Pilot vs. ZenHotels: feature comparison, ratings, and FAQ
A data comparison maintained by Pilot (pilotplans.com). Full comparison: https://www.pilotplans.com/compare/zenhotels-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.
ZenHotels: Hotel booking with standout customer service. Emerging Travel Group.
ZenHotels is built to sell you a hotel room. Pilot lets you book hotels too, at private rates straight from hotels, then helps you plan the whole trip around them, so your stay, your itinerary, and your group all live in one place.
Key facts
- Pricing
- Pilot: completely free to plan and book. ZenHotels: Free to use.
- Overall rating
- Pilot: 4.7 from 50,000+ travelers. ZenHotels: Trustpilot 4.3, App Store 4.8, Google Play 4.6.
- Founded
- Pilot: 2022. ZenHotels: 2010.
- Books hotels in the app
- Pilot: yes, at private rates across 3,000,000+ stays. ZenHotels: yes.
- Full comparison
- https://www.pilotplans.com/compare/zenhotels-alternative
Feature comparison
Each row shows whether Pilot and ZenHotels offer the feature: Yes, No, or Partial. A [n] marker cites the source in References.
| Feature | Pilot | ZenHotels |
|---|---|---|
| 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 'book early' rates straight from hotels, the kind usually reserved for travel agents, often below the public price; ZenHotels 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 | Yes |
| 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 | No |
| 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 | YesMap out your whole trip and reshape it however you want; ZenHotels books a room, it does not plan the trip | No |
| Drag and drop reordering | Yes | No |
| Customizable map pins and routes | YesSee your whole trip on a map, pin your places, 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 | Yes |
| Shortlist items | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | Yes | No |
| Flight code auto-fill | Yes | No |
| Multi-leg flight support | Yes | No |
| Consistent IATA codes on mobile | Yes | No |
| Budgeting | ||
| Trip budget tracker | Partial | No |
| Per-person cost split | Partial | No |
| In-trip expense logging | Yes | No |
| Group expense splitting | No | No |
Ratings
| Source | Pilot | ZenHotels |
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot rating | 4.4 | 4.3 |
| App Store rating | 4.8 | 4.8 |
| Google Play rating | 4.2 | 4.6 |
Pricing
| Pilot | ZenHotels | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Free to plan and book | Free to use[1] |
Frequently asked questions
What is ZenHotels?
ZenHotels is a hotel booking site used to book hotels from a large partner inventory, 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 ZenHotels completes a booking, Pilot plans the trip around the stay and has a real person confirm each booking.
Is ZenHotels legit?
Yes, ZenHotels is a real hotel booking site operating since 2010, rated around 4.3 on Trustpilot, though it marks up the price and can add fees at checkout. Pilot is also legit, rated 4.7 by 50,000+ travelers, and books hotels at private rates.
Is ZenHotels free to use?
Yes, ZenHotels is free to browse and book on, but it marks up prices, can pile on fees at checkout, and is a booking site only. Pilot is also free, with private rates straight from hotels, and helps you plan the whole trip.
How does ZenHotels make money?
ZenHotels earns on the rooms it sells, booking as a reseller, marking up the rate, and adding fees at checkout, so the price you pay is not always the lowest. Pilot earns from hotels and sells no placement, so results are ranked for you.
Can you book hotels on ZenHotels?
Yes, booking hotels is the whole point of ZenHotels, though it books as a reseller, marks up the rate, and can add fees at checkout. Pilot lets you book hotels too, at private rates straight from hotels and as part of your whole trip.
Does ZenHotels have hidden fees?
ZenHotels marks up the rates it resells and can add fees at checkout, so the headline price is not always the final price you pay. Pilot lets you book at private rates straight from hotels with no sponsored results and a real person to help.
Does ZenHotels plan trips or just book hotels?
ZenHotels just books hotels and does not build an itinerary, map your stops, take notes, or let your group plan together. Pilot does both, booking hotels at private rates straight from hotels and helping you plan the whole trip around the stay, free.
ZenHotels vs Pilot: which should I use?
Use Pilot to plan a trip and book the stay in one place, with private rates straight from hotels, real support, and your itinerary, map, and group together, free. Use ZenHotels if all you want is a single room from a very large live list.
References
- zenhotels.com (2026-06-03)