerary builder | YesBuild a flexible, multi-stop itinerary and reshape it however you want, from a rough idea to booked | No |
| Drag and drop reordering | Yes | No |
| Customizable map pins and routes | YesSee your whole trip on a map and make it yours | 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 right alongside the plan | 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 |
| Offline access on mobile | Yes | No |
| Shortlist items | Yes | Yes |
| Wishlist / wanderlist | Yes | Yes |
| Wishlist images | Yes | No |
| Fun sound effects | Yes | No |
| Structured itinerary sections | Yes | No |
| Keyboard shortcuts | Yes | No |
| Multiple transportation types | Yes | No |
| 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 it together with your group in one shared trip | No |
| Edit or view-only permissions | Yes | Yes |
| Heart items for voting | Yes | Yes |
| Custom trip name and cover photo | Yes | No |
| Dedicated group chat per trip | Yes | No |
| Shared notes, files, and saved lists | Yes | Yes |
| Travel profile and stats | Yes | No |
| Edit profile details | Yes | Yes |
| Leave a trip | Yes | No |
| Trips dashboard | Yes | Yes |
| Trip menu actions | Yes | No |
| Support | ||
| Human support | YesReach a real person on our team in the in-app chat or by email, not an outsourced center or a bot | Yes |
| AI for basic support answers | Yes | Yes |
Ratings
| Source | Pilot | Wotif |
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot rating | 4.4 | 1.2 |
| App Store rating | 4.8 | 4.6 |
| Google Play rating | 4.2 | 4.2 |
Pricing
| Pilot | Wotif | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Free to plan and book | Free to use[1] |
Frequently asked questions
What is Wotif?
Wotif is an Australian and New Zealand travel booking site for hotels, flights, and packages, built to complete a booking rather than plan the trip around it. It books as a middleman rather than directly with the hotel.
What is Pilot?
Pilot is a trip booking and planning app: you plan the whole trip and book your hotel at private rates straight from hotels. Where Wotif completes a booking, Pilot plans the trip around the stay and has a real person confirm each booking.
Is Wotif legit?
Yes, Wotif is a real travel booking site launched in Australia in 2000, now part of Expedia Group, though it rates around 1.2 on Trustpilot with complaints about checkout charges. Pilot is an alternative for the hotel side, with private rates straight from hotels.
Is Wotif free to use?
Wotif is free to browse and book on, earning from bookings while marking up prices and selling sponsored placement, so the top result isn't always the best deal. Pilot is also free, with private rates straight from hotels and no sponsored results.
How does Wotif make money?
Wotif earns a commission on every booking and sells sponsored placement to properties that want to rank higher, part of why the price can grow with fees at checkout. Pilot earns from hotels and doesn't sell placement, so results are ranked for you.
Can you book hotels on Wotif?
Yes, booking hotels is Wotif's main purpose, alongside flights, rental cars, and packages, focused on Australian and New Zealand stays. Pilot lets you book hotels too, at private rates straight from hotels with a real person confirming each booking, though not flights or cars.
Does Wotif charge fees or mark up prices?
Wotif marks up the prices it shows and is reported to add fees at checkout, and it sells sponsored placement to properties that pay to rank higher. Pilot lets you book at private rates straight from hotels with no sponsored results, ranked for you.
Is Pilot a good Wotif alternative?
Yes, for the hotel side: Pilot books hotels at private rates straight from hotels, with no sponsored results, real support, and a planning suite Wotif doesn't offer. The caveat is Wotif also books flights, cars, and packages, so for those it still has a role.
Pilot vs Wotif: which should I use?
Use Pilot to plan a trip and book the stay, with private rates straight from hotels, real support, and your plans, group, and booking in one place. Use Wotif if you need flights, rental cars, and packages from Expedia Group or its 'Mates Rates' deals.
References
- wotif.com (2026-06-03)