You run an aircraft partnership or European flying club and want flat pricing, automated PDF invoicing, per-pilot balances, calendar sync, and AI integration.
You run a US club where FAA currency enforcement matters, want the lowest entry-tier price, and are happy to pair scheduling with an external accounting tool.
As of May 2026. Always verify current pricing with each vendor. Visit Holdshort.com ↗
SOLO
1 aircraft, 1 pilotFree forever
BASIC
Flat — any number of aircraft€9/month
PRO
Flat — any number of aircraft€18/month
ULTRA
Flat — any number of aircraft€45/month
Trial
No permanent free tier60 days
Entry
Tiers up by fleet size; unlimited usersfrom $10/mo
Three operating scenarios at the same exchange rate (1 USD ≈ 0.92 EUR). Holdshort entry tier is $10/mo; higher tiers scale by fleet — confirm exact pricing on the Holdshort site.
| Club profile | Pilot-Next | Holdshort (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 aircraft, 1 pilot | SOLO — €0/yr | Entry — ~$120/yr (~€110) |
| 1 aircraft, 10 pilots (small club) | BASIC — €108/yr | Entry — ~$120/yr (~€110) |
| 4 aircraft, 12 pilots (mid-size club) | PRO — €216/yr | Higher tier — confirm on holdshort.com |
| 10 aircraft, 40 pilots (large club) | ULTRA — €540/yr | Top tier — confirm on holdshort.com |
Holdshort and Pilot-Next are roughly comparable at one airframe — Holdshort is slightly cheaper at the entry tier, Pilot-Next is free at SOLO. As the fleet grows, Pilot-Next's flat price stays put while Holdshort tiers up.
| Feature | Pilot-Next | Holdshort |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | SOLO — free forever | 60-day trial |
| Starting paid price | €9/month (flat) | $10/mo |
| Pricing model | Flat per company | Tiered by fleet size |
| Pricing transparency | publicly listed | publicly listed |
| Aircraft booking | 2-click | |
| Pilot balance management | full credit/debit tracking | |
| Automated invoicing | built-in PDF invoicing | |
| Maintenance tracking | included | |
| FAA certificate enforcement | ||
| Calendar sync | Google, Outlook, Apple | |
| Mobile-optimized | fully responsive PWA | basic mobile |
| AI / MCP integration | built-in MCP server | |
| European-native (EUR) | USD only | |
| Unlimited users per plan | ||
| Aircraft co-ownership model | built for co-owners | club-oriented |
Holdshort starts at $10 per month with unlimited users on every plan, and tiers up as fleet size grows. Pilot-Next charges a flat per-company fee regardless of fleet size. At one aircraft Holdshort is one of the cheapest options on the market; once you add airframes Pilot-Next overtakes it on price.
Holdshort can block a booking when a pilot's medical, flight review, or other FAA currency has lapsed. That's genuinely useful for US clubs running mixed instructor / member operations. Pilot-Next does not enforce FAA-specific currency rules — it focuses on partnership operations where currency is usually each pilot's individual responsibility.
Pilot-Next maintains a running balance for every pilot, auto-generates a PDF invoice on each flight settlement, and supports per-hour, per-booking, or manual rates. Holdshort handles scheduling and currency well but does not produce invoices or maintain pilot balances — clubs typically pair it with QuickBooks or a spreadsheet for money.
Pilot-Next is a fully responsive progressive web app — installable to a phone home screen, offline-capable for reading recent bookings, and identical features on phone, tablet, and desktop. Holdshort's mobile experience is basic; the desktop UI is its centre of gravity.
Pilot-Next is the only platform in this comparison with a built-in MCP (Model Context Protocol) server. Claude, ChatGPT, and other MCP-compatible AI assistants can book flights, check availability, and query pilot balances through natural language. Holdshort has no AI integration.
Find the row that matches your operation.
| Your situation | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| US flying club where FAA currency enforcement is non-negotiable | Holdshort | Can block bookings when medical or BFR is out of currency. Pilot-Next does not enforce FAA rules. |
| European partnership billing in EUR | Pilot-Next | EUR pricing, EU hosting, GDPR-friendly. Holdshort is USD only. |
| Single aircraft, lowest possible monthly fee | Holdshort | $10/mo entry tier with unlimited users — the cheapest paid option here. |
| Operating 3+ aircraft and watching the cost | Pilot-Next | Flat per-company pricing beats Holdshort's tiered model from the second airframe on. |
| Treasurer wants automated invoicing and pilot balance ledger | Pilot-Next | PDF invoices auto-generated on settlement; running balance per pilot. Holdshort lacks both. |
| Pilots book from their phone at the airfield | Pilot-Next | Fully responsive PWA installable to the home screen. Holdshort mobile is basic. |
| Club wants AI assistant integration for hands-free booking | Pilot-Next | Built-in MCP server — connect Claude or ChatGPT directly to the club. |
Holdshort offers a 60-day free trial. There is no permanent free tier. Pilot-Next offers a free SOLO plan (1 aircraft, 1 pilot) that never expires and requires no credit card.
Holdshort starts at $10/month and tiers up by fleet size, with unlimited users on every plan. Pilot-Next charges a flat per-company fee — €9/month (BASIC), €18/month (PRO), or €45/month (ULTRA) — regardless of fleet size, with unlimited pilots on all paid plans.
No. Holdshort focuses on scheduling and FAA certificate enforcement (medical and flight review currency). Pilot-Next adds a per-pilot account balance and automated PDF invoicing after each flight settlement.
Yes — that's one of Holdshort's differentiators. It can block bookings when a pilot's medical, BFR, or other FAA currency requirements have lapsed. Pilot-Next does not currently enforce FAA-specific currency rules; it focuses on EASA-applicable partnership operations.
Most of the differences between Pilot-Next and Holdshort come down to how a flight gets measured, billed and settled. These articles explain how we think about that, so you can judge whether the model fits your club before you sign up for anything.
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.
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.
No credit card required. Start on the free SOLO tier and upgrade when you're ready.
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