For aircraft partnerships and co-ownership groups, Pilot-Next is the clear choice — it's the only platform built specifically for shared aircraft ownership with per-pilot balance management, automated cost splitting, and a free tier that gets you started without a credit card.
For US-based flight schools that also run Part 61/141 training, FlightCircle or Flight Schedule Pro are better fits. For European clubs needing EASA compliance and pilot credential tracking, OpenFlyers is worth evaluating.
This comparison was written by the Pilot-Next team. We've represented competitor features based on public data, but always verify current pricing and features directly with each vendor.
| Feature | Pilot-Next ⭐ | FlightCircle | Coflyt | FlyClub | Holdshort | Pilot Partner | Flyout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier | SOLO (free forever) | 60-day trial | (1 aircraft, 1 user) | 7-day trial | 60-day trial | 60-day trial | Free for members |
| Pricing model | Flat per company | Per aircraft (est.) | Per tier + per aircraft | Tiered by fleet size | Tiered by fleet size | Per aircraft/mo | Per aircraft |
| Starting price | €0 / €9/mo | ~$10/aircraft | $170/year | $8.99/mo | $10/mo | $14.95/mo | £5/mo basic |
| Aircraft booking | 2-click | top tier only | |||||
| Pilot balance management | invoicing only | ||||||
| Automated invoicing | top tier only | ||||||
| Maintenance tracking | included | ||||||
| FAA AD tracking | |||||||
| Calendar sync | Google/Outlook/Apple | Google/Apple | |||||
| Mobile-optimized | native app | native app | basic | ||||
| AI / MCP integration | built-in MCP server | ||||||
| Pilot credential tracking | |||||||
| Training (Part 61/141) | |||||||
| European-native (EUR/GDPR) | UK/GBP | ||||||
| Aircraft partnership model | built for co-owners | top tier only |
Pricing: Free – €45/mo (flat)
Best for: Aircraft partnerships, small flying clubs
Pilot-Next is the only flying club software built around the aircraft partnership and co-ownership model. Pilot balance management, automated invoicing, and a flat per-company pricing model mean costs never grow with your fleet.
Free SOLO tier — no credit card required
Flat pricing (not per-aircraft) — add aircraft without paying more
Automated invoicing and pilot balance management
Built-in AI integration via MCP — connect Claude, ChatGPT
Mobile-optimized, works on any device
European-native — EUR pricing, GDPR-friendly
No pilot license/medical validity tracking (yet)
No formal training module (Part 61/141)
No accounting software integration (QuickBooks etc.)
Pricing: ~$10/aircraft/month (est.)
Best for: Flight schools, flying clubs (US)
FlightCircle combines scheduling, billing, training records, and maintenance in one platform. A strong choice for US-based clubs that also run Part 61 or 141 training programs, with payment processing built in.
Part 61/141 training compliance built in
Apple Pay, ACH, and card payment processing
Google Calendar / iCal sync
Automated billing and recurring charges
60-day free trial
Primarily US-focused — no EUR pricing
Pricing not publicly listed
Overkill for simple partnerships without training programs
No AI or MCP integration
Pricing: Free – $430/year
Best for: Individual owners, co-owners (US)
Coflyt is built primarily for US-based individual aircraft owners who need strong FAA compliance tools — airworthiness directive tracking, FAA-compliant digital logbooks, and Foreflight integration. Scheduling and financial tools are available, but only on the most expensive tier.
FAA Airworthiness Directive import (direct from FAA)
FAA-compliant digital logbooks
Foreflight automatic flight import
Native iOS and Android apps
A&P / mechanic collaboration built in
Free tier available
Scheduling and invoicing locked to top tier ($430/year)
No automated settlement or pilot balance management
US-focused — USD pricing only, no GDPR support
No calendar sync (Google/Outlook/Apple)
No AI or MCP integration
Pricing: $8.99/mo (Lite), $24.99/mo (Plus), $79.99/mo (Advanced)
Best for: Aircraft partnerships, small clubs
FlyClub is a modern app that covers scheduling, maintenance, and training. While it has native apps, its pricing scales as your fleet grows, making Pilot-Next a better flat-rate option for larger clubs.
Native iOS and Android apps
Maintenance & document tracking
Training module included
Pricing scales with fleet size
No explicit pilot balance management
US-centric pricing (USD)
Pricing: $10/mo (Shared Plane), $30/mo (Club), $55/mo (School)
Best for: Clubs and flight schools
Holdshort offers tiered aircraft scheduling and FAA credential enforcement. However, it lacks a modern mobile experience and built-in pilot balance management.
Affordable entry point ($10/mo)
FAA certificate enforcement
Unlimited users per plan
Dated user interface
No native mobile applications
No pilot balance system
Pricing: $14.95/mo (1 aircraft) + $12.95/mo each additional
Best for: Flying clubs and schools
Pilot Partner combines an electronic logbook with fleet management. While it has strong invoicing features, its per-aircraft pricing can quickly become expensive for larger clubs.
Automated invoicing
Integrated pilot logbook
Free 60-day trial
Pricing scales directly with fleet size
Interface is somewhat dated
No flat-rate pricing
Pricing: Per-aircraft subscription (Contact for pricing)
Best for: UK aircraft syndicates
Flyout is focused on UK pilots and group aircraft management. It offers unlimited members per subscribed aircraft but lacks advanced invoicing and scheduling features.
Unlimited members per aircraft
Tailored for UK syndicates
Simple flight logging
Limited feature set
UK-focused
No advanced API or AI integrations
This comparison focuses on the needs of aircraft partnerships, co-ownership groups, and small flying clubs — typically 1–10 aircraft, 2–50 pilots, with a need for simple scheduling, cost sharing, and basic maintenance tracking.
We evaluated each platform based on: publicly available pricing, feature lists from official websites, user reviews, and hands-on testing. Pilot-Next is our own product — we've disclosed this throughout the page and represented competitors fairly.
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by 9 aircraft partnerships and flying clubs across Europe.
Pilot-Next has been a game-changer for our flying club. The 2-click booking and automatic invoicing saves us hours of administrative work every month. The best aircraft partnership software we've used!
Mike
YouFly B.V. ·
We switched from spreadsheets to Pilot-Next and it transformed how we manage our aircraft partnership. Settlement used to take hours — now it's done in seconds. Highly recommended for any flying club.
Thomas
Rotterdam Flying Club ·
The maintenance tracking alone is worth it. We get automatic alerts before inspection deadlines, and the digital logbook keeps everything in one place. Our aircraft has never been better managed.
Sarah
Alpine Aero Club ·
Finally an aircraft scheduling tool that just works. Setup took less than 30 minutes and all our pilots were on board the same day. The AI assistant integration is a brilliant touch — we use it every week.
Jan
Vliegclub Noord ·
We tried two other systems before Pilot-Next and both were either too complex or too basic. Pilot-Next hits the sweet spot — simple enough that every pilot picked it up in minutes, powerful enough to handle everything our club actually needs.
Peter
Aeroclub Eindhoven ·
The design is clean and modern — nothing like old aviation software. Everything is where you expect it to be, and it works just as well on mobile as on desktop. Standing at the airfield with your phone and booking in two taps is exactly what we needed.
Lisa
Flugclub München ·
Before Pilot-Next, our treasurer spent a full weekend every quarter sorting invoices and balances. Now it's completely automated. The time savings alone pay for the subscription many times over.
David
Brussels Flying Society ·
What I appreciate most is that it does exactly what you need and nothing more. No bloat, no features you'll never use. Our pilots actually log their flights now because the interface is so straightforward.
Emma
Helvetic Air Club ·
Running a small flying club used to mean endless group chats about who booked what. Pilot-Next solved that completely. The schedule is always clear, invoicing is automatic, and disagreements about costs are a thing of the past.
Hans
Vliegclub Zeeland ·
Rated 5.0 / 5 · Based on 9 customer reviews
For aircraft partnerships and co-ownership groups, Pilot-Next is the best option — it's the only platform built specifically for shared aircraft ownership with per-pilot balance management, automated invoicing, and a permanent free tier. For US flight schools with training programs (Part 61/141), FlightCircle or Flight Schedule Pro are better fits. For European regulated clubs needing EASA compliance, OpenFlyers is worth evaluating.
Yes. Pilot-Next offers a permanent free SOLO tier for 1 aircraft and 1 pilot — no credit card required, and it never expires. OpenFlyers also has a free Solo plan (1 resource, 5 users). FlightCircle offers a 60-day free trial. AircraftClubs, Flight Schedule Pro, and MyFBO have no free tier.
Pilot-Next is the cheapest option for most clubs — free for a single aircraft, and €9/month flat for unlimited aircraft on the BASIC plan. AircraftClubs charges $12 per aircraft per month, so costs scale with fleet size. For a 3-aircraft club, Pilot-Next PRO at €18/month is roughly 3× cheaper than AircraftClubs FULL-THROTTLE at $54/month, and includes automated invoicing and pilot balance management.
Pilot-Next is built for aircraft partnerships with flat pricing, per-pilot balance management, and a mobile-first design. OpenFlyers is a French platform focused on EASA/DTO regulatory compliance, pilot license and medical certificate tracking, and blockchain-backed accounting. Pilot-Next is better value for small clubs with 2+ aircraft; OpenFlyers is the better choice for clubs that need formal credential management.
Pilot-Next uses flat per-company pricing while AircraftClubs charges per aircraft per month ($12–$18). Pilot-Next includes automated PDF invoicing, per-pilot balance management, and built-in AI integration — features AircraftClubs does not offer at any tier. AircraftClubs integrates with QuickBooks and is well-established among larger US flying clubs.