You manage an aircraft partnership, co-ownership group, or European flying club and need per-company pricing with an unlimited fleet on ULTRA, per-pilot balance management, automated invoicing, and a mobile-first experience with built-in AI integration.
You run a US-based flight school or club with Part 61/141 training programs and need integrated payment processing (Apple Pay, ACH, card), training record management, and automated billing for student pilots.
Pilot-Next prices read off our own pricing page; FlightCircle's read off the pricing image on the flightcircle.com homepage, 6 October 2026. Always verify with each vendor. Visit FlightCircle.com ↗
SOLO
1 aircraft, 1 pilotFree forever
BASIC
1 aircraft, 5 pilots€9/month
PRO
2 aircraft, 10 pilots€18/month
ULTRA
Unlimited aircraft and pilots€45/month
Free trial
Advertised on their homepage60 days
Unlimited plan
Per aircraft/sim — unlimited users, instructors and support$10/mo
Billed annually
Same plan, paid yearly5% off
Transparency note: Both vendors publish a price. Pilot-Next's tiers are on its pricing page; FlightCircle's plan is shown as an image on its homepage rather than as text or on a pricing page. This page used to say FlightCircle publishes no price. When we re-read its homepage on 14 September 2026 we found that image, so its figure is now on this page with the date we read it.
Monthly prices, nominal, each in the vendor's own currency (EUR and USD) — not converted. Pilot-Next paid tiers are billed annually; FlightCircle takes 5% off when billed annually. FlightCircle figures read off its homepage on 6 October 2026.
| Fleet | Pilot-Next | FlightCircle |
|---|---|---|
| 1 aircraft, 1 pilot | SOLO — €0 | $10/mo |
| 1 aircraft, up to 5 pilots | BASIC — €9/mo | $10/mo |
| 2 aircraft, up to 10 pilots | PRO — €18/mo | $20/mo |
| 3 aircraft | ULTRA — €45/mo | $30/mo |
| 4 aircraft | ULTRA — €45/mo | $40/mo |
| 5 aircraft | ULTRA — €45/mo | $50/mo |
| 10 aircraft | ULTRA — €45/mo | $100/mo |
In nominal terms FlightCircle is lower at three and four aircraft, and Pilot-Next is lower from five aircraft on, because ULTRA covers an unlimited fleet for one fee while FlightCircle adds $10 for every aircraft or simulator. At one and two aircraft Pilot-Next is a little lower within its pilot limits (5 on BASIC, 10 on PRO); FlightCircle includes unlimited users and instructors on every plan, so a larger group on one or two aircraft may pay less there.
What a club of 10 pilots pays per year as the fleet grows
FlightCircle
Unlimited plan: $10 per aircraft or simulator per month, 5% off billed annually
Pilot-Next
Cheapest plan that fits 10 pilots; one fee for the whole fleet
| Feature | Pilot-Next | FlightCircle |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | SOLO — free forever | 60-day trial; no free tier stated |
| Starting paid price | €9/month (billed annually) | $10/mo per aircraft/sim |
| Pricing model | 4 tiers; unlimited aircraft at €45/mo | Per aircraft/sim, unlimited users |
| Pricing transparency | publicly listed | shown as an image on its homepage |
| Aircraft booking | 2-click | |
| Pilot balance management | full credit/debit tracking | credit balances, auto-pay |
| Automated invoicing | built-in PDF invoicing | |
| Membership dues | monthly, quarterly or yearly; one step or automatic | recurring items; Auto Pay charges card or ACH |
| Club booking limits | length, open bookings, days ahead, minimum balance | future reservations, booking length, minimum credit |
| Payment processing | Apple Pay, ACH, cards | |
| Maintenance tracking | included | |
| Training (Part 61/141) | ||
| Calendar sync | invite per booking (Google, Outlook, Apple) | Google Calendar / iCal |
| Mobile-optimized | fully responsive | |
| AI / MCP integration | built-in MCP server | Not stated |
| European-native (EUR) | price published in USD | |
| GDPR compliant | data stored in the US | |
| Aircraft co-ownership model | built for co-owners | lists partnerships among its users |
Pilot-Next publishes all pricing on its website and charges per company in four tiers by aircraft and pilot count; from three aircraft upward one ULTRA fee of €45 per month (billed annually) covers an unlimited fleet, so adding aircraft beyond that costs nothing extra. FlightCircle shows one plan on its homepage — $10 per aircraft or simulator per month, 5% off billed annually, with unlimited users, instructors and support — so its bill grows with every aircraft but not with the number of pilots. In nominal terms FlightCircle is lower at three and four aircraft, and Pilot-Next from five aircraft on.
Pilot-Next's standout feature is its built-in financial management: pilots maintain a running balance, the pilot settles each flight by entering the meter readings, and the PDF invoice is then created and debited from the balance automatically. FlightCircle handles billing and invoicing too, including credit balances on account and auto-pay (its documentation, read 23 September 2026); the difference is that it collects payments in the platform, while Pilot-Next keeps a pre-paid balance per pilot with payments made outside the app.
FlightCircle has a comprehensive training module covering Part 61 and 141 training records, student progress tracking, and syllabus management. This makes it a strong fit for US flight schools that blend club operations with structured training programs. Pilot-Next does not currently include a training module — it focuses purely on booking, invoicing, and aircraft management.
FlightCircle includes built-in payment processing with support for Apple Pay, ACH bank transfers, and credit/debit cards. This is valuable for clubs that collect fees directly through the platform. Pilot-Next uses a pilot balance (pre-payment) model where payments happen outside the app, with the balance deducted per flight.
Pilot-Next includes a built-in MCP (Model Context Protocol) server, so AI assistants can connect to the club's data directly. Claude, ChatGPT, and other MCP-compatible agents can book flights, check availability, and query balances through natural language. FlightCircle’s site does not mention an AI integration (read 23 September 2026).
Pilot-Next is European-native with EUR pricing and GDPR-friendly infrastructure. FlightCircle is US-focused: it publishes its price in USD, and its privacy policy says all data is stored and processed in the U.S. Pilot-Next is built in the Netherlands and runs in Frankfurt.
The honest one-line answer depends on what you actually do every day. Find the row that matches your operation.
| Your situation | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 2–10 pilots sharing one aircraft (co-ownership / partnership) | Pilot-Next | Built around pilot balances and shared cost-splitting. SOLO is free for a single pilot, BASIC is €9/mo (billed annually) for up to 5 pilots, PRO €18/mo for up to 10. |
| European flying club billing in EUR with EASA pilots | Pilot-Next | EUR-native pricing, EU hosting, GDPR-friendly. FlightCircle publishes its price in USD. |
| US flight school running structured Part 61 / 141 training | FlightCircle | Built-in training record management, syllabus tracking, and student progress reports. |
| Club that collects member fees with Apple Pay, ACH, or cards | FlightCircle | Integrated payment processing. Pilot-Next uses a pre-paid pilot balance model instead. |
| Club planning to connect AI assistants (Claude, ChatGPT) to bookings | Pilot-Next | Built-in MCP server. Pilots can book, settle, and check balances by chat. |
| Club with many pilots on 3–4 aircraft, watching the cost | FlightCircle | $30–$40/month with unlimited users, against €45/month on Pilot-Next ULTRA (nominal, different currencies). |
| Growing fleet (5+ aircraft) where price per airframe matters | Pilot-Next | ULTRA covers an unlimited fleet for €45/month (billed annually). FlightCircle is $10 per aircraft or simulator per month — $50 at five aircraft, and more with each one added. |
| Trying a tool with no time limit | Pilot-Next | SOLO is free forever, with no credit card. FlightCircle offers a 60-day free trial; its homepage states no permanent free tier. |
FlightCircle advertises a 60-day free trial on its own homepage (read 14 September 2026). The same homepage shows its paid plan — Unlimited, $10 per aircraft or simulator per month — and says nothing about a permanent free tier. Pilot-Next offers a free SOLO plan (1 aircraft, 1 pilot) that never expires and requires no credit card.
FlightCircle shows its price on its own homepage, as an image rather than as text or on a pricing page (read 14 September 2026): the Unlimited plan is $10 per aircraft or simulator per month in USD, 5% off when billed annually, and includes unlimited users, instructors and support, with a 60-day free trial. Pilot-Next is priced per company in four tiers: SOLO is free (1 aircraft, 1 pilot), BASIC €9/month (1 aircraft, 5 pilots), PRO €18/month (2 aircraft, 10 pilots) and ULTRA €45/month (unlimited aircraft and pilots), paid tiers billed annually. In nominal terms — different currencies — FlightCircle is lower at three and four aircraft ($30 and $40 against €45), and Pilot-Next is lower from five aircraft on ($50 and up against €45).
Pilot-Next is built for aircraft partnerships and co-ownership groups with per-company pricing, per-pilot balance management, automated invoicing, and built-in AI integration. FlightCircle is designed for US flight schools and clubs that run Part 61/141 training programs, with integrated payment processing (Apple Pay, ACH, cards) and training record management. Pilot-Next is better for European clubs and aircraft partnerships; FlightCircle is better for US training operations.
FlightCircle is US-focused: its prices are in USD, and its privacy policy says all data is stored and processed in the U.S. Pilot-Next is European-native with EUR pricing and GDPR-friendly infrastructure, making it the better choice for clubs based in Europe.
Platforms built in Europe that serve flying clubs include Pilot-Next, Aviatize, OpenFlyers, Vereinsflieger, AeroSuite, 4fly, Flylogs, Repulion, Flightnet, FLYLOG.io, Avibase, Aircraft Info Desk, ameavia, Aviation Helper, Aerogest and AeroPlus. Pilot-Next is built in the Netherlands and runs in Frankfurt; it prices in euros per club, puts VAT on every invoice line and can e-mail every flight invoice to the club’s accounting inbox as a PDF plus a UBL e-invoice, with a connection to Exact Online (Netherlands) on request. Our flying club software for Europe page compares all of them on price, VAT, accounting export and languages, each read on the vendor’s own website.
Most of the differences between Pilot-Next and FlightCircle come down to how a flight gets measured, billed and settled. The calculator and these articles explain how we think about that, so you can judge whether the model fits your club before you sign up for anything.
Free and without an account: pick a type and the number of owners, and see the fixed share per year and the rate per flight hour — the same split a partnership or club settles on. Download it as a PDF or as an Excel spreadsheet with live formulas.
Why splitting costs at the booking level beats logging every leg — and what changes when your operations tool stops caring about where you flew.
The practical difference between the two engine-wear measures, which one your club should bill on, and why Pilot-Next lets you configure both per aircraft.
Dues, joining fees and hourly rates at 17 flying clubs, read on their own pages — and what an hour really costs a member at 25, 50 or 100 hours a year.
The six decisions in order — who owns the aircraft, bylaws and operating rules, insurance — and the dues and hourly rate one Cessna 172S needs at 10 to 30 members.
Aircraft operations is not pilot record-keeping, is not flight training, and is not airworthiness management. Why the scope stays tight — and what to use instead.
More on how clubs run their aircraft on the Pilot-Next blog.
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