Comparison

BLADE vs Wheels Up

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

BLADE

Experience faster and more convenient travel by booking seats on helicopters, seaplanes, or jets. Access exclusive events, bypass traffic, and enjoy private charters for a premium travel experience. Includes a dedicated car service for seamless last-mile transportation.

Highlights
  • Airport transfers in 5 minutes
  • Weekend and holiday getaways
  • Access to special events
  • On-demand private charters
  • Black Car Service
  • Private BLADE Lounges
Features
Read full description

Fly in ways you never thought possible. Save time, see more, and arrive better. - Fly to or from the airport. BLADE helicopters will get you there in 5 minutes, all day long, from $195. - Get away for the weekend or holiday. BLADE transportation is a highlight—book seats in helicopters, seaplanes, or jets to your destination. - Access special events or concerts. Land directly on property at music festivals, sporting events, ski slopes, and more. - Fly private. A fleet of BLADE jets, helicopters, turboprops, and seaplanes are available on-demand for charters and crowdsourcing. - Get there with BLADE Black Car Service. Our last-mile car service provides uniformity in high-end vehicles, driver training, expedited routes (including police escorts when needed), as well as industry leading health and safety protocols. - Enjoy a network of private BLADE Lounges before and after your trip. - No membership fees, ever. Download the BLADE app and fly the future today. ------------ BLADE Urban Air Mobility, Inc. (“BLADE”) is an air charter broker and indirect air carrier, not a direct air carrier, and does not have operational authority of aircraft. All flights are operated by DOT/FAA licensed direct air carriers. For select routes, BLADE acts as an indirect air carrier in accordance with 14 CFR Part 380. Please refer to BLADE’s Operator-Participant Agreement at https://www.blade.com for details

About

Wheels Up

Access a network of over 1,500 private aircraft for booking and managing flights. Handle all trip details, from booking and passenger additions to catering and ground transportation, all within the app. Enjoy exclusive member benefits and cost-saving options like empty legs and shared flights.

Highlights
  • Search and book private aircraft
  • Real-time pricing and instant booking
  • Manage trips and add passengers
  • Arrange catering and ground transport
  • Access empty legs and shared flights
  • Receive flight notifications
  • View flight activity and invoicing
Features
Read full description

Search. Book. Fly. Discover. No matter where you’re going, it matters how you get there. Download the Wheels Up app for over 1,500 safety-vetted and verified private aircraft available at your fingertips. Manage your trips from the palm of your hand. - Take care of everything without making a phone call. - Get real time pricing for instant booking. - Personalize your searches by saving your favorite airports and passengers. - Book your travel in a few steps adding passengers – including your pets – and add additional luggage to your trip. - With push notifications and SMS, you’ll receive the latest information about your flights, including your tail number and FBO. - View flight activity, edit your payment methods, and download invoicing information. Arrange on board catering or ground transportation. Let us provide you with snacks for your trip. Just tell us what you’d like, and it will be waiting for you on board. If you need a rental car or driver, we’ll be happy to arrange everything. Fly private for less on empty legs and Shared Flights. Members can lower their flight costs with empty leg opportunities or by sharing flights with other members.     The sky’s the limit with exclusive benefits. It’s one of the perks of membership. Access exceptional and personalized experiences both in the air and on the ground.   Get in touch. Have questions? We have answers. Explore our FAQs section, or get in touch with our team directly from the app. Create an account now and get started. Passenger flights shall be arranged by Wheels Up Partners LLC, Wheels Up Private Jets LLC, or Air Partner LLC, each acting as a bona fide agent for charterer. Flights that depart from, or arrive, or conducted entirely outside of the U.S. shall be arranged by Air Partner Limited, Air Partner International, Air Partner International GmbH, and/or Air Partner Srl, each acting as a foreign indirect air carrier. The air charter broker(s) shall be disclosed to charterer in a Trip Quote. All flights shall be operated by a direct air carrier or foreign direct air carrier that holds an Air Carrier Certificate under 14 C.F.R. § 119 (or equivalent license as a foreign air carrier under applicable foreign law), authorizing them to furnish air transportation services pursuant to 14 C.F.R § 121, 129 or 135 (or equivalent license authority as a foreign air carrier under applicable foreign law), as such air carrier may be utilized or designated to charterer with prior notice. For the avoidance of doubt, when Wheels Up Partners LLC or Wheels Up Private Jets LLC provide air transportation services to a charterer, they are a direct air carrier (also referred to as an "Operator"), and with respect to any cargo flights arranged by Air Partner LLC, such flights are arranged in its capacity as an indirect air carrier.

Screenshots

BLADE4 screens
Wheels Up4 screens

Verdict

The call

BLADE and Wheels Up both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 74% of BLADE's written reviews are positive against 46% of Wheels Up's. Wheels Up's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (4.6K vs 17). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for BLADE against 4.8 for Wheels Up. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Wheels Up has 4.6K ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 74% of BLADE's written reviews are positive against 46% of Wheels Up's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BLADE ships an update every 2 months, Wheels Up weekly. The most recent releases landed on August 16, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
BLADE versus Wheels Up: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBLADEWheels Up
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (17 ratings)4.8 (4.6K ratings)
Positive reviews74.4% of reviews — better45.9% of reviews
Number of ratings174.6K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size164 MB75 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFly Blade, LLC.Wheels Up Partners, LLC.

Customer experience

BLADE

All ratings17 ratings
Positive94.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews82 reviews
Positive74.4%
Neutral6.1%
Negative19.5%

Wheels Up

All ratings4,620 ratings
Positive96.8%
Neutral1.1%
Negative2.1%
Written reviews61 reviews
Positive45.9%
Neutral1.6%
Negative52.5%

User reviews

BLADE

From 17 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast travel times
  • 👍 Easy booking process
  • ✨ Amazing app experience
  • 🤩 Smooth and sleek app
  • 💯 VIP level service

Room to improve

  • 😞 Flight cancellations
  • 💸 Charged after cancellation
  • 😠 Breach of terms
  • 👎 Buggy app
  • 📉 Incompatible with newer phones

Wheels Up

From 4.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 💡 Flexible booking options
  • 👍 Reliable service
  • 🚀 Convenient travel experience
  • 👍 Excellent customer service

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy app and sign-up process
  • 🔒 Privacy and security concerns
  • 🐛 Unreliable flight availability and scheduling
  • 💰 Expensive membership and flight costs
  • 🐛 Poor in-flight amenities and delays

Bugs and requests

BLADE

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • App is buggy
  • Booked wrong dates
  • App not compatible with newer phones
  • App forces login every time
  • App is not native
Show 2 more
  • App UI is pathetic
  • App crashes device

Requested features

5 requests
  • Fewer clicks on the app
  • Auto-apply credits/returns
  • More upfront marketing about costs
  • Improve app UI/UX
  • Remember login details

Wheels Up

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Inability to create an account
  • SMS verification code not being sent
  • Flights showing as unavailable despite demand
  • Inconsistent pricing and hidden fees
  • Technical issues with the app and website

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved sign-up and account creation process
  • More transparent pricing and availability information
  • Enhanced search and booking functionality
  • Expanded flight routes and destinations
  • Better communication and updates on flight status

In-app purchases

None

BLADE

No in-app purchases

None

Wheels Up

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BLADE free?
BLADE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Wheels Up free?
Wheels Up is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, BLADE or Wheels Up?
BLADE and Wheels Up are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 17 and 4.6K ratings respectively.
Do BLADE or Wheels Up have ads?
Neither BLADE nor Wheels Up shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BLADE or Wheels Up?
BLADE ships an update every 2 months, and Wheels Up weekly. Most recently, BLADE was updated on August 16, 2026 and Wheels Up on September 23, 2026.

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